Ben breathed out a sharp huff of air that could have been mistaken for a chuckle under other circumstances. The beginning. Once upon a time, I thought I was in love with her, he thought, but after he thought it he was glad he hadn't said it. Was it accurate to say he thought, past tense? Was he still in love with her? Did it matter one way or another, when it came to the present situation? Was the matter of whether he loved her or not even relevant anymore?
And anyway, that wouldn't have actually even been the beginning.
His feelings for or about Melody weren't relevant, he decided. He wasn't looking for advice on what would make him happiest, or what would salvage the most of his pride. He was looking for advice on what was best for his daughter.
"Maybe I'll just — try to cut straight to it," he demurred. He could have told his sister about how his marriage had been strained (as though she did not already know) or how they'd been trying to patch things up lately. He could tell her how he'd thought it had been working, up until the morning. But none of that mattered, because what mattered right now were the facts... and how those facts would impact Nora's future. "I, ah — we were at the Sugarplum Gala last night. Not sure if you heard about it. It was a bigger party. Plenty of people there." These details were relevant, because they impacted the scope of the crisis he was currently faced with. "We came in with a friend. Did the typical ballroom things. I lost track of her sometime before midnight. I went home probably... one in the morning, or a little later, when I couldn't find her. One of her friends helped me look. And it turns out she left earlier. With — someone else." He paused, not wanting to go into much more detail for the sake of his sister's delicate sensibilities but also wanting to ensure she had not missed his meaning.
And anyway, that wouldn't have actually even been the beginning.
His feelings for or about Melody weren't relevant, he decided. He wasn't looking for advice on what would make him happiest, or what would salvage the most of his pride. He was looking for advice on what was best for his daughter.
"Maybe I'll just — try to cut straight to it," he demurred. He could have told his sister about how his marriage had been strained (as though she did not already know) or how they'd been trying to patch things up lately. He could tell her how he'd thought it had been working, up until the morning. But none of that mattered, because what mattered right now were the facts... and how those facts would impact Nora's future. "I, ah — we were at the Sugarplum Gala last night. Not sure if you heard about it. It was a bigger party. Plenty of people there." These details were relevant, because they impacted the scope of the crisis he was currently faced with. "We came in with a friend. Did the typical ballroom things. I lost track of her sometime before midnight. I went home probably... one in the morning, or a little later, when I couldn't find her. One of her friends helped me look. And it turns out she left earlier. With — someone else." He paused, not wanting to go into much more detail for the sake of his sister's delicate sensibilities but also wanting to ensure she had not missed his meaning.
MJ made this <3