𝗠𝘆 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 ⇉ 𝗝𝗝 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸

𝘩 𝘦 𝘳 𝘦

"HE'S NOT HERE." Ariella's voice was barely above a whisper as she watches John B search the whole chateau for their father. Maybe John B was imagining it? He had to be. There was no sign of him anywhere.

Thoughts swirled in her mind, a chaotic dance of hope and fear. She didn't know what to think. Her mind went to Big John, remembering the way he used to lift her onto his shoulders, making her feel like she could touch the sky. The way he would always come back with a little flower bouquet for the girl, just wanting to put a smile on her face.

But those memories were tinged with the bitterness of his absence, the long year of wondering if be was dead or alive.

Ariella couldn't help but to wonder if he had changed, if the years had softened the lines of his face or deepened the shadows in his eyes. She didn't know. Would he recognize her, the little girl he once knew now grown into a grown woman? His little girl now had a little girl of her own.

The thought of seeing him again brought a mix of excitement and dread. She longed to feel the comfort and reassurance of his presence. Yet, she feared the possibility of disappointment, the chance that he might not be the father she had remembered.

Whether it brought joy or pain, Ariella knew she had to face it, if he was really here, to find out if the man she was about to see could fill the void he had left in her heart, just for him.

"Ella, you have to believe me." John B pleads, his sadden and panicked voice causing her heart to break. "You believe me, right?"

"I-I believe you. Of course I do." Ariella takes John B's hand. She knew that this wasn't just something her brother would make up. Never. This was serious. "B-But where is he?"

Before John B could respond, a deep, yet familiar voice spoke from behind. "I'm right here."

Her world felt silent, her focus narrowed to a single point: the chance of seeing her father again. She drops John B's hand as she slowly turns around to face the man.

When she finally saw him, her breath caught in her throat. He looked almost the same, but there was a weariness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Ariella glanced at Sarah, trying to see if this was all real.

With a nod of confirmation from her sister, she took a tentative step forward, her heart pounding in her chest. Memories of their last moments together flooded her mind – the laughter, the arguments, all the moments she had taken for granted.

As he turned and their eyes met, tears welling up in both their eyes, and she felt a rush of conflicting emotions – relief, anger, love, and confusion. She wanted to run to him, to feel his arms around her and know that everything would be okay.

But she also wanted answers. Where had he been? Why had he left? And most importantly, was he back for good?

He opened his arms, and for a moment she hesitated before running into them. Big John swiftly lifts her up, like she was a little girl again.

It had been a year since he went missing, a year filled with sleepless nights and unanswered questions. There would be time for questions and answers, but for now, she allowed herself to simply feel the comfort and reassurance of his presence, something she had longed for every single day of the past year.

"Hey, my cinderella." Big John mumbles as his eyes flutter close, holding his little girl with everything he had.

Ariella let a sob escape past her lips. "Y-You're here. You're really here."

"I'm here, Birdie." Big John runs a hand through her hair, comforting her. "I'm really here, sweetheart. I ain't going no where."

Keeping a tight grip on her father, she turns to John B, allowing him to see the rapid tears falling down her face. "H-He's actually here."