Mounting Danger

Chapter 18:Better than I expected

Two weeks had crawled by since that day, two agonizing weeks where I'd reached out to my father, call after unanswered call met with a deafening silence. Even a visit to the house yielded nothing – his car sat in the driveway, a mocking reminder of his presence while my insistent knocks echoed unanswered. 

His silence had been a suffocating entity, a thick fog that threatened to swallow me whole. But I wasn't completely alone. The Hunters and Karina had become my lifeline, their unwavering presence a steady hand against the storm.

Suddenly, a biting wind whipped through the barren trees, whipping my hair around my face and sending a fresh wave of goosebumps erupting across my skin. The day itself seemed to breeze by in a misty blur that refused to go into focus. 

Kayle rubbed my back in small circles. His touch was usually a familiar comfort but today, it felt like sandpaper against my raw skin, grating on my already frayed nerves. Still, I said nothing. I needed him here. He was like a physical anchor that kept me from floating away.

"If anyone would like to give their last flowers now is the time." The funeral director's voice sounded over the low howl of the wind.

I stood beside the open grave, a raw ache constricting my throat, and a single crimson rose held tightly in my trembling hand. It felt impossibly light, a poor tribute to the vibrant woman it represented. With a gentle push, I nudged Kayle away, silently reassuring him that I could stand on my own for this.

Lifting my hand, the weight of a thousand unspoken words hung heavy in the air. My vision blurred as tears welled, threatening to spill over. I could feel the weight of countless eyes boring holes into me, evaluating my every move. Slowly, painstakingly, my hand inched over the gaping hole in the ground, the finality of it a heavy blow to my gut.

This was it. The last time my mother's body would ever be around me. A primal sob escaped my lips, a choked sound that tore through the silence. My knees buckled beneath me, the world tilting on its axis. I braced for impact with the cold, hard ground, but it never came. Instead, I collided against a solid form.

"Thanks for holding me up," I mumbled into Kayle's arms.

"I shouldn't have waited so long to start," a gruff voice replied.

Though the world was still spinning, I whipped my head up, the rose forgotten in my limp hand. There he stood, my father, his face ashen and drawn, eyes red-rimmed and mirroring the haunted look I'd seen reflected in the mirror every morning for the past two weeks.

"I'm sorry, Selene. For making you go through everything alone, for abandoning you, for everything." His voice, usually booming with authority, was a mere rasp, barely audible.

A creak echoed through the cemetery, a mournful sound that sent shivers down my spine. My mother's casket had started its descent into the ground.

I stared at him, a kaleidoscope of emotions swirling within me. Anger, a hot ember burning in my chest, threatened to consume me. Grief, a deep, gaping wound, felt like a bottomless pit threatening to swallow me whole. And a flicker of pity, a tiny, unwelcome ember, sparked to life at the sight of his broken shell.

The words I'd rehearsed for years, the accusations and demands, seemed to turn to dust in my mouth. This wasn't the stubborn mountain of a man I'd always known, it was a broken shell.

The final creak of the lowering mechanism echoed through the cemetery, a mournful goodbye that seemed to rip a fresh wound in my chest. Tears welled up again, blurring the edges of my vision. My father stood beside me, his face a mask of muted pain.

The enormous ball of anger I'd clung to all morning felt like a deflated balloon now. It was a pathetic excuse for the storm of emotions raging inside me. Before I could even think, I threw myself into his arms.  The familiar scent of his aftershave was a stark reminder of a childhood I yearned for. A choked sob escaped my lips, and then another, until I was wracked with silent tears.

To my surprise, his arms tightened around me, a gesture so foreign it felt like a betrayal of everything I thought I knew. A shudder wracked his body, and then another, until his own choked sobs mingled with mine. We stood there, a broken mess clinging to each other, a lifetime of unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

The world around us seemed to fade away. The murmurs of condolences, the scraping of the shovels as they filled the grave, barely registered. 

Finally, when the last shovel of dirt thudded onto the grave, and the cement mixer whirred to life, my father pulled away, his eyes red and swollen.

"I need a drink," he rasped, his voice raw. 

The words surprised a laugh out of me, a wet, choked sound that surprised even me. "That's the first thing we've agreed on in a long time," I croaked, wiping a stray tear from my cheek.

We walked out of the cemetery in a heavy silence. As we reached the gate, Kayle materialized beside me, his concern etched on his face.

"Are you okay, Selene? Are you coming back to the house?"

I looked at him, then back at my father, a strange sense of peace settling over me. "I think it's time for some family bonding," I said softly. "We have a lot of missed time to catch up on."

Beside me my father cleared his throat, his voice higher pitched and unfamiliar. "Selene, who is that young man?"

It wasn't a demand, more a tired curiosity, a flicker of life returning to his dulled eyes. Before I could formulate a response, ever-diplomatic Kayle stepped forward.

"Mr. Thorne," he said, extending a hand. "My name is Kayle. Selene's...boyfriend. It's nice to finally meet you."

My head snapped towards him, jaw clenching. Boyfriend? When did that happen? 

Kayle smirked slightly at me while I glared. My father's eye simply switched from Kayle's to mine in silence. Eventually, I sighed and grabbed my father's arm, my touch gentle but firm, steering him away from Kayle's outstretched hand.

"Let's go," I muttered, my voice tight. We walked away in an uncomfortable silence, the weight of our own situation washing away Kayle's unexpected declaration. When we were finally out of Kayle's earshot, my father turned to me.

 "Is he...serious, Selene?"

I stopped, another sigh escaping my lips. "No, Dad," I admitted, turning to face him. "He's a friend. A good friend who's been there for me when I needed him most."

He seemed to contemplate this, a flicker of something crossing his features - maybe understanding, maybe relief. "Alright," he finally said, nodding slowly. "Let's just...get out of here."

We continued walking, the tension slowly easing as we fell into a comfortable silence. This felt like a tentative first step towards rebuilding our shattered relationship.