The Reunion

Chapter 22 - Karlie

Karlie knew, without a doubt, that there was a lot more that she had to explain. She might not be ready for all of it, but she had to at least try. If she had the guts to make it all the way here to help a father that didn't really want her around, then she
had the nerve to tell the woman that kissed her so passionately she might have seen actual stars, what happened over ten years ago.

She knew there were things she needed to address before she was ready to tell Kaia everything; events from her past that were more important to overcome. Telling Kaia about being bullied in school and the difficult few years leading up to her father's explosion weren't at the top of her list.

Which is how Karlie found herself sitting in a very uncomfortable chair along a bland wall watching a therapist try to run through exercises with her dad. 

Seriously, who thought to skimp on all the cushions in this place? 

Across the room, her dad was, not so shockingly, doing his very best to get out of doing anything more than the bare minimum. He didn't look like he had the attention span or strength to follow the orders given to him. And every time Karlie looked up, it was as if he was everting his gaze from her. Like he had gotten caught looking.

Seeing him like that, as a brittle exhausted version of himself, it almost made bearing this easier. His face no longer held any hate, it almost looked sad.  

The way he kept darting his eyes to her at the far end of the room, she wondered whether he would have chucked the stress ball in his hand if he had full strength and mobility.

She shook her head and returned to the agenda that had been emailed to her earlier that day. The directors wanted her thoughts on some conceptual character designs as well as for her to create some of her own. The main character had already been approved, but there were a lot of mockups needed for all the supporting roles. 

Karlie unclipped the magnetic pen from her tablet and opened a new sheet to begin initial sketches. Usually, she preferred a pencil to paper to start any character building, but she didn't have anything else with her. 

By the time Dwayne's therapy was over and they wheeled him back up to his room in a wheelchair, three conceptual sketches were saved and sent for approval. Karlie followed the nurse and her father back up to his room without so much as a word.

It wasn't until the nurse assisted him into the bed that he finally spoke, "you didn't have to stay." He sounded almost embarrassed.

"You don't want me here. You don't want people seeing me; I get that. But I'll be here until you're cleared to go home."

It was the right thing to do. And above all else, she knew that doing the right thing, no matter the consequences to her emotional wellbeing, was important to her. She wasn't the kind of person to hold onto resentment or grudges. A part of her wanted to prove that to him. To show her father that despite it all, she was and always would be a good person. 

Deep down, she still loved him. Maybe not the choices or the attitude he had, but he was still her dad. Losing her mom, had shown her that life was short, and it wasn't always kind or easy. He may have pushed her away, but at the time, she didn't fight back. She hadn't stood up for herself. In being here, this was her standing up for herself. This was her saying, I don't care what you think about me, I am me, and I will be here for you in spite of it all. 

There was a long heavy silence. The only sound coming from the hall; monitor beeps, wheels rolling on the floor, the light sounds of sneakers on linoleum.

"What are you working on?" Dwayne asked timidly.

Karlie jumped, his words piercing the silence of the hospital room. She looked up, his face surprisingly welcoming and curious.