Exhausted&Lost

Chapter Ten

"Hey Dad," Ava smiled when he opened his door, her stomach had been swarmed with butterflies all day at the thought of spending the night at Dave's place, but seeing her Dad's kind eyes instantly calmed her down.

"Alright, love? Come on in," he said, stepping aside to allow Ava through, Elliott making off like a shot through their legs and heading straight for the basket of toys that his Granddad had in his living room.

"Tea?" He asked simply, heading toward the kitchen.

"I would love one."

Her dad was a man of few words, but their silences were always comfortable. It's not that he was afraid of showing affection, he was incredibly affectionate, with Elliott especially, he just didn't feel the need for small talk.

Some of Ava's favorite moments were ones spent with her father in the early days of moving to LA, she would prefer to stay in his apartment during the day, struggling with the solitude of her still only partially furnished place.

They would sit, exchanging only a few words, while he would cook her favorite meals from back home and bring her cups of tea as she tried not to completely unravel as her life completely changed.

He was her rock, he anchored in place her very core values and reminded her daily of the importance of family. Having him with her almost, but not completely, eradicated any trace of homesickness she had experienced.

A hot cup of tea was placed in to Ava's waiting hands and her dad sat down facing her, they both watch Elliott play with the little toy cars on the floor, a collection that had grown each time she visited.

"I could swear you buy those for yourself and not him," she laughed as her dad knelt on to the floor to help Elliott construct a ramp out of cushions.

She watched, feeling peaceful, her two favorite people play together on the floor as she sipped a cup of tea.

"So dad..." she started, setting her cup of tea down beside her, "I know you usually drop El off, but can I collect him tomorrow? I have a few things to do and I'm not sure what time I'll be done."

"Of course, love. Are you doing some work in the shop?"

"Um no... well sort of? I'm meeting someone who wants to rent the shop out as a potential venue for their band."

Ava smiled inwardly, knowing she was leaving out some key information about this "potential client", namely that she was meeting him tonight and spending the night in his bed... and he will probably be too busy with his mouth to even talk about prospective shows.

"Ah, very good."

Ava smiled, thankful for her father's penchant for avoiding small talk, knowing she wouldn't need to spill the beans about Dave before she was comfortable. She knelt to the ground and pulled Elliott close for a hug.

"Okay baby, say Bye to mama," she said, kissing his beautiful blonde curls.

"Buh-bye mama," he waved to her, turning his attention back to his cars almost immediately.

She chuckled, glad Elliott was so comfortable at his Granddad's that she could leave with out him fussing, she never had to worry or stress when she out, knowing he felt right at home.

"Thanks dad," she said, giving him a quick hug on the way out the door.

She headed back to her own place to prepare for the evening, shooting Dave a quick text to firm up on times.

Hey! Are we still on for tonight? x

Damn right we are, I'll pick you up at 7.30 sharp!