UNKNOWN GUEST

#44 Everyone's Leaving

The next afternoon, Dad showed up in my room, standing at the doorway with a smile. "Hi, Jason. How are you feeling?"

I waved at him, "Hi, Cap. How are you feeling?"

He touched his chin thoughtfully and nodded, "I'm quite better than you."

We both laughed as he walked over to me. "Sorry, I couldn't come here to see you sooner," he said.

I shook my head, "It's alright."

Dad glanced around the room, then positioned himself behind the robo-chair I was sitting in and started pushing it. "Let's take you for a walk, huh?"

I chuckled as he pushed me outside the room. "Cap, this is a robotic chair. It can move automatically."

I glanced up to see the mix of shock and embarrassment on his face. He smiled sheepishly, "Still, I'd like to do it."

I let him push me, not minding the manual effort. Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind—the time Dad taught me how to ride my first bike. I could vividly remember the feel of the handlebars in my small hands, the excitement bubbling up inside me as I prepared to pedal. Dad would hold the back of the bike, steadying it as I tried to balance. With him there, I felt fearless, knowing that even if I wobbled, he had my back.

As we made our way down the hallway, it felt like a similar moment. Dad pushing the chair wasn't about the mechanics of it moving, but about the connection—the reassurance that he was there, just like he was when I was a kid on that bike.

Dad continued pushing the chair, the soft hum of the wheels gliding across the floor the only sound in the otherwise quiet hallway. I decided to break the silence. "Cap, did Ms. Romanoff see you yesterday?"

His pace slowed, just a fraction, before he answered, "Hmm. Before leaving." He sighed, then added, "I'm heading to Europe as well. I'll find my friend, who's definitely out there."

I nodded, understanding his need to hold on to his past. It's something that's been a constant with him—this drive to reconnect with a time that's long gone. And I realized, maybe I've been pushing him too hard, trying to get him to move on, as if I'm asking him to erase a part of his life. I shouldn't do that. So I encouraged him, "I'm sure you'll be able to find him. He knows you, Cap. He'll remember you someday."

He nodded with a sigh, "I hope so."

We walked in silence for a moment, the weight of our conversation hanging in the air. Then I asked, "Cap, why didn't you ask Ms. Romanoff to join you? She would've been a great help tracking your friend."

He paused all of a sudden, the chair halting for a brief moment, then resumed pushing it forward. "Of course. I know she wouldn't have refused had I asked her to join me. I just... wanted her to do whatever she wanted. She's feeling exposed all of a sudden. Articles and various posts on the internet are screaming about her. It's normal for her to need some space for herself. So, I had to respect that."

I smiled faintly, understanding what he was really saying. He wanted her to stay. And I knew Mom wanted him to ask her to stay. But, knowing my righteous father, he let her make her own choice. He's always been like that, respecting others' decisions, even when it's hard.

We stopped at the end of the hallway, the large windows offering a view of the sprawling city below. I looked at him, "Good luck, Captain Rogers. Hope I'll get to work with you in the future soon."

He shook his head with a smile, "Hope we wouldn't have to work together, though. But I'd like to meet you, hopefully very soon."

I nodded with a smile, and he walked up to the exit. Before stepping into the elevator, he turned back to me, "Get healthy and fit. I won't go easy on you in our next sparring session."