Hello everybody!

Thank you everybody for 100 reviews! (creds to maxerica15)

Hope this chapter will clear up a lot of unanswered questions about the topic, and tell me if you can draw any parallels to this and The Selection!

Quick question: do you guys want drama or nah? I have two different approaches to the story, and I have the plot outlined for both, but I'll just need your opinions, because I can't decide. The drama has (hopefully) lots of feels, but the no drama is a little bit more realistic, although both can seem pretty believable. And dw, they'll both come to the same ending.

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: all Selection rights belong to Kiera Cass

I rinsed the final plate from dinner under lukewarm water and set it to dry on the rack. I turned the tap off and slid the rubber gloves from my hand, tucking some loose strands of hair behind my ear and finally letting out a heavy sigh.

"Kitten, are you alright?" dad asked from the small living room. He was perched on the worn-out couch with a book in his hands.

"Yeah, just tired," I said.

"Sit here. Just rest," he said, patting on the empty spot next to him.

I nodded and trudged my way over to the couch, plopping down on the seat.

He ran a hand up and down my back.

"Are you really okay?" he asked.

I pressed my palm against my forehead, hoping to calm my throbbing headache.

"No, not really," I said.

I curled up and hugged a cushion around me.

"Here, have some of my tea. It's chai. It'll help," my dad said, handing me a mug he took off the table.

"Thanks, dad," I said.

"Anytime, kitten."

He smiled and went back to reading his book. I took small sips of the warm tea and closed my eyes for a few short moments.

The tea made the rhythmic pulsing in my head somewhat calmer. I leaned my head back against the edge of the sofa.

"Daddy?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

I opened my eyes and took another sip. "Is it okay if I ask you something a bit...personal?"

He raised his eyebrows and closed his book.

"Go for it," he said.

"I was wondering why…" I trailed off, not wanting to invade his privacy. I shook my head. "Never mind."

Dad's brows knit together. "What, darling? You can ask me anything."

I chewed the inside of my mouth, debating whether or not I should do this. "I was wondering why you and mom are so close to the Schreaves," I said timidly.

He looked taken aback by the question, yet somehow he didn't. He took a deep breath.

He put his book down on the table and said, "I think you might want to put the mug down."

I hesitated before setting the cup down next to the book.

I returned to my curled position, knees hugging my chest with the cushion in between.

Dad sighed.

"Daddy, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

He shook his head and said, "No, kitten. I think you should know."

He paused, making me silently yearn for an explanation.

He put a comforting hand on my knee and said, "I know you've heard the stories of your mother and I eloping, correct?"

I nodded.

"Well, I never told you what happened after," he said. He breathed deeply again. "My parents - your grandparents - died when I was younger, some few years before I met your mother, and my older sister took care of me. You knew that, didn't you?"

I nodded again. My grandparents were all deceased, or so I'd been told.

"But your mother's parents were still alive." I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

He smiled at my shocked expression and responded to my unanswered question. "We don't know where they are now. She hasn't bothered to check. Anyway, we got married secretly when I was twenty, and she was eighteen. Her parents had never liked me, because I wasn't good for their reputation. I was an orphan, poor, and had no chance. But your mother…" he gave a lighthearted laugh at something I would never understand, "she married me anyway because she loved me."

My surprise turned into a smile. Though their love didn't always show, I knew it was there deep down.

"Eventually, her parents found out, and they got furious. The look on her father's face still sometimes come back in flashes. They yelled and screamed, and told me that I was worthless, and that she was now also at the bottom of that same deep pit. They told her to never come back to the house, or they would make sure her life was a living hell."

What would it be like to have parents who scorned the one who you loved? My breaths grew shallow and rapid. I didn't know this had ever happened. I took my mother's love for granted, and I realized I shouldn't have, mistreated or not.

He continued, "She stayed with me the whole time, though. She cried and pleaded for her parents not to do what they had done and take back their actions, but they didn't listen to her. We had nowhere to go. Most of the money for my rent was provided by her funding, but now that her parents weren't there to support her, we didn't have any money for a place to stay. My sister had moved away for her studies, so I had no one else to consult. And that's where the Schreaves stepped in.

"We were desperate for some shelter. Clarkson was my friend from high school, and when I asked him, he was more than happy to help. He provided us everything we needed. Food, water, a home. And how could I forget Amberly. She was very kind to us. She helped your mother land some gigs so we could earn money. She also got some of her friends to buy my artwork. All four of us managed to live under a roof meant for two."

He scratched his stubbled chin. If only I had known about this before. I would've been more respectful towards mom, and more grateful for everything that I had.

"Eventually, after about two years, your mom and I had enough money to buy our own small place. It wasn't much, but it was ours. The Schreaves looked sad to see us go. Amberly even cried, but your mom, always so optimistic, said that we would see each other again. And we did. You may not remember because you were so small, but they brought us along on a lot of their vacations. They were, and still are, the most kindhearted people I know."

This new information soaked into me, so unfamiliar yet intriguing.

"Kitten, you don't need to look sorry for me." He reached out for my hand. "We all have to make important decisions. It's just that ours came with the biggest consequence of all. I know that this sounds like a cliche love story, but it's what really happened. You can't change the truth."

His rough callused thumb stroked my hand. "I hope you don't let Maxon go. He's a good man raised by good parents. But if you choose to be with someone else, I want you to know that I'll always be beside you, respecting your decisions. Just always have a reason, though. You may think that it's the silliest of reasons, but I'll always listen to what you have to say. And even if you say love is the reason, I'll let you have your way without a doubt."

He patted my hand and said, "Love is always enough."

Hope you enjoyed!

And sorry this didn't really have any Maxerica, but there was some family bonding (more to come)!

Review replies

gabriellanatividad: Thank you! And I haven't looked at a lot of books yet, but the ones I want are Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, The Siren by Kiera Cass, The Crown by Kiera Cass, Fairest by Marissa Meyer, and Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. Right now, I'm reading Winter by Marissa Meyer (it's part of the Lunar Chronicles) and it's really enjoyable. Hope that helped :)

Lococo: Thank you!

Guest: Thanks!

audreyHepburn5502: Let's just say Celeste is very big with her plans... And please don't hate Kriss! She's innocent! But I'm glad you enjoy!

Maxerica15: Awwww! I'm so glad you like my story! Hope you finished your homework btw. To answer your questions

1- Yes :)

2- You'll see ;)

3- Yes, definitely :)

4- Maybe, maybe not

5- Mmm, we'll get to that later

6- You'll see (sorry for being so vague for all of these)

No, I haven't read the Fifth Wave. I'll look into it! And thank you for liking my story! Ilysm!

Guest: Thank you!

Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! I love you guys so much! Aaahhh! 3 3 3 3

Bye!