Tangled Roots

Chapter Five: Family Ties

Jinae's POV

I hadn't expected to be here.

Two hours ago, I had been sitting in a cramped hospital waiting room, trying to keep myself together while the doctors told me Dave would be okay. Okay. The word kept echoing in my mind, but it still didn't feel real. The image of him getting shot, the blood seeping through his shirt, his face scrunched in pain, haunted me.

Now, here I was, sitting on a cold plastic chair in a sterile hallway, the scent of antiseptic thick in the air. The sound of distant footsteps echoed through the hallway, but I was too deep in my thoughts to focus on anything but the nerves twisting in my stomach. Was he really okay?

The door opened softly, and I looked up to see a tall figure standing in the doorway. The man had a broad frame, sharp features, and an air of authority about him. Behind him, I could see two other figures-one a woman with an elegant, composed demeanor, and the other, another man with a similar stature to the first.

I didn't have time to guess who they were before the woman spoke up.

"Is this her?" Her voice was gentle, but there was something in her eyes-a level of concern-that caught my attention.

The man nodded, his eyes scanning me before his warm, deep voice filled the air. "This is Jinae," he said, taking a step forward and extending his hand to me. "I'm Tyrell, Dave's father."

I stood up, my heart racing slightly from the suddenness of the encounter and wondering how they know my name but then I remember how chatty Dave was about me. "Hi, Mr. Brewster. It's nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand carefully.

The woman next to him smiled, a little more reserved, but her warmth was undeniable. "I'm Gloria," she introduced herself, giving me a soft nod. "I'm Dave's mother." Her eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than usual, as if studying me in a way I wasn't used to.

Then, another voice cut through the quiet, making me jump slightly.

"Where's my daddy?"

I looked toward the door again, and that's when I saw her-the little girl I had met just a couple of months ago. The moment her brown eyes landed on me, her face lit up like a Christmas tree, and without missing a beat, she dashed straight toward me.

"Jinae!" she squealed, her tiny arms opening wide. "You're here!"

I barely had time to react before Kaiari had climbed up into my lap, wrapping her arms around me as if I were her long-lost friend. I froze for a moment, surprised at how comfortable she was with me, even though we have been spending a whole lot of time together when Dave brought her over.

But when I looked into her face, I understood. She was excited, but she was also worried. I could see the faint anxiety in her eyes, and that tugged at my heart.

"Hey, Kaiari," I said softly, brushing a curl out of her face. "How's daddy? Is he okay?"

She nodded, though her bottom lip trembled slightly. "He's gonna be okay, I think."

Before I could say more, the door swung open again. And there he was-Dave, standing in the doorway, his posture a little slumped, but his eyes focused on his daughter. He wasn't looking at me just yet, but the way he dropped everything to pick Kaiari up was enough to make my heart skip a beat.

The relief on his face was palpable as she jumped into his arms, and for a moment, all of the tension that had been building up inside me melted away. He was alive. He was okay.

"Baby girl," he said softly, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I'm fine, alright?"

Kaiari held onto him tightly, the innocence in her embrace grounding him, reminding him that there was still good in the world, that there were still reasons to fight.