My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 25 Awkward Communication

Evelyn

To be honest, Dad's wedding felt like the longest destination wedding ever conceived. It was my meticulously planned affair, and I had no regrets about its duration. The actual wedding ceremony was scheduled for about a week later, so at this point, the mansion was filled with close friends and relatives. Other guests were expected to arrive a day before the wedding, while some would come on the final day.

However, amidst the people present here, there were a few individuals whom I despised, and one of them was undeniably my mother. The only reason she was here was to face the consequences of her past actions.

"Your father truly cares about you," Jacob said, a smile playing on his lips as he handed me a cup of coffee. He glanced over at Dad, who was massaging my feet as a way of compensating for the upheaval he had caused by inviting my mother to the wedding.

Dad's intentions were not unfounded; he simply wanted to mend the strained relationship between my mother and me. However, that doesn't excuse him from the fact that he invited her to his wedding without informing me. He had done it completely behind my back, making him a culprit in my eyes, even if not in reality.

"I know, right?" I chuckled, leaning in to press a kiss on Dad's cheek. "But sometimes he just acts like a bonehead."

While Jacob and Clara burst into laughter, a deep frown settled on Dad's face, clearly displaying his irritation.

"Excuse me, this foot massage doesn't give you the right to call me stupid. You won't be getting anything else as compensation," Dad retorted.

"You're too cute," I laughed.

"And you're too stubborn."

"That's kind of true," Jacob chimed in, taking a sip of his coffee. A small, almost imperceptible smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

However, as soon as Dad's gaze fell on him, Jacob quickly brushed it off with a laugh. "She's always been like this since childhood, hasn't she?"

Dad's earlier peculiar expression disappeared, replaced by a plain, blank expression.

"Yeah, she has always been like this. Stubborn and a bit childish," he chuckled lightly.

"Excuse me," I frowned, feeling the need to defend myself. "I was never childish."

to you, but that's debatable," Clara interjected,

supposed to side with them, "Clara, you were supposed to be

is that..." She searched for the right words but stumbled upon nonsense. "You can never be childish. Yeah,

Clara. That was truly helpful," I replied,

in my voice, before she could respond, a voice interrupted us- the last person I wanted to

hall, and suddenly, the desire to be there vanished from

greeted her with a

and Dad before her gaze finally fell upon

we had spent apart, she was still my mother, and interpreting her emotions

my gaze shifted to Jacob, who sat across from Dad and me on the couch. I felt a strange mix of certainty and uncertainty, as if my body and heart

Jacob subtly nodded and blinked, and at that moment, the invisible restraints that had held me back

astonishing how much I had come to rely on him, almost unconsciously. It had happened slowly, creeping up on me until it became a full-blown dependency, without me even realising it. Now that I finally acknowledged it, it seemed too late to do anything about it, and truthfully, I didn't

exchange between Jacob and me,

Mom," I forced a smile

response. Maybe I hadn't sounded as cold as I did the

great," happiness gleamed in her eyes. It seemed that a simple response from me had brought

me so much, then why did she leave us in the

with your studies? I remember the last time I heard from Samuel, he mentioned that you did really well in

that I struggled with

husband years ago, it was surprising that

I've been focusing on it. Clara has been a tremendous help to me over the past few years, and my maths skills have improved," I cleared my throat, feeling a peculiar sense of guilt creeping

me.

Mason, Nancy, and... what's her name...

felt. I had never expected her to remember anything about me, let alone these small details that were once a part of my life.

didn't really get the chance to catch up on your daily life. It's

of my cheek, trying to quell the guilt that had been lingering within me. I shouldn't feel guilty for not maintaining contact with her all these years. Yes, she tried to reach out to me multiple times, but it was she who left me in

despite my desperate pleas for her to stay. At the time when Dad and I needed her the most, she chose to step away. So why should I feel obligated to share my