Old Money || Shawmila [Completed]

8. Acquaintances

The sparkling hope she had felt during the car ride with Shawn quickly vanished. Maybe she was just being stubborn, but she wanted to convince herself that his kind manners and his willingness to help her had nothing to do with his love for her – a love that she knew no longer existed. After all Shawn did remind her very frequently that all he felt for her was hate. That's why she didn't call him the next day.

After a long day at work, during which time she mulled over and over their strange encounter, she went straight to the hospital. Walking down the aseptic hallway had become a daily routine for Camila. She marched toward her father's room, smiled politely at the hospital staff, and tried to ignore the hovering feeling of sickness and impending death that permeated that place. Sometimes it was just not possible to forget about all those sick people who were slowly passing away, going out like a feeble flame on a burn out candle.

Her trembling fingers tightly gripped the doorknob, and while she stepped inside the quiet room, she took a big breath, her nostrils inhaling the sickening smell of that place. Outside, the sun was rapidly setting, and a gloomy light illuminated the room. Camila's father was laying motionless on his bed, staring at his daughter with a slightly confused look. Everything felt like a dream. Or a nightmare. Camila couldn't quite describe it. She recognized her father, she knew it was him, but at the same time he felt almost like a stranger. It was like he had been replaced with a wax figure while time stopped in a twisted and insane reality.

Putting on a fake reassuring smile, she walked beside the man and took his hand in hers. His grip was weak and his gaze perplexed, and Camila wanted to cry. Her father couldn't recognize her. «Hi dad» she chocked out.

For a moment nothing happened, and she was honestly considering leaving the room and never coming back. It was way too hard to stand next to him and not being able to communicate. He used to be such a lively, cheerful man, and now he couldn't even say hi.

But just as Camila was about to give up hope, the larger hand of the man squeezed hers. Both of their eyes filled with tears and that sight was what brought Camila to break down. Hiding her face on his chest, she sobbed until she ran out of tears. She could hear the man's soft sniffs which went straight to her breaking heart. «Oh dad, I missed you so much!».

Maybe she sounded like a hypocrite, but she knew she was telling the truth. And she was also sure that her father knew it as well. Sure, she spent months away from home, not really reaching out to her family, but that didn't mean she hadn't missed him. In hindsight she admitted she could have reached out sooner, and she couldn't deny that if her father didn't end up in hospital she would probably still be in California. She wasn't the best daughter one could hope for, and her parents didn't deserve that treatment, but now she wanted things to change. She was still hoping to have a little bit more of time left to make things right and make up for her mistakes.

«I won't ever left you again. Do you hear me? I came to stay this time». The man couldn't talk, but he let her know he understood her, squeezing her hand a little tighter. Being able to finally rely again on the man who had always loved and cared for her, Camila kept her cheek pressed to his chest and poured her heart out. «I've been such a terrible person. I don't like who I've become, dad. I'm sorry I left you here with mom and forgot about you two. And I'm sorry I ignored everything you had taught me. You didn't raise me to be a cold bottom feeder, but I've been nothing but selfish and heartless».

She raised her head, her reddened eyes and stained cheeks made her look younger, and stared straight at her father's face. «Please, stay here with us, dad. Come back again, don't leave me here. I need you so much, I don't like the woman I am when you're not showing me the right path».

Camila's father, with slow and shaky movements, brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, nodding his head and reassuring his daughter. He didn't say a word, but Camila felt relieved like she had never been before.