Harsh Truth

Angel sipped his tea quietly as the girls talked. They were getting to know each other. Lilly would often look over at Heart, eye him up and down, and turn away again. He couldn't help wanting to just get up and leave. But Venus was happy, so he held down the panic attack inside. Evergreen was kind to him, as she always tried to be. Angel noticed the way she would try to include him in the conversation or ask about his life. He found himself talking more to her than the people he had relationships with. Lilly didn't like that.

"So, Angel, why has it taken so long for you to bring me my daughter?" She asked, and now, Angel was angry.

"What. You left me when she was a little girl. You dropped all contact and I haven't heard from you in ten years."

"You didn't even try!"

"You weren't worth trying. Venus and I have been doing just fine without you."

"I wanted to see my daughter, Heart."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have walked out on me! We could have made this work, Lilly, but you ruined it."

"You were making me miserable!"

"I didn't have it any better. I don't even like women!"

"You should never have proposed!"

"I wish I didn't!"

"MOM! DAD!" Venus yelled, standing up. She couldn't stand hearing her parents fight like this, "why can't you just get along? Mom, what did he do to you?"

Angel felt his heart break just a little bit more. He was in the wrong. After everything. He grit his teeth and drank his tea. Venus sat down again as Lily was crying now. Eva rubbed her back and pulled her close. Why did she have someone to comfort her…to hold her when she cried. Why was Angel alone? He wanted to be comforted and loved. He loved romance books and movies. He always wanted to fall in love. Maybe love wasn't so worth it…

"Your father, Venus…he was so good to me…" Lilly sobbed, "but I wasn't ready to be a mother, and he never loved me."

"Why would he marry you if he didn't love you?"

"Peer pressure. Everyone around us, my dear, they thought we were perfect…really, he was perfect and I was a mess."

"Dad, you hurt her, see."

"Yeah, it's all my fault at the end of that day?" Angel looked at Lilly, and she knew what she was doing was wrong, Venus deserved the truth.

"I cheated on your father."

"What?"

"I have no excuse for my actions. He took care of us, and he never stopped smiling even if he wasn't happy being married to me. I just…I needed to feel something else."

Everyone was silent now. Venus couldn't stare at the beauty she called her mother. She was…she wasn't the statue of perfection she'd wished to meet. Venu grabbed onto her fathers arm as she tried not to cry. She wanted to leave. They could spend thanksgiving like they did every year. Venus, Heart, and Marco if he decided to show up. She didn't want to spend it here anymore, not until she was ready to face that kind of truth. Even her father had been avoiding it for ten years, and he still seemed in shock. The two of them got up and said their goodbyes before quickly leaving. Venus decided they would just call a cab and head back to their hotel rooms.

She would need a lot of time to process before speaking to her mother. A lot.