Another Life, Another Me

89. Heartbeat

"A-Are you sure you're okay, sweetie?! You must s-still be t-tired, right?! Take it easy!! O-Oh no, where's the d-doctor?! Doctor!! DOCTOR, WHERE ARE YOU!!"

"F-Father...! I'm alright, so please calm down," I reassured my father as I tried to balance myself on my own two feet for the first time within weeks.

"W-What?! Are you sure?? How can you be so sure that you are already recovered?!" my father rambled as he helped support me up by my arms.

"Don't worry. I'm quite healthy and strong, father..." I sighed.

Unlike on Earth, where a single incident could leave you bedridden for life, here, it was possible to recover quickly thanks to the power of magic.

"Besides..." I mumbled as I turned my gaze to Ace, who was watching me intently like a hawk, "...the doctor said that I was alright now."

Ace's eyes softened at my words, albeit his expression was still a bit stiff at the fact that I was attempting to walk on my own now.

"Nooooo!!! But it is still too dangerous!!! Right, Ace?! My sweetie should rest for the next whole year!!!" my father cried as he shook Ace's shoulder, begging him to stop me.

"But if I were to stay in bed for another year, I would miss the day of your wedding, Father...and that wouldn't be very good...right?"

"B-B-But..."

"It's alright, Father. I wouldn't miss your wedding for the world!" I said as I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Oh...my sweetie...is such a...a-a-a...an...AN ANGEL!!! OHHH, HOW DO I HAVE SUCH A PERFECT LITTLE ANGEL AS MY DAUGHTER?!?! MY HEART- OH! THE END MUST BE NEAR!! MY HEART!!!" my father cried dramatically as if an arrow had been shot through his heart.

And once he calmed down, my father rose from the ground as if he were being revived and stumbled his way over to me, squeezing me tightly in his arms.

"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, SWEETIE!!" my father cried as he held me close in his chest.

When I was young, his squeezes used to be so tight that I couldn't breathe. 

But now that I was older and stronger, I could tell that there was so much warmth behind his embraces.

A type of warmth that I had not noticed before...

And if I had never returned to Earth briefly, I would have never remembered just how terrible my past father was...and how precious my father in this life was...

"I love you too..." I murmured, "...Dad."

My father stiffened at the sound of my words.

I blushed a little at his reaction.

"Dad...?" my father gasped a little with his eyes round.

When I returned to Earth, I had reunited with my...other "father" there.

I realized just how awful my father was in that life...and how precious my father in this life was.

And so I think it'd be weird to call both of my "fathers" the same thing when there is only one father that has truly cared for me throughout my life.

"Y-Yeah...Dad..." I mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

This was too cheesy and sappy for me to keep a straight face.

My father, who had never once heard me refer to him casually after I grew up, widened his eyes, speechless.

This was the first time I had ever seen him so quiet from something sweet that I had said.