Love Times Three

High School - Senior Year

Dallas, Asher and Lily sat on Madere's couch facing the man sitting in the loveseat across from them. Lily hadn't seen or heard from him since she was four years old. She vaguely remembered his face. He seemed older, which made sense, but if she was honest he also seemed different. The harshness and coldness she remembered were gone. His eyes reflected many emotions, but the most prominent was regret.

"Ryan, what are you doing here?" Madere asked from her standing position. Lily's father, Ryan Morris, stared at the older woman before looking at his daughter and the two white boys he didn't feel needed to be present for the conversation.

"Can we talk alone please?" Ryan asked. "This is a family matter." Dallas scoffed. "We are her family. We're engaged." Ryan's eyes widened at the ring he didn't notice on his seventeen-year-old daughter's finger.

"Excuse me? Why wasn't I told about this?" Lily chuckled. It was the first sound she made. "You lost the right to know what was going on in my life the moment you kicked your wife and four-year-old daughter out of their home." Lily snarled. Asher held her hand in his and stroked it. "Wait. I thought you were engaged to the blond one?"

Madere rolled her eyes. "Ryan, stay on task. What are you doing here?" The man sighed before looking at Lily. She was the perfect mix of her parents with his dark skin color and her mother's heart shaped face. A lot had happened since he had the foolish decision to kick out his wife and four-year-old daughter. He was a mess and in a terrible headspace. He was young and dumb. He needed structure in his life and decided getting a divorce and joining the navy was the best way to get that.

He explained all that had happened to him and everything that brought him to this point. "I'm here because I'm ready. I'm here because I want another chance with my wife and daughter. I'm here to take them back to Colorado with me." Lily could feel Dallas shaking and squeezed his hand. "I'm not going anywhere with you." Lily spoke up looking her father dead in the eyes.

"You're 17 Lily. You don't get to make that decision. Your mother and I will discuss things." Ryan said back causing her to laugh. "You underestimated my mother back then and that was the first of your mistakes. You were probably to 'messed up' to realize this, but you signed away your parental rights. Mom made sure of it, because she didn't want you coming back and doing what you always did. Fuck shit up!" Madere shook her head but didn't reprimand her.

"Madere is my legal guardian. She will remain my legal guardian until July 4th where I will be 18 and free to do whatever the hell I want. You don't get to march in here and make demands. Where have you been the last thirteen years? Where were you last year? You keep talking about my mother like a clueless idiot. My mother died! Fuck you and the horse you rode in on!"

Lily ran out of the home with Asher hot on her trail. Ryan looked at Madere with misty eyes. "Ella...died." He croaked out and Madere almost felt sorry for him. Almost. "I sent word to the last address she had for you." He nodded his head. "I sold the townhouse a while ago. How?" Madere shook her head no. "I can't relive that. Just know she was alone and probably scared out of her mind." He nodded his head. "Madere, this is more reason for Lily to be with me."

Dallas scoffed once more. "Son, do you even need to still be here?" Dallas glared at him. "First of all, I'm not your son. Second of all, damn right I need to be here. Lily will be my wife in a little over a year and I protect her with everything I am. You don't know her and she sure as shit doesn't know you. Taking her away from the only family member she has left, because let's face it you're not family, is the worst thing any father could do to the child they claim to love."

Ryan looked at the boy who seemed too big to be seventeen. "You weren't there when her depression hit. You weren't there to hold her as she shook from her sobs. Lily can't be without me and Asher and we can't survive without her, so unless you're ready to house three teenagers who will eat you out of house and home, I suggest you leave my future wife right the fuck here."