Lia's Father!

After Lia had gone out, Mrs. Beth's face changed. She looked curiously at Giselle.

"So, is this the child of you and that girl, Lillian?" Mrs. Beth's question startled Giselle that she became speechless.

Mrs. Beth grasped the situation.

"It is not, I guess. I mean, you kept talking about this girl Lillian and told me that 'she's the one.' What else can I think of dear?" Mrs. Beth said. She noticed that Giselle looked all bitter with her face down. Before Mrs. Beth could continue, Giselle interrupted.

"I left Lillian Mrs. Beth. The last time we spoke on the phone was when I was about to leave the country to study abroad. After that," Giselle stopped. She felt uneasy right away.

But despite her uneasiness, she felt relieved that there's at least someone in this world with whom she can gradually open up. Plus, Mrs. Beth knew Giselle more than her own parents. Even when she was young, Giselle would report all of her feelings to Mrs. Beth. She spotted a good friend and a well-wisher from Mrs. Beth. Though they used to be the teacher and a student, after getting to know about Giselle absolutely, Mrs. Beth helped Giselle opening up and communicate with her others.

"What? You- left that girl? I don't get," Mrs. Beth felt shook after hearing the news.

"Mrs. Beth, I can't tell you about everything. But Lia! Lia is my only priority right now, and I'm not seeking anything else other than being there for my daughter." Giselle replied.

"Wait... father? who's the father then?" Mrs. Beth wanted to know more.

Giselle looked away for a moment and then stood up from her seat. She moved to the nearby cabinet full of documents. It was all the previous records from various school events. Giselle randomly spotted one about 'school trip.'

It reminded her of Lia's father.

Quickly, her mind flashbacked to the moment where Giselle and Lia's father went on their trip, where they both ended up spending time together. She had no idea that would be the spark for Lia's existence.

"His name is Ethan. Ethan Ruz." Giselle's face lit up. She smiled, brightly saying out his name.

"So? You fell in love with a guy when you were obviously into Ladies?" Mrs. Beth was amused.

Giselle turned to give Mrs. Beth an intimidating look. Mrs. Beth felt a little scared. She backed off herself and felt the urge to look away.

"After I left Lillian, I was broken dead inside. I shut myself away and never accepted any friendship. Gradually, nobody felt the need to even talk to me. However, two people cared for me deeply in those lonely times. And one of them was Ethan Ruz." Giselle shared her story.

She never mentioned about Lia's father to anyone, and this was the first time she's ever uttered the word. It made her bring back memories that were good and bad.

"Ethan Ruz. He didn't know you were..." Mrs. Beth tried to dig out for more.

"Lesbian? He knows." Giselle revealed.

Mrs. Beth was getting shocked steadily. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Giselle, dear. I'm not young enough to handle this. Could you please tell me what happened exactly?"

Mrs. Beth requested, and Giselle agreed.

**

"I met Ethan in college, and we became good friends. He didn't know about me being a lesbian. I assumed it was for my best, and I kept the secret hidden from him as well. For once, I wished not to get bullied or judged for who I truly am!"

"I simply couldn't take another comment that derides my birth."

Hearing Giselle saying such words, Mrs. Beth could listen to the lingering pain this woman still has in her heart for being the victim of bullying for her identity for a long time.

Giselle paused and then resumed.

"My relationship with Ethan was only formal until it got to the point where I surrendered myself to the enmity I received sometime in my life. Under the intoxicated state, I made a mess and a mistake to trial for a false statement. As a result, I ended up getting pregnant with Ethan's child."

"Ethan was a nice guy, honestly. Even after knowing my secret, he treated me with the same respect. He left the choice with myself, and I, after much consideration, thought that I did not dare to kill an innocent seed. It was my mistake, but I wanted to correct it. Also, I couldn't abort the child. It pained me even to have such thoughts. I ended up giving birth to Lia."

Giselle smiled warmly.

"We were married until Lia's birth and then got divorced. Ethan suggested the marriage only because he could take care of me well and help me through the time without anyone trash-talking of my circumstance to their amusement. He also had a vague silly thought of Lia's birth to be the moment where her parents were happily married- you know what I'm trying to say, right?"

Giselle chuckles to the memory.

"He said that Lia would become my solace, my treasure, and my strength. Well, she did turn out to be all that, and my state improved with Lia's presence in my life. After our divorce, Ethan told me to raise Lia and agreed to be there for her at all times. I, too, include him when it comes to anything related to Lia's life, in terms of decision-making."

"Now, I live for her every day. To create a world for her, a place where she could live happily- unlike her mother."

Mrs. Beth listened to the story silently. When Giselle concluded, Mrs. Beth stood up, walked towards Giselle, and hugged her.

Without her knowledge, Giselle cried.

"It's alright. I may not know everything that happened in your life. But I can say that you actually cared for the baby. And I'm glad that you didn't decide to abort that child. Trust me! She will be your peace." Mrs. Beth comforted Giselle.