Catharina Carvalho was abandoned in front of Camp Half-Blood when she was 4 years old. She had a very traumatic childhood. Her father neglected her as an infant and chose alcohol over his own child. The second she stepped foot onto the camp, her mot...
After about 20 minutes of Catharina trying to calm herself down, it was time to see her father. Rodrigo Carvalho was sitting on a couch waiting for his daughter. When she got there a smile grew on her fathers face.
"Hey my precious, come give your father a hug. I missed you." said the girls father. She never knew how much those three words could bring so much pain to her heart. She knew he didn't actually mean any of it and had some type of intention.
"Hi dad, me too." said the broken girl. She couldn't pull herself into saying the exact words back knowing it wouldn't meaning anything to the man in front of her. He tried pulling her in for a hug but instead she just grabbed his hand and shook it. He was confused by his daughter's actions.
"Come on kid I haven't seen you for like what 11 years and now you're acting as if you don't even know me? If I knew this was how you were going to react i wouldn't even have bother coming in the first place." said the man.
"I have every right to act this way. You neglected me my whole childhood, chose alcohol over your own daughter, and abandoned me to start a new family. And also weren't you the one that sent the letter saying YOU wanted to pay me a visit to talk to me about something?" spilled out the Aphrodite girl
"Let me just get this over with before you get all sensitive again, I would like it if you would come back home for the school year. I have a new family and your sisters are eager to meet their sister. It doesn't even have to be the full year just till after Christmas." said her father.
Now Catharina was speechless not certain what to feel and say exactly. Maybe her father did change after all. Or maybe there is more into his offer.
"I am going to think about it but don't get your hopes high and also if I do agree with this offer I will only be staying till after Thanksgiving break. Got it papai?" said Cat. At the same time that she was satisfied with her life at camp, she wanted to think about the offer. She hasn't seen her extended family since she came to camp and she misses her relatives.
"Alright deal preciosa. I'm going to stay the night since my flight got canceled. Don't worry I won't be in your way or anything." said her father now in a softer less stern way.
" It's okay you don't have to do that you can tag along with me it's the last day of Summer so I don't have training or anything like that." said the younger girl.
"I'm just gonna get settled in and rest" said Mr.Carvalho standing up, "but I'll be more than happy to later preciosa" kissing the top of his daughter's head.
As Catharina was leaving, before she touched the door knob she turned to her father and asked, "Dad why did you never bother to reconnect and why did you choose alcohol over your own daughter?"
"Honey, the reason why I left you at camp that night when you were 4 was because I knew keeping you in the outside world had a risk of getting you killed. And even though it might have seemed like I didn't care about you I really did. I was hurt when your mother left me with a baby, I was only 16. Your grandmother was so disappointed. Then I started drinking the pain away. But I was too young and stupid to realize how much of a mistake I made. The day after you turned 4, I was attacked by a Chimera on the way back home from the Bar. I knew that you were the one they wanted. So I did what needed to be done to keep my little girl safe. I'm sorry of the coward I was and still am. You don't have to forgive me right now or ever for what trauma I've put you through. But I want you to know that I am going to do whatever it takes to make you know how much I missed you through the years and how much I love you Catharina." said Rodrigo on the verge of tears.
"Im still not sure I fully forgive you but dad I still love you no matter what, because at the end of the day you are my dad even if it looks like it or not" said Catharina "I'll meet you later papai get some rest." and with that the girl pulled her father into a long needed embrace and left to her best friend to tell him what had just happened.
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The iconic duo, now inside the Ares cabin. Catharina eating a fruit salad while fishing up on telling her best friend how the talk with her father went. They were laying side by side facing the ceiling on Theo's bed talking, waiting until they're called for dinner.
"So are you actually thinking of going back home?" asked the Ares boy. He was worried about the girl, but from what she had told him about her father it truly seemed like he was being genuine.
"If I'm gonna be honest I don't know Theo it's all so much to process. I think he really has changed but at the same time I don't even know him well enough to be sure or not." said Cat "I'm gonna go show him around later when he's well rested enough. He's staying for the night since his flight got canceled."
The two heard angry footsteps approaching near the cabin door and they knew exactly who that is. And with that in came Clarisse.
"Oh I didn't know you guys were here I'll come back later don't wanna interrupt the date." said Clarisse.
"Oh shit it's not a date trust me. Your brother is my best friend but that's it. Either way I'm more into girls either way" said Catharina. Not a lot of people expected that from the girl. They always assumed she was straight due to her appearance and how she would use her charmspeak.
"Oh okay cool" said Clarisse trying her best to hide the smile she was holding back from the Aphrodite girl's response.
Catharina had thought it was weird how Clarisse had spent more than 5 seconds without making a remark about the other girl. She decided to stand up and make her way back to her father since it's been about 4 hours since they talked. She kissed Theo's cheek he didn't do the same back due to his half sister watching their every move. He realized her stares have been progressively getting more intense.
When the siblings saw the door close and the girl walk away, Clarisse tried avoiding her brother by going straight to the bathroom but he stopped her by pulling her to her bed and not letting her go.
"Okay what is going on with you Clarisse? You've been acting really different to Catharina, almost like you're actually being nice to her." asked Theodore
"I don't know what you're talking about" said the Ares girl.
"Oh don't give me that bullshit Clarisse. Come on me and Cat might be best friends but you're my little sister and I promise I won't tell her" said Theo
"Theo there is nothing going on I still hate the little princess more than anything now stop bothering me." said the angered girl. She knew what she had just said was far from the truth but she didn't want to look weak. "I'm gonna go take a shower I have a really bad migraine."
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Rodrigo Carvalho played by Cauã Reymond
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