PTSD? Just have Coffee

Chapter 20

A few weeks later

Oakley was so excited and tired, there were only a couple days left till graduation and she had been busy doing her exit examination. She had been doing so much better thanks to Bella and the support of her friends. She felt satisfied that almost all her troubles were basically fixed, sure she still got depressive urges from time to time and her PTSD symptoms don't go away easily. But she actually felt that everything was going to be alright for once. That was until she received a phone call while finishing the last of her schoolwork.
"Hello Matt, what's up?" Oakley said as she answered the caller, "Hey Oakley, just wanted to let you know that we are coming over this Thursday to congratulate you on your graduation." He said and Oakley was initially excited that Matt was coming over until she heard one word. "What do you mean 'we?'" She questioned with a slightly panicked tone. There was a short pause of silence between the two before Matt continued, " Me and...vater(father), he wants to congratulate you too. Now hear me out!" He blurted probably after hearing Oakley about to have a panic attack. "I was outside the door when you and him had your...conversation. Since then, he has changed... I really don't know how exactly to explain it... I think it would be best to see for yourself." He said, Oakley stared at the screen with bewilderment. Her vater(father), change, for the better? Now she has got to see this for herself, "Okay, let him come." She answered. Matt thanked her and hung up, Oakley wondered whether this decision was the right one.

A day later

In a blink of an eye, Oakley found herself standing in front of a room door to a very nice hotel. The time went by so fast and she felt herself panicking very similarly to when 'he' called. But she couldn't avoid him forever and took a couple deep breaths before knocking on the door. She heard the soft thuds of footsteps and a muffled male voice of 'coming' before the door opened and Oakley was greeted with the face of her beloved brother.
Matt smiled at her, "Oakley, It's great to see you. Please, come in." He said as he stepped to the side for her.
Oakley blinked at Matt wondering if this is really her brother. The Matt she was with last time rarely smiled nonetheless show emotions as easily as right now. She also took notice as she walked by that her brother had no visible scars or looked pale and unnourished [but she can't really complain about that considering her own health]. Now she was really curious and had so many questions that needed to be answered. It looks like she'll receive those answers as she walked into the main room and saw a middle aged man with a couple strands of gray hair interlocked with his light brown hair, sitting at the table appearing to have been reading a book, his gray eyes looking up at Oakley. This man was Karl L. Collins, Oakley and Matt's father, their abuser for the past 20 years.
"Oakley," the man murmured, Oakley was taken aback at how soft he was. "Vater(father)" she replied hesitantly. "Oakley... I- I'm sorry." He said while bowing his head, Oakley looked at him nervously and shocked. "When we had that conversation that day... I realized how terrible I was, I didn't notice how much I fell after your mutter's(mother's) death. I should've realized sooner, I know. But, I guess that part of me had just kept denying it. I kept telling myself that I was doing the right thing even when I wasn't and that ended up with me hurting the people who were the closest to me. You two were children and I don't deserve to be your father." Oakley breathed heavily, she wanted to yell at him, to make him feel the pain that she had felt. But, she couldn't, she wouldn't be him. "I can't forgive you vater(father)" she said and Karl nodded in understanding, "But...I'm willing to give you a chance, you seem like you genuinely want to change and when you can prove to me that you changed, then I'll forgive you." Karl softly smiled at Oakley, "thank you tochter(daughter)."
Oakley nodded then held out her arms. Both Karl and Matt came up, they had a family hug.