Charlie Burghard (charlieburghard) wrote in tiberiusswann, @ 2011-11-25 20:34:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | charlie, maggie, mckenna |
Thursday: February/26/09
Who: Charlie and Maggie (and later McKenna, possibly)
When: Thursday evening
Where: his new apartment
What: an important conversation, then cookies and milk with McKenna!
This wasn't going to be an easy conversation, and Charlie wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his temper in check. He had to. This was all about him and Ava, and there was no reason for Maggie to be dragged down by it. She loved Ava, and he didn't want to ruin that. So long as Ava was good to his goddaughter, Charlie saw no reason to keep them apart.
When Maggie arrived at his apartment, dinner was just about ready. He figured they could eat, maybe play some video games, and eventually he'd work up the courage to tell her about the divorce and that it didn't look likely that a reconciliation was in their future. After his fight with Ava this morning, it seemed unlikely he'd ever even be able to have a civil conversation with her. Too many hurtful things had been said, and Charlie would never, ever be able to get the images of her and Godric out of his head. It was hard for Charlie to avoid killing the other vampire. But, again, this was about taking care of Maggie and doing what was best for her.
After dinner and some video games as planned, Charlie hit pause on the controller. "You know I didn't just invite you here for dinner, right?"
Maggie turned on her cushion, pulling one knee up to her chest after setting down her own controller. "Yeah.. I figured. You finally gonna tell me what's going on?"
Charlie nodded with a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I am. And, I'm sorry, but you're not gonna like it."
Looking down at the hem of her new jeans, Maggie played with it. "It's okay. I can handle it."
Maybe she could, but it still hurt Charlie to upset her. He felt like all he'd ever done was cause her pain. "Ava and I are getting a divorce. The paperwork has already been filed… it was before we all got sick. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Between being ill, and then you coming here, and all that's changed in our lives.. I kept putting it off. I shouldn't have. Honestly, I thought for a while there that maybe.." he sighed and leaned over on his knees. "I hoped we might be able to work things out. But it's not happening, Mags."
Hearing the news hurt a lot, but Maggie wasn't all that surprised by it. She could tell things weren't going well with Charlie and Ava's reunion. "Okay," she said softly, still playing with the hem of her jeans.
"That's all? Just 'okay'? I'll answer any questions you have. Or you can yell at me if you want. Break stuff. Whatever." Right now, he'd take whatever she dished out, anything to help her get through this.
Maggie shook her head. She didn't want to do any of those things, not now that she was older. That didn't mean she was beyond tantrums, because she wasn't, but right now she was just letting this all sink in. Ava hadn't even been part of her life two years ago. And Maggie had recovered well from Davia leaving. She could get through this too, right? "Is Aun.." she caught herself, "Is Ava gonna leave?"
"No, I don't think so. I'm not leaving either. I'm staying here for you." He had nothing or no one else to live for. Maggie really was his reason for existing. "But I promise, I'll do my best not to smother you. I'm doing what I can to not turn into an overprotective monster."
Maggie looked up at him. "I know you are." She could see him making the effort. He wasn't constantly checking up on her, and she hadn't seen any sort of alert/warning to the male population at school telling them to keep their hands off Maggie.
Charlie really did want to issue such a warning, but he feared it would backfire. Besides, he had to trust Maggie. She was a smart girl. She had good instincts and was strong. "I might slip up.. but I'm trying. And if you ever slip up, you can come to me. Okay? We all make mistakes, me especially. I know what it's like to do stupid things. So if you're ever in a bind, you can tell me about it. I'll try not to get upset and simply help you instead." Again, he said 'try', because it was hard to promise flat out that he wouldn't get mad.
Maggie nodded, appreciating what he was saying, but she was still hung up on Ava. "What about Ava? Will she still be there for me?"
"Yes. Absolutely," he told her without hesitation. "She loves you."
"What about you?" Maggie asked, looking up at him. "Will it hurt you if I talk to her?"
Charlie's shoulders sank before he scooted over and pulled Maggie to him in a hug. "Don't you ever worry about that. You spend as much time as you want with Ava. All I want is for you to be happy."
Maggie let him hold her for a few moments before pulling back slightly to look at her uncle. "I want you to be happy too." She looked like she was about to start crying.
It tugged at Charlie's heart. "I'm happy as long as you are." He put his hand on her cheek and let it slip back through her hair before pulling her into a hug again. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Maggie."
It seemed that Maggie and Ava were on the same wavelength when it came to this topic. "I can't be the only thing that makes you happy. You need more than me." She knew that he loved the rest of their family, but that still wasn't enough. "You have good friends.." And, while thinking about it didn't feel all so great right now, she hoped he'd find love again one day. She knew how much he loved Ava, so if he said it wasn't going to work out, it was probably true. It probably also meant it was on Ava's side, which didn't sit well with Maggie. Why wouldn't Ava want Charlie? Giving her uncle a squeeze, she informed him, "She doesn't know what she's missing."
Charlie's heart tightened. HIs niece was so grown up. Her hopes for his happiness and her declaration that Ava was missing out caused a flurry of emotions to stir up inside him. He closed his eyes to keep from crying. "Thanks, Magpie." He appreciated that.
Pulling away from Charlie finally, Maggie gave her uncle a lopsided smile. "So.. dessert?" she asked, trying to ease back into less emotional conversation. It looked like Charlie needed a break from his feelings.
"Yes. Dessert. Nothing fancy, I'm afraid.. just cookies and milk. That okay with you?" He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before getting up and going back to the kitchen. This conversation had gone so much better than Charlie expected. He figured Maggie would be furious or crying. She really had matured, and it seemed she was more emotionally stable than Charlie, and he was extremely grateful for that.
Maggie got up as well, starting to follow Charlie, but then looking toward the door. "Um.. yeah, that sounds fine. Do you think maybe I could invite McKenna? She's my sponsor and swimming teacher. I have her in class tomorrow, and I haven't met her yet. I heard she lives next to you."
"Uh.. sure," Charlie agreed hesitantly. He didn't know how he felt about company right now, but McKenna had seen him at a pretty low point, so he didn't think she'd judge him. Besides, it would be good for Maggie to meet her sponsor. Charlie was glad it was McKenna. She was a strong, self-aware, and poised woman. Maggie could learn a lot from her.
"Really?" Maggie said happily, and without further warning, she rushed over to knock on the woman's door. "McKenna?" she called. "It's Maggie Burghard."