Unexpected

Three

Mya's POV

There was something about coastal towns - especially this one. A perfect combination of being big enough to hold more than one shopping complex but small enough to still promote local restaurants and cafes.
There were people everywhere, couples and families slowly making their way back and forth, lost in the ambience and enjoying their Saturday morning browsing through shops in the hot sun before they would make their way to the beach.
I wondered what this place was like in the cold season if it became a deserted forgotten about ghost town or if people still flocked here - maybe thinking that being near the water would some how create the illusion of warmth.

I could feel my phone buzzing in the back pocket of the shorts I was wearing - and I knew it would be Reed - again. This morning I woke up to 12 missed calls from him, another two while I was in the shower so I had no doubt it was him calling me again. I'd listened to the messages, heard his soft voice begging me to call him, for me to come home, selling me his story of why we belonged together - why we were meant to be - why we are meant to spend the rest of our lives together, his constant promises of how he made me happy and I didn't doubt it - not even for a second, he spoke of his many, many plans for us - how we would marry, do some travelling and how in 3 years time we would start trying for a baby, everything, our whole lives he had all perfectly planned, all mapped out on his life path exactly the way he wanted.  What he failed to do, what he'd never really done - was ask me if I wanted the same things - I mean don't get me wrong, I did - kind of, to some extent. I just didn't want every single area of my life planned out perfectly.
Call me crazy - but I wanted a real life, honest and unpredictable, I wanted to face hurdles with the man I loved right by my side and work through them together, I wanted to build our home from scratch - a dream of the place we both saw our children growing up in coming to reality right in front of us, I wanted messy, I wanted loud but most of all I wanted passion - I wanted to see it in every look, feel it in every touch - I wanted to know the man I was sharing my life with loved me more than anything, that he desired me more than anything and more than anything I wanted to feel that way about him in return.
Reed was a safe choice, he was sensible, reliable - he was everything any girl could dream of and once upon a time I did, but I wasn't that person anymore.
I knew I needed to talk to him and I would - soon. There was something else I wanted to face while I was here too - something I had avoided dealing with for almost 10 years - something that popped it's head up again a few weeks ago.

Flashback:

I looked at the white envelope sitting on the desk in front of me, my eyes finally meeting my Uncle Seb's, my oldest brother Logan was the spitting image of my Uncle - who looked just like his father - our grandfather. Seb was one of my favourite people - and while he did make some poor attempts to hide it I knew I was his favourite of all my mothers children - Logan did give me a run for my money - he was crazy close with Seb - but I was confident I still held the number one spot.
He gave me a soft smile as he pushed the envelope closer,

"It's a letter Mya, he gave it to me years ago and I have gone back and forth with when or if I should give it to you or not"

"It's from Jackson?"

"Yes" he nodded

"Why now? why are you giving it to me now?"

"Because it's time Mya"

"Uncle Seb, I"

"Just listen for a minute ok"

I nodded, my eyes focused back on that white envelope,

"I am not trying to force you into anything - god knows your mother and father would have my head if they thought that's what I was doing. I never lost touch with him Mya - I have spoken to him every couple of days since he left - not once has he stopped asking about you. He is waiting for you to be ready to see him, to talk to him"

"And you think I'm ready?"

He flashed his full smile at me, grasping my hand with his leaning forward across him desk,

"I think you both are"

"So the letter, is?"

"It's just a letter - I don't know what it says - I would never disrespect either one of you by reading something that was meant to be between a father and his daughter - but"

He let go of my hand and opened his top draw - a small piece of paper was sat next to the letter - a phone number, the name of a bar and a location.. I glanced at my uncle who nodded at me - the question clear in my eyes...

"He's been there for a while now - he's settled and he sounds happier than I've heard him for a really long time. He never got married - you are his only child Mya - the rest - well the rest is up to him to tell you - when you are ready"

I didn't really know how to respond - I had been pretty successful in keeping all the memories of Jackson buried deep - but there was something building in me and I knew this was a part of it.
Seb was then squatting in front of me - my chair turned to face him as he knelt before me, taking my hands in his and connecting our eyes

"This isn't about anyone except you and him - just remember that ok"

Present Day:

It was right in front of me - I would love to tell you I didn't know I would end up here - that my feet had just carried me on a path while my brain was overthinking the choices I had made that led me to this moment - however it would not be the truth. I had googled this location multiple times - I knew which turns to take and here I was.

The bold wooden sign hung high above the roof - "Knights Bar & Grill"