"You promised." Natalie said to her Dad.

"I know – and it was wrong for me to break my promise. I feel horrible Nat, so does your Mom. We know that recital was important but…"

"The doctor's appointment was more important- I know."

"It's not like that Natalie. You know that…"

"I KNOW THAT YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU'D BOTH BE THERE!" Natalie yelled.

"And you lied. Neither of you were there! Neither of you care! That doesn't matter to me – that you don't care. Just stop fucking pretending and letting me get my hopes up!" Natalie screamed angrily, and running out the front door.

Dan's jaw dropped – he'd never seen his daughter like that.

Natalie ran and for the first time…she knew just where to go.

For the first time in the few months they'd been dating, Natalie let herself go in front of Henry. She didn't hold the tears back, or resist the sobs, or her body's shaking. She let him pull her close to him, and let his arms hold her and his hands gently touch her face. She let him whisper in her ear, and his head rest on top of hers. She let his fingers wind together with hers, and she let him wipe her tears away and kiss her.

Instead of yelling at him for being wrong about the things he said

"They do care Natalie – they love you. Who wouldn't?"

"You're perfect for ME Natalie, and you're perfect for them too."

"You're their daughter – nothing's more important than you. They love you, they do Nat."

Or interrupting him and screaming at him to stop pretending things were okay when they weren't – she let him say those things.

And she let him think that she believed him.

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