After a long wait of ten years, she was finally on the verge of fulfilling her dream - the dream of meeting her father. Excited and anticipated as she was so close to reuniting with her beloved father whom she had not seen or heard from for such a l...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
J E R E M Y
I closed the door behind me and walked to the window, where the moonlight streamed into the dark living room.
No one was left; everyone had returned to their routines. Only Albert and I remained in this haunting house-a place that had once echoed with the laughter of Ava and her brother. Now, it sat in oppressive silence, its emptiness almost tangible.
Cobwebs clung to the corners, and the old furniture was tangled with memories of a family that had lived here happily a decade ago, now shattered. A lamp dangled from the ceiling, swaying slightly in the cool air that drifted through the kitchen window. I sank into a chair, trying to calm my racing heart.
It had been two days since the funeral. Everyone had gone home, leaving only Albert and me. Ava had been sleeping for two days, thanks to the medication my mother had given her.
The weight of worry settled on my chest as I thought of her. Her once-vibrant face now seemed lifeless, and the sparkle in her brown eyes had vanished. Her lips, usually dry, were now parched and cracked, and the dark bags under her eyes made my heart clench. Her hair, too, had grown a few inches, hanging limp and dull.
I ran a hand over my face, trying to ease the tension building inside me.
She wanted to be alone-not wanting me near her anymore. I respected her choice, which was why I left her to cope on her own after feeding her and making sure that she took the medicines, but I couldn't bear it any longer. Seeing her in pain was tearing me apart.
I knew I was being selfish for wanting to hold her close, to cocoon myself in her warmth. I missed that, missed her.
I fucking missed it all.
But I had to wait for the right moment. Once she let me in on her own when she would be ready.
Life had felt rushed ever since I learned that Ava was missing. We searched everywhere for her, but each place turned up empty. I was disappointed in myself for not realizing sooner that she might be with her father. She had given me hints, but I had been so oblivious as if my mind had simply stopped working. Then, Albert received a call from one of his father's friends, delivering the heartbreaking news. He informed us that Ava was with him.
We rushed to find her.
But I didn't get a chance to talk with Ava, nor did I have the courage to approach her. I was terrified to look into her eyes. She was surrounded by his brother and a few people whom I was unfamiliar with.
I felt ashamed for not being the one to protect her from all of this. I hadn't fulfilled the promise I made to her..to keep her safe, to never let her go.
When I found her, she was sitting there on the stool in front of an empty bed, lifeless, not responding to anyone, in shock at the death of his beloved father. She didn't utter a word or shed a tear. Silence enveloped her until she finally confronted her mother and unleashed everything she had bottled up inside for so long.
