Vanessa, Me, and Amber
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"Please tell me you're joking, Daddylove?" Vanessa asks, her tone concerned.
David simply slouches, moving his head in a "no" gesture.
"This is bad. This is very bad!" Vanessa panics, holding her head in her hands, her expression filled with concern.
David stops moping in self-pity and quickly goes to his daughter to comfort her. Despite the situation, he wants to ensure that she is okay.
"Baby, calm down. Please! You know Daddy and Amber didn't mean for this to happen, right?" he asks.
Vanessa simply nods, though uncertain.
"Just... please give Daddy a few days to think this through, and Daddy promises to make it right."
"Okay, Daddylove. I trust you, but I'm still a little worried, you know?"
David quickly hugs her. "Don't be. I promise we'll get through this."
....................
Two days pass. Despite his promises to make things better, David can't sleep at night. His wife grows concerned at times, especially since he has denied their usual lovemaking ever since the day Amber broke the news. He is a dentist, but even work becomes challenging, as he is mostly distracted.
The same goes for Amber, as she tries her best to keep her cravings and developing symptoms a secret from her parents. While she trusts David, she remains unsure of what destiny has planned for her.
"David... I had a question before you left," Victoria says, stopping him as he heads out for his clinic.
"Yes, love?" he replies, masking his concern and meeting her eyes.
Victoria steps forward and cups his face. "Is there something bothering you? Am I... stressing you somehow?"
Her eyes begin to tear up. She genuinely wants to know. David sees the look in her eyes and wants to reassure her that she isn't the problem--but he is deeply conflicted. Still, he hides it from her behind a deep sadness.
"No, dear," he says, hugging her. "It's just something personal I'm working through. Right now isn't the time to talk about it, but I'll let you know when I feel ready, okay?"
Victoria is convinced and smiles at his genuine explanation. "Okay, sure."
She appreciates the honesty and the prompt way her husband communicates about these things.
....................
"Is this the aching tooth?" David asks, trying to concentrate as he examines one of his patients.
"Yes, doctor."
In the background, someone watching YouTube has an ad playing about a rental property in the area--something David happens to catch before the person skips it.
"Hmmm," David murmurs to himself absentmindedly.
He does his best to focus and get through the day at the clinic, trying not to let himself get too distracted. But clearly, his mind is still working through the problem with Amber.
An idea crosses his mind, but he doesn't dwell on it as he wraps up his day.
.............
As Victoria prepares dinner in the kitchen, David comes to Vanessa, who is sitting on the couch watching TV in the living room.
"Hi," David whispers, sitting close.
"Oh, hi, Daddylove. Why are we whispering?"
"Because I have a plan," he whispers with genuine seriousness.
Vanessa glances toward the kitchen to make sure Mom is busy, then gestures for him to continue.
"Mom could come or call us for dinner any moment, so I'll lay out the details tonight after Victoria sleeps. Be in your room at midnight?"
"Deal," she whispers back.
............
At midnight, there's a knock on Vanessa's door. She perks up, sets her phone aside, and comes out from under her quilt to open the door.
"Hi, Daddylove. Come in."
The both of them kiss, but it's a greeting kiss instead of a passionate one. That does not stop it from being on each other's lips. Although David has come with the goal to discuss his plan, he can't help but admire his daughter a little. She's in nothing but black cotton shorts and a peach colored bra. This brings back memories.
Vanessa sees him looking.
"Daddylove, we should discuss the plan before getting all naughty," says she, smirking as she holds his hand and puts his chin up to meet her eyes.
"Y... yes, babygirl. You know Daddy. Come, let's sit."
The pair sits as David begins to speak.
"So, the plan I've made is for both situations--abortion or keeping the baby. Both will need to be discussed with Amber, depending on what she wants. In the case of abortion, I'll be paying for it, and we'll decide on a day and get it done.
On the off chance she decides to keep the baby, things get a little complicated," David says, a heaviness in his voice.
"In that case, Amber will need a place to stay--away from her parents and potentially out of school for at least a year. Now, you and Mommy don't know this, but there's a small farmhouse I inherited from my dad, not too far from here. If Amber is comfortable with it, we'll keep her there with proper care, and I'll look after her during that time."
"But Daddylove, her studies and school?" Vanessa cuts him off, confused.
"Yeah, about that. She'll need to come up with a solid excuse to not attend school for a year. Same with her parents--she'll need a reason to be away from home the whole time."
Vanessa's panic and confusion are written all over her face, and David understands.
"Yeah, I know it's not the best plan. But I've been looking up options online to help our case. I came across an Italian college offering half-year courses with scholarships. I was thinking she could tell both her parents and the school that a benefactor is sponsoring her to enroll there."
While Vanessa isn't fully sure about the plan, she nods. Deep in her heart, she desperately hopes Amber chooses abortion--otherwise, things are looking dicey.
"Okay, Daddy. While I dearly hope Amber chooses abortion, if not... this plan is passable to keep all parties safe," Vanessa says, slouching. "I'll call you to pick us both up after school, and we'll talk about this together somewhere."
"For sure."