#benmxntgomery

“I’m going to ask you something serious and I want you to be honest, okay? Do you think you change to fit the mold people need you to? And when they stop needing you, you just--feel misshapen and weird?”

“I let myself in.” She called into the apartment, putting away the lock pick she carried with her.”I’m your daughter after all, figured it’d be okay.” Nothing felt right about the apartment, something felt off and left her feeling displaced. Maybe it was being in her father’s world for once, stepping away form the assumptions or maybe it was the lingering scents from the party. “Ben? Are you here? Or should I call you dad?” She called out, stopping to look at a picture. “People might just think I have a weird kink.”

Eleora hesitated in the sea of people, part of her had always known he was alive, even if it was easier to wish he wasn’t. To mourn him would be far easier than to walk the Earth knowing he was too. She was working off only a name, a tip, and an old photograph that may not even be him now--but that thought faded the moment her eyes fell on him. He looked the same, as timelessly young as the day he walked away, leaving his own daughter to face the world alone. She took a deep breathe as she gathered herself and headed to towards him with her intent in mind. She slowed her pace, mustering an intrigued grin as she stopped only inches from him. “Excuse me, would your last name happen to be Montgomery?” She had only been given a last name, the one thing she was sure he’d never change. “My employer never gave me more than that.” 

“If you had to choose, would you pick Russell over me? Its not hypothetical, he threatened to kill me while I was in that other body and I told him that’d you’d totally kill him over it. He told me I was full of shit, but would you pick him over me? I totally won’t be mad.”

It was strange, feeling the jitters of the first date after so long wrapped up in the comfort of a long term relationship. It was even stranger to feel it for someone who she knew, probably would never feel it back. He was probably taken, it was hard to believe otherwise, the auction had to be purely for charity and the chance for a prize--make a connection. This is what she told herself, lessen the blow of getting her hopes up. She hadn’t date since she lost him, but now meeting Ben--it didn’t seem impossible. She liked him, for what it was worth, in their short meeting and haphazard texting--she found herself getting attached. Loneliness can do that to a person and she had to believe it was that and only that. This is what she told herself, reminded really, as she stood waiting for him outside of the cafe. She hoped the day would end with her having a new friend more than anything, but the idea did seem nice--but maybe not the right person or right time...she had to remember that. She looked up from her phone where she had been texting her mom about the adventure only hoping to see her date arriving.