Passion's Pitfalls

Chapter 5

Aurelia sat in the waiting room of the rehab center -with Tristan, nervously tapping her foot. She hadn't seen her father in almost a year, and she didn't know what to expect. It was clean and well-organized, but there was something about it that felt cold and impersonal. The walls were white and bare, and the furniture was utilitarian and uncomfortable. There was a faint smell of bleach and antiseptic in the air. The visiting room was small and cramped, with only a few chairs and a small table and It felt like a place where people came to be fixed, not a place where they came to heal.

The nurse's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Miss Henderson, This way please." Aurelia was jolted back to reality, She got up and headed for the door, glancing back at her Tristan who gave her a small smile.

Her father was wearing a white scrub shirt and blue scrub pants, the standard uniform of the rehab center. He looked pale and gaunt in the clothes, and his eyes were shadowed by dark circles. But his hair was freshly cut and his clothes were neatly pressed, as if he was making an effort to put his best foot forward. It was a strange juxtaposition, and it made her feel even more unsettled.

She had expected him to be older, more worn down by the years. But he looked the same as she remembered, as if time had stood still for him. He was still handsome, with his dark hair and green eyes. But there was something different about him now, something in his eyes that she couldn't place. It was as if he had lost something, some spark of life that had once been there.

"Father," she said, her voice catching in her throat. It felt strange and foreign as the tittle rolled down her tongue but it felt right in this setting. He was no longer the man she had known, the man who would steal to drink.

He is, now a man in need of help, a man who had fallen on hard times. She didn't know if she could forgive him, but she knew she had to try. "It's good to see you," she said, her voice softer this time.

Her father's demeanor was a strange mix of calm and restless. He sat still in his chair, his hands folded in his lap, but she could see the tension in his muscles. It was as if he was holding himself in check, keeping himself from falling apart. It was a strange dichotomy, and it made her feel uneasy. She wasn't sure what to say or do, so she just watched him, trying to take in everything she was seeing.

"Who are you?"

His voice, gruff and unfamiliar. The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "It's me, Dad," she said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "It's Aurelia, your daughter." He looked at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't have a daughter," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. "I don't know who you are." The words felt like a knife to the heart.

Aurelia felt like the floor had been ripped out from under her. She felt dizzy and disoriented, as if she had been transported to another reality. How could her father not remember her? She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from falling apart. She had to stay strong, for both of their sakes. She reached out and touched his hand, hoping to trigger some sort of recognition. But he just looked at her, his eyes, pale and distant.

"Visiting hours are almost over, Miss Henderson," the nurse said, her voice firm but kind. "You need to say your goodbyes and then head out." Aurelia looked at her father, not wanting to believe her reality.

"Father," she turns back to the man, her voice pleading. "I know it's been a long time since we've seen each other, but please try to remember me.
Please." He just stared at her, not giving any indication that he knew who she was. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she tried to hold them back. She had to stay strong, even though it felt like her heart was breaking into a million pieces. "I know you don't remember me right now," she said, her voice shaking.