AN: The bold italics are flashbacks. They are not in order but are set up to fit with the story.
TW: divorce
Daphne was nervous. It sounded crazy that she would be nervous to meet with her father and his family for the billionth time, but nonetheless, she was. They didn’t feel like her family, but they didn’t feel like not family either. They were all in a weird limbo, no one really knew how they felt about Daphne in their family. Her dad ignored her but pretended they were ultra close, her stepmom hated her and put her down at every turn, and her siblings were so young that they still worshiped the very ground she walked on, something their mother hated with a passion. Allison saw her as a threat, someone who could mess up or ruin everything she had worked so hard to build. She was too much and not enough for them at the same time. Daphne thought about the moment she met Allison often.
Daphne was excited to finally meet the girlfriend she had heard so much about from her father. He had other girlfriends before, but Daphne couldn’t recall a single time that they made him look half as happy as he was in the moment. He had been bragging about the two meeting for weeks. As Daphne opens the door into the café where they agreed to meet, she spots Allison. The first thing that strikes her is how similar she is to Donita, something that grows more obvious as time goes on. Allison was also a fashion designer; while not nearly as renowned or famous as her mother, she did pretty well for herself. On paper, their experiences were similar too. They both grew up in a large family and left their small town to be a fashion designer. At that moment, Daphne empathized with Allison. She knew it was probably difficult to be the ‘second choice’ especially being so close to the original. Allison would probably compare herself to Donita constantly, never quite measuring up. Two hours later, as they leave the café, Henry tells Daphne that she will always be her number one priority, no matter what.
Henry had clearly broken that promise to her. Allison hated her and Henry didn’t even try to defend her anymore, instead focusing on his new family and children. Her father used to be her biggest confidante and they would talk for hours when he wasn’t working, which was rare. He had really cut back on the hours since he married Allison, and while Daphne was happy that her half-siblings could have such a present father, she was sad that she didn’t get to enjoy that for herself. As always, when Henry walks in he asks her two questions: “How’s school life and your friends?” and after an uncomfortable silence, “How’s Ms. Donata?”. Never ‘your mom’ not even ‘Donita’, always choosing to use the title clients and strangers call her. Daphne thinks that sometimes he forgets that he was in an 8-year relationship with Donita, and no matter how much they denied it, their futures were intertwined. They used to be so in love.
Daphne looked up from her Cheerios to see her mommy and daddy kissing each other under the mistletoe. All she could see from their eyes was love, and they quietly muttered things to each other with laughter in their voices, before looking at Daphne. The product of their love and the best thing to ever happen to them. The family couldn’t be closer or happier, they even wore matching Christmas pajamas, designed by Donita, especially for them.
Daphne knew that they both hurt the other in so many ways. She truly didn’t think there was a fault in the divorce, they both made mistakes, and they were just an ill-fitted match that was never going to work out long-term. They got married so fast that they didn’t even really know each other. They didn’t put in the work to keep their relationship and make it work, believing in just love. They were so different, it was a miracle to believe that they even fell in love at all. Nonetheless, the divorce still shattered everything. It took away some of her mother’s ‘sparkle’ and made her even more cynical, something difficult to do based on the fact that she made her fortune from making clothes out of live animals. Deny it all they want, if you didn’t love someone, you wouldn’t be as shattered as they were that day.
Donita had been staring at the wall for fifteen minutes. She didn’t blink or even look at Daphne, sitting next to her. Daphne wasn’t 100% sure what was happening, but she knew her life was about to permanently change whether she wanted it to or not. Her parents, who she always thought were perfect Gods, had cried more in the last three days than she had ever seen in her seven years of life. Even her mother, who she had never seen cry and never would again, let out a few stray tears. Lawyers were talking to Daphne and talks were being held about splitting assets and what to do about her. Donita still didn’t move, just staring at the walls and crying. Her parents' fights had been really bad recently, her dad even moved out. They seemed to scream at each other until they were hoarse all the time, about everything. Daphne longed for the days of Christmas PJs and Cheerios.
As Daphne went into the house to awkwardly stand in the corner until her half-siblings dragged her away, she thought of all these moments. She also thought about Allison. She didn’t hate her stepmom, she loved her. Allison was the mother to her half-siblings, and no matter how awful she was to Daphne, she still loved her. She really was a great mother to them. She brought back the purpose of her father’s life. He started to play music again and began to come alive, something she hadn’t seen since he moved out. She loved her stepmom, and always will, but she’s been working on boundaries with her. Daphne was nervous, but also a little excited to spend time with her father.
ahh oml this looks so cute!! 🥰 I’d love to share more about Daphne and her family
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💝 - what is your oc f/os love language (gift giving, acts of service, words of affirmation, etc)? what kind do they give and what kind do they like to receive?
🏀 - does your oc f/o stay active? do they like working out or playing sports? if so, what kind of exercise do they like to do?
🧸- what is your oc f/os sleeping habits? do they like to cuddle? do they sprawl out on the bed? do they kick the blankets off in the middle of the night?
🌻 - what flower do you associate with your oc f/o? is there any particular reason, such as the meaning or the aesthetic?
🦎 - does your oc f/o have any pets? if not, what pet(s) would they want? is there a reason why they don't have them?
🌠 - what is your oc f/os zodiac sign(s)? do they follow the typical traits of their sign(s)?
🔮 - does your f/o have any talents? bonus points if it's something more niche/uncommon!
🎀 - what aesthetic(s) do you associate with your oc f/o? bonus point if you make an aesthetic board for them!
🌈 - is your oc f/o queer? what labels do they use, if any?
💭- is your oc f/o a daydreamer? do they often get lost in their thoughts or are they more focused and aware of their surroundings?
♟️- how smart is your oc f/o? is it academic smarts, emotional smarts, etc? where does your oc f/o thrive and where do they lack?
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proship/comship dni.