When Rain Falls (UNDER REVISION)

When Rain Falls ~ Chapter 9

Recap: (Chapter 8)

            We walked through the front door, it only being about 11:00 pm.

My dad was waiting up for us. He sat in his wheelchair, his eyes had bags under them from lack of sleep, and the corners of his mouth pulled slightly down in a frown. Two big black suitcases stood next to him.

            "Where are we going? To a motel?" I asked.

            He looked down at his hands in his lap and without looking up he said, "Isa, I'm leaving."            

Chapter 9

            "What?!" I blinked over and over again.

             Maybe I was dreaming. I thought. Leaving? To where?

            "It will only be for a little while," he continued.

            "How long is a 'little while,' " I said, adding air quotes.

            "Well, the architect said with the damages done, we would have to start from scratch. Plus I would have to find a job to pay for the renovation to the house, and….."

            "How long?!" I demanded, interrupting him.

            "Luke, could I talk to my daughter please?" My dad's gaze staring behind me. I had forgotten Luke was standing there this whole time.

            "Yes, of course,"  he said, and he scurried off to his room. Once my dad heard his door close he began to explain.

            "It would probably be for at least a year. I would stay with your Aunt Josie,"

            "A year?" I whispered, my voice raspy. I played everything out in my head.             If he was gone for a year I wouldn't be able to see him, we couldn't afford to pay for plane tickets too. Aunt Josie's house was far enough away to at least a be day's worth of driving, so if their was an emergency, then….then…

            I swallowed the dry lump that had formed in my throat.

            "I'll go with you," I blurted out.

            "Isa, I won't let you do that. I don't want you to uproot your life and move away from the place you grew up in. You're with people I trust more than anything. Please stay here with them," he begged.

            "Why can't you stay here with me?"

            "Renee offered, but I want to burden the least amount of people possible with my disability," he motioned down to his legs, "She insisted that I at least let her drive me up there. You've got to understand, it's hard to take care of a man in a wheelchair, let alone a man in a wheelchair and his daughter," he stated.

            "We can stay in a motel!" My voice became unsteady and it grew louder.

            "Isa, we both know that we can't afford that,"

            "I'll get a job too, I'll quit soccer and get a job somewhere! I just need to take care of you! I need to make sure you're okay!" I was beginning to scream. Tears returned to my eyes, flowing down my cheeks as my foot slammed against the ground for extra emphasis. I was acting like a little kid throwing a tantrum when she isn't getting her way

            My dad chuckled at my foot stomping, "Isa, I'll be fine, don't worry about me. This won't be the last time I see you, I promise," he opened his arms to me. And as if I was that little girl again, I ran up to him with my auburn hair flying out behind me and hugged him with everything I had left in me.