Holding back

A slient dinner

[a/n] I thought I'd take different approach with this story. It's all written in Germans POV.

Angie had returned from France just a few weeks ago after being their for 3 years. Ever since she returned, I can't help but think that she's hiding something. She doesn't seem herself. She doesn't smile anymore, I haven't heard her laugh for a while. she doesn't eat right, she just pushes her food around her plate. I worry about her, but every time I asks if she's okay, she's distant. It breaks my heart seeing her like this.

"Angie, are you alright?" I ask as I watch her push the food around her plate intently.

"Fine. Just not that hungry." She murmured, continuing to mess with her food.

Silly me for actually expecting an honest answer.

She glanced up from her plate to see me staring at her. I looked in her eyes and I saw so much sorrow. I couldn't help but think it was all my fault.

"Please may I be excused?" She asked, interrupting me mid thought.

"Angie, don't be silly, you're more than just a tutor, you're family. You don't to ask." I gave her a smile in hope that she'd return the smiled. But she didn't, she just nodded and left the table.

I didn't understand. She asked if she could come back and be Vilu's tutor, but ever since she arrived she's been like this. Vilu will soon be too old for a tutor anyway, but I wanted her back, so I agreed. But I can't help but think that for some reason, she regrets coming home.

She ran upstairs and I heard the door slam. I wanted to go after her to see if she was okay. She did this every dinner. Pushed the food around the plate, spoke to nobody, then left and hid away in her room for the rest of the night.

"Dad, don't." Said Vilu, almost as if she knew I was about to go after her.

"But-"

"She needs time. She needs to adjust to it all."

I sighed. I knew she was right, but I hated the thought of her alone up there, sad.

"I hope she adjusts soon, because she isn't herself at all."

"I know, she doesn't even want to go back to the studio, even though Pablo said her job was always open." Vilu said sadly. This information took me by surprise. Why wouldn't she want to do her favourite job?

"That's so odd. She loves the studio." I replied.

None of this was making sense to me. I needed her to open up to me.

***

A few hours later and she still hadn't left her room, I couldn't hear any movement and I was getting worried.

"Angie?" I said as I knocked on her door. Violetta had gone out so there was nobody here to tell me not to do this.

"What is it?" I heard her ask.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

I stood there in silence for a minute until she slowly opened the door.

"I'm fine" she said as she walked back over to her bed and sat down.

I took a look around her room and realised how much of a mess it is. Since Olga retired, I thought Angie would be tidying it herself.

"Angie... Your room is..." I didn't want to say it, because I didn't want to make her embarrassed. "Let me help you tidy it." I said, quickly changing my sentence.

"I don't feel like tidying." She sighed as she lay back on the bed.

"Okay, fine... Then I'll do it, you can chat to me for a while."

She nodded in agreement, which I didn't think she would do. She hasn't really been 'up for a chat' recently. But still, I didn't say anything.

"So I hear you're not retuning to the studio." I say casually. I stepped over a pile of rubbish and started to clear it into the bin in the corner.

"Yeah. I'm not really up to it..." She replied sadly.

"Okay..." I reply. I wanted to ask her why, I wanted to ask her a lot of things, but I decided I shouldn't. That was the most she'd spoken to me since she'd arrived. I didn't want to push her.

"I think I'm done with music," she added. She leaped off the bed and started helping me put the rubbish in the bin.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"But why? You're so talented." I tried to persuade her.

"Don't." She snapped.

"Don't what?"

"Don't be nice to me. I don't deserve it. I can't do anything right." She murmured. She quickly stood up and flew out the door. I think if I'd have blinked a few times I wouldn't have seen her leave she was that fast.

"Angie!" I shouted. But it was too late, she was gone.

Instead of chasing her, I decided to stay and tidy her room. As much as I wanted to follow her, I knew she needed space.