Coming Home

Chapter 18

A/N HERE WE GO. SHORTER CHAPTER CAUSE THE NEXT ONES LONG AND I HAD TO BREAK IT UP. ALSO LET IT BE KNOWN JEN JUST POSTED A BUNCH OF LOVEY THINGS TO HER STORY AND NO I AM NOT OK. Also there's like 1 or 2 more chapters left as far as I know. Thank you for being on this journey with me ❤️

David stared at the box, then at Cleo. He slowly took the box, examining it carefully.

He was in denial. Surely this wasn't what he thought it was, right?

He slowly opened the box after examining it.

"Oh my God, Cleo." David said as he looked at the content inside the box, his eyes sparkling like they never have before, tears forming in them.

A small, gold engagement ring. Garnet stone in the middle, with 3 small diamonds on each side.

Cleo let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "You came back from the bar I think and put the ring under the floorboard when you thought I was sleeping. I had no idea what it was, I thought it was a Schwimmer heirloom from grandma. You weren't really 'drunk', either had a couple of drinks, so maybe tipsy. Anyway, I didn't understand why mom wanted you to sell it, but I knew she knew about that spot. So, the next day I went to the secret spot, took the ring and somehow managed to stuff it under my mattress.

When you and mom divorced and you permanently moved back into the current house, I brought the ring with me one weekend and put it under my mattress there so mom could never find it, hence thinking you sold it." She explained.

David just stared at her in shock. He couldn't believe he was hearing and seeing what he was hearing and seeing, but here he was: holding the ring he thought was gone forever, with his daughter crying and admitting to what she did to protect him, what she did to protect the thing that meant the world to him.

He got up and walked over to her, crouching down next to her and hugging the girl tightly.

"I knew it was wrong to take the ring. I was going to discreetly put it in your room and just have you randomly find it. Then you told me that story about where it truly came from, and well, the guilt was eating away at me way too much. I couldn't just hide it in plain sight and hope you found it. I don't know why it took me so long to give it back, I really don't. I'm so sorry, dad." She finished through her tears.

"Cleo I love you SO fucking much. I cannot believe you did this for your old man." He said as he held her, kissing her hair and rubbing her back as a way of soothing her, which calmed her down.

When they pulled away, he wiped his daughters' tears and kissed her cheek. Cleo felt the biggest weight lift from her shoulders as her father just smiled at her. "I just can't believe I was able to give this back to you in a time where you are romantically with the woman you initially meant to give this ring to all those years ago. I don't know if this was a coincidence or not, but I'm glad it turned out like this." She replied, now laughing about the situation.

David also laughed. Now he needed to actually think of a way to give her the ring, or just let it happen naturally. "Guess I'll know when the time is right." He thought as he clutched the ring box tightly, holding it to his chest and smiling.

"We don't tell your mother about this, by the way." David promised. Cleo nodded her head frantically in agreement.

"CC, Lisa, you will never believe what I just found out." David texted Lisa and CC after dinner. If anyone was going to freak out about the ring, it was them.

Floosh:
That you're FINALLY starring in a new romcom with Jen?!

CC:
I have no idea, Schwimmer.