You've Got Dad ~ Part ...

The tale of a love gone sour, a meddling dad and how hope rose from the ashes.

The minute Nicole stepped into Jake's house, she knew it was a mistake.

Uncle Tan opened the door and greeted her with a huge smile and hug. Contrary to the urgent mail that Jake had sent regarding his dad's failing health, Uncle Tan looked suspiciously hale and hearty as a horse.

"Come in, come in, my dear," the dear old man ushered her in. "It's been a while since I last saw you."

Nicole nodded feebly. What else could she have said? That she stopped visiting the family since she broke up with his son? But of course, Uncle Tan would have known that by now. Jake would have updated him. The same Jake who conveniently made himself scarce when he knew she would be visiting. In a way, it was good.

The last time Nicole saw him, they both felt rather awkward. She curbed the impulse to touch his unshavened face and twiddled with her hair instead, while he stuffed both hands firmly in his jeans pocket instead of greeting her with the usual hug and kiss. How their words were carefully crafted to hide the fact that they missed each other so much and haven't found anything to fill that huge vacuum in our lives that the other have left vacant.

Whomever who said that it was possible to be friends with one's ex has forgotten to add that it takes a long time to get to a mutually comfortable stage. If ever.

She took her place opposite Uncle Tan who beamed at her and asked if she wanted to drink. She declined and for the next fifteen minutes, they conducted a most pleasant small talk. Jake's sister, Elaine came out at the sound of their chatter. She smiled and looked at Nicole curiously before plopping down on a seat next to her brother's ex.

"Errr... aren't you busy with your project?" Uncle Tan said glancing at his daughter.

"Kinda," she said as she grinned at Nicole cheekily. "But I'm taking a break now. Besides, I want to catch up with her."

After five minutes of chatter, he asked her again, "I think the dog needs to be walked. Now," this time, his look was more pointed.

Elaine got the hint. Gave Nicole a conspiratory wink before traipsing out of the house, dog leash in hand.

Nicole had a squeamish feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew what was coming. "Oh dear God, help me to be strong," she prayed silently in her heart.

Uncle Tan then began the topic that had been in his heart all evening, "You know... It's always been my heart's desire to see you and Jake get together and start a family. Whatever that caused the breakup, I'm sure you two can work it out. Maybe you just need to talk it out."

Her heart melted at his kind voice. "Well, I am very touched to hear that. But Jake and I, we discovered that we are just not meant for each other."

"Jake's mom and I have our difficulties, too but we worked it out. As I am sure you and Jake can, too. Think about it. My son may have his faults, but he is a good man. A more honest man you will never find."

She nodded respectfully at his words. All of them were true. Jake was honest to a fault. Jake and her could perhaps work things out - if they were suckers for punishment, that is.

"And Nicole, I can assure you that your next boyfriend will probably not be as honest as Jake," Uncle Tan continued smoothly.

She blinked in shock. Goodness, did the sweet old man just cursed her next relationship?

At that point, she decided that enough was enough. Sure, she respected the man that was Jake's father. And she was truly touched and honoured by how highly he esteemed and liked her enough to champion her as his only son's wife. But Jake and her have come to a dead end. And no one, not even his dad can resurrect a relationship that wasn't meant to be. No matter how much she liked Uncle, that wasn't a good reason for her to get back together with Jake. The man who doesn't love her anymore.

She recalled how Jake cheekily told her that the day she became his girlfriend was the one of the happiest days in his dad's life.

How Jake kept teasing her that if only Uncle Tan had met her 25 years ago, they would have hit it off and become one of the happiest couples alive.

How alike Uncle Tan and her were in many many respects and how well they click together.

It broke her heart to take leave of the old man and to nod numbly when he repeatedly asked her to visit them whenever they have their weekly family dinners.

"Ok, I'll try to make it, Uncle," she said. Knowing full well that she probably wouldn't step into their cosy home ever again.

Sometimes the most heart-rending part in the demise of a relationship is saying goodbye to your ex-es' family members. Yes, the minute she stepped into Jake's house, Nicole knew it was a mistake. Because on that day, she realised that she had to say goodbye to not one, but two men whom she have grown to love.

Double the joy, double the blow.


... to be continued