After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage By Cassila K

Chapter 44

As I walked out of the cemetery, I saw someone I hadn't expected—my dad. Jackson must have gone to see him, which is how he found out about my mom's camera. He must have also known that I was back.

With a somewhat tentative tone, he asked, "Have you eaten?"

I didn't respond immediately and asked, "What do you want from me?"

He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Could you come home for a while?"

I couldn't hold back a sarcastic laugh. "You've always told me to stay away. I've followed your wishes, so why now, all of a sudden, do you want me to return?" His voice trembled as he said, "... Your sister is ill. She has cancer."

I froze for a moment, taken aback.

"I've tried everything... we've sold everything we can. You're her sister. Could you help her?"

His face was full of sorrow and regret.

"I know you resent me, but it wasn't what I wanted. It wasn't my choice to push you away..."

His eyes were filled with pain. "You're my daughter. How could I ever bear to send you away? I had my reasons."

our past was a tangled mess of misunderstandings. "I know,"

been so happy, eager to tell him that I was going to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a doctor. I rushed home, hoping to share the good news, but when I overheard him arguing with my aunt in the kitchen, I

will be going to college soon too. How are we going to afford

raised her to adulthood. Isn't that

You know it's either her or me

door softly and ran out, sitting on the street alone for the rest of the afternoon. That entire summer, I lived in

the time came for me to report to college, I thought I

No matter how

I interrupted,

you're not a terrible father, but you're also not

years, he'd sent money into my account from time to time, and I had saved it all, planning to repay him when the

money you gave me. The rest... let it be my way of repaying your

don't come

wash over me. All the burdens that had weighed heavily on my heart seemed to lift

a corner and found myself at the flower shop where Joseph had once bought my mother the bird-of-paradise flowers. The owner

asked, "Where are you

"We're closing down! I want to try something

paused for a moment. "Well,

lilies of the valley, hyacinths, and olive branches, and wrapped them into a bouquet for me. "May we all