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Bella’s face went through a series of emotions—shock, confusion, and finally, a sort of resigned annoyance. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she said anything at all.
“Wait, what? I don’t think I heard you right… Did you say Jenna?” she finally managed.
I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed under her intense scrutiny. I’d always held Bella in high regard and her opinions were important to me, so I prayed that this would go as well or at least better than I feared.
“Yes. I fell in love with her, Bella. I couldn’t help it.”
For a moment, Bella just stared at us, her expression unreadable. Then she let out a long, clearly aggravated sigh.
“Dad, you’re seriously dating my best friend? This is ridiculous,” she whined, flopping down onto the couch and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
She wasn’t happy.
“Yeah. I know it’s a lot to take in, but—” I nodded again, bracing myself for the worst.
“Do you love her?” Bella cut in, her tone softer but still serious.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I love her very much.”
Bella looked at Jenna, her eyes searching. “And you? You love my dad?”
Jenna nodded, her voice steady. “I do, Bella. More than anything.”
A small smile tugged at Bella’s lips.
“Well, this is definitely more than a little bit weird. But… if you both love each other, I guess I can work my way around to being happy for you maybe eventually.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Thank you, Bella. That means a lot.”
She raised an eyebrow, her expression turning playful, “But don’t think you’re off the hook. I’m going to be grumpy about this for days to come and you can’t even be mad about it,” she said, a smirk lighting up her face.
“We wouldn’t expect anything less,” I chuckled, feeling a whole lot better about the situation already.
Bella sighed dramatically, shaking her head and shooting Jenna a pointed stare.
“Seriously, Jenna? My dad? I mean, I know he’s got that whole brooding, mysterious thing going on, but couldn’t you have picked someone a little less… I don’t know, not related to me?” Bella whined.
I chuckled, shaking my head. “It’s not like we planned this.”
She rolled her eyes with the dramatic flair that only my twenty-year-old daughter was capable of.
“Yeah, yeah. Just promise me you won’t get all mushy and romantic in front of me. I don’t need to see that,” she teased.
“Deal,” Jenna said with a blush, but she smiled anyway.
Bella walked over and hugged me tightly. “I just want you to be happy. Both of you.”
As Bella pulled away, she looked at Jenna with a teasing glint in her eye. “But seriously, if you ever break my dad’s heart, I’m coming for you. Got it?”
Jenna laughed, nodding. “Got it.”
“Same goes for you, Dad. You better not hurt my best friend,” Bella said pointedly, shooting me a firm look and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I won’t,” I grinned.
“Pinky promise?” she asked, holding out her pinky and I hooked my pinky with hers.
“Pinky promise,” I vowed.
