Aurora's POV:

The open door revealed my Dad standing there, soaking wet from the recent rain that I hadn't even noticed until just now. He held some, now, soggy flowers in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other. It looked like a bad break up scene from a rom-com movie except he was here for me. He smiled a confident grin that I happily returned while dragging him by the arm into the house. I was so excited that Mike had invited him here until Mum rounded the corner.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Mum literally jumped backwards in shock and bumped into the wall. She fixed herself up before putting on her stern Mum face, it was kind of scary.

"Lans I can explain," two seconds ago this man seemed so confident but as soon as Mum walked in the door he was frail like a lost puppy.

"Don't you dare call me 'Lans' Austin. There's nothing to explain you shouldn't be here," he trembled at her harsh words and the gifts he brought for me hit the floor as he lost his grip. As I watched them fall it was if it was all happening in slow motion, just another thing she got to take from me today. He came here for me but now he's seen her he's completely forgotten about me.

I couldn't take this anymore she always ended up getting everything she wanted and I was always left with the short end of the stick. Even when I pushed between the two they didn't notice my existence. I had to hold onto the tears as I marched to my room before throwing my lump of a body to the pillows and letting out a bellowing scream. Not that they'd hear it anyway.
A knock came at my door behind me but I couldn't bare to face Mike with the tears streaming down my mascara streaked cheeks.

"Go away Mike," I didn't even lift my head from the pillows whatever I said probably sounded like a muffled blur.

"It's not Mike.." that husky voice, it was Austin's. I heard him place something down on my make up table, probably the chocolates because those squashed flowers were probably in the bin.

"Oh," I contemplated what to say next, "go away," I heard him sigh at the failed attempt to get my attention. Poor guy had no idea what he was doing as a father and he had no idea what I was like to even start trying to console me. He probably felt so awkward.

"I came to see you Aurora. I wanted to take you out to a movie. Just you and I before I go to Sydney for the next show," he was trying so hard it was hard to say no.

"I have to fix my make up," I didn't want to give a straight answer but I figured he'd take it as a 'yes'. As much as I wanted to be angry it was at Mum not him and how could I push him away when I just got him, this is all I ever wanted.

"Take all the time in the world Princess," my heart skipped a beat at the nickname.

"How did you know they call me that?" I whimpered trying not to freak out as I powdered my face where the messed up mascara once was.

"I didn't know anyone called you that I just uh, don't worry it was stupid," his tone faltered as he tried to make up for what he thought was something embarrassing.

"You think I'm your princess?" my fingers were crossed behind my back hoping that he'd say yes. I wished for this even more than I wished for Trent to say it.

"Yeah, yeah I do.." a tear rolled down my cheek making a mess of my fresh touch up but this time in happiness.

"Aw Dad!" I smashed into his tall frame and wrapped my arms around his hips. He hugged me back twice as hard as we sniffled together.

"Um," Mum coughed awkwardly at the door trying to get our attention. We pulled back reluctantly from the hug and turned to look at Mum. Austin's arm was draped tightly around my shoulder the entire time.

"Austin can I talk to you in the lounge room please," I choked on my own saliva when she tried to steal him away from me once more.

"I'm here to see my daughter Leilani," I smiled pleasantly at the fact that he declined Mum's offer. Suck on that Mum!

"It will only be a moment I wouldn't want to interrupt your time together," what has gotten into her? Normally she'd be yelling and screaming at me for being so rebellious. I'm surprised when I ran off out of the foyer before she didn't kick him out of the house. Did Mike say something again?

"When I come back be ready to go okay?" he was sturdy and firm with his words as he regrettably unraveled his arm from around me. It was cool having a Dad makes the orders for once. I nodded eagerly and turned back to the mirror as he and Mum exited the room.

Don't eavesdrop Rory, don't do it... Of course you can't help yourself.

There was three sets of footsteps, Mike would have been there too of course. The sound of the leather cushioning filled the room as they all sat in an awkward silence. Mum huffed and Austin took in a massive breath not sure of what to expect.

"How do I say this?" Mum's breathing was getting heavier and her words more spaced apart as she began to go through the anxiety of talking to someone she hadn't seen in so long.

"Just tell him the truth Leilani," Mike rushed her.

"What's going on?" Austin was so confused, he had no idea what was about to hit him. I did. I knew exactly what Mum was about to say to him and it was going to crush his heart.

"I never expected you to come into her life, ever, and I'm not even sure that I want you to but it's what she wants so 'll accept it for now until you make a wrong move and I know you will because that's what you do best but before you go and break her heart when you disappear again there's something you have to know," she was cruel in her words but fair. She'd spent her life raising me alone and looking after me without the help of the one who should have been there of course she was going to be weary I didn't blame her and I had to be thankful that she was at least giving him a chance. I owed her that.

"Leilani I'm not going anywhere I swear," you could hear the sincerity in his words but Mum wasn't hearing it she just wanted to get to the point.

"She's dying Austin," it was blunt. As blunt as you could break the news about something like that. I bit back the tears this time but I didn't know if Austin could or would. I heard the pressure release from the sofa, he must have stood up and started pacing the room.

Mum wasn't telling him to scare him off or to make him feel bad. She was preparing him the same way she'd been preparing herself for the past sixteen years. He needed to know because like I'd just gotten him, he'd just gotten me and just as quickly he'll lose me.

He didn't say anything. What was someone supposed to say to that sort of thing?

"How long?" he was choking on his words and it was breaking my heart.

"We don't know," Mike blubbered out. Of course he was crying too. This was all too much crying for one day.

"What's wrong with her?" I almost couldn't listen anymore he was falling to pieces because of me and my stupid heart.

"Her heart it's not developed properly. There's a lot to go through we can sit and talk another time," Mum was offering pamphlets about Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and information about the surgeries. She even had photos of me in the hospital and a list of all my medication. I can you now for someone just finding out his long lost daughter is dying that is way too much stuff to take in but Mum kept rattling it off.

"No I don't want to waste time talking, I want to spend every minute with her that she has left," he was still trembling thinking about not getting much time with me. The fact that he wanted to spend time with me made me smile like an idiot, I wanted the exact same.

"You don't deserve that right Austin! You lost that right when you left me!" I knew Mum would kick up a stink about it. She'd jumped from the couch and I could already picture her jabbing her pointy witch like fingers into his chest as she chastised him.

"You've had the last sixteen years just let me have what I can have with her," now I could picture Austin's massive frame towering over Mum belittling her. All my life I wished that my parents would argue like all the other kids and now I hated it. I wanted them to love me both the same why was I just an object, a chess piece in a game that they thought they rightfully owned?

"And how do you propose you do that?" she was joking even though she asked, she was undermining his ability to make it happen but he had a comeback that made my Mum's skin crawl.

"Let her go on tour with me.."

Notes

New chapter guys! Not very long but a new chapter nonetheless. I hope you love it! I actually really like this chapter and the fact that Austin is so focused on having time with Rory. What do you think about Austin's proposal? What will Leilani say, no or yes? Well read away my lovelies and enjoy!!! New chapter coming very soon.

ALSO!! It'd mean a lot to me if you guys would check out my new story The Forbidden Fruit. I'm having an absolute amazing time writing it and it already has a few chapters so you can get a good idea of what's going on. It's very different to anything I've ever written before so it's a big change for me. I hope you guys check it out and let me know how you like it. Thanks guys xxx