AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why are you helping me, Gary? Lex told me you owed him a favor, but you’ve gone out of your way for a complete stranger. Why?”
The pained expression on Gary’s face returns, and his eyes scrunch up.
“I had a daughter. You remind me of her. Her name was Rose.”
Had… was…Oh no, she must be dead.
My eyes lift to his at the mention of my middle name. “Yes, it’s yet another coincidence,” he says, understanding my surprise.
“Rose had long blonde hair, like you used to, and blue eyes. It was like I was talking to her that day in Switzerland. I knew right then that I had to help you. It probably sounds silly, but it felt like Rose sent you to me.”
What a turn of events! Here I thought Gary was getting ready to get rid of me, when all along memories of his daughter were haunting him.
“Why would she do that?”
“So I could heal.” Did he play a part in his daughter’s death? Would that account for his expression?
“When did she die?”
“Six years, two months and eight days ago.” My heart stops. It would have been around the same time as my parents’ fatal crash. What are the chances?
“How am I helping you heal?” I ask in a whisper. It’s barely audible, but Gary heard me.
“By helping you, I’m redeeming myself.” He sighs heavily. “I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, Ella. Especially with Rose. If I could turn back time, I would.”
Gary looks stricken, and even sitting across from him, I sense the weight of the burden he’s carrying.
“I failed as a father.”
I want to tell him he didn’t, but I’m not sure I would speak the truth. So I remain silent and give Gary the space to tell me his story in his own time.
He rubs his chin, his whole face looking sinister. “I wasn’t around much when she was little. I lived and breathed for the SEALs. Eventually, my marriage broke down because of it, and I saw even less of Rose. Even after I left the special forces, I was so occupied with building Freemont and having just remarried, I thought I had time to mend my relationship with her when she was older. To be honest, I didn’t know what to do with a teenage daughter. Even though she was a good kid, it was like she was from a different planet.”
That makes me laugh. I admire how honest he is with me, but more importantly, with himself. This can’t be easy for him, and I scoot closer and cover his hand with mine in silent support.
“I didn’t realize how much she needed me… needed her father. She was always so innocent and then around the time she turned eighteen, she got in with the wrong crowd. She fell in love with a guy who, we later found out, worked for one of the drug lords in Atlanta. He kept it from her, pretended to have a well-paying job as a DJ. I met him once, and he seemed nice enough. But given the business I’m in, I should have investigated him, should have made sure his background checked out. But it didn’t even occur to me. I was a self-centered prick.”
It makes me sad seeing Gary like this. He can’t blame himself for his daughter’s choices. Yes, he should have been there for her and showed interest in her life, but would things really have turned out that differently? Who could say?
“Rose got caught up in the middle of a gang war. You might say she was at the wrong place at the wrong time… she was hanging out with her boyfriend and his friends in the front yard of his house when a car drove past and opened fire. She was hit in the chest and died on the way to the hospital. It was the worst day of my life.”
I’m speechless. Gary’s pain is contagious, my heart hurting for him.
I realize no matter how well intended words and actions may be, nothing can comfort Gary in this place of despair. He’s seeking absolution, but he is the only person who can give this to himself. But he’s a man of action. He wants to save me to save himself.
I turn to hug him, trying to ease his burden. I understand loss, especially of the sudden, devastating kind. It tears your heart and soul apart.
His hold on me tightens as I whisper into his shoulder, “I am so sorry for your loss. I know it’s not something you ever truly get over. You learn how to cope and even enjoy life again, but it’s never quite the same. I lost my parents in a fatal car accident about six years ago. It might have even been around the time of your tragedy. I still miss them every single day.”
We embrace like this for long minutes, taking a respite from the pain of loss in each other’s company. Gary eventually pulls away and straightens up, letting out a long breath.
“So you see, Ella. Helping you is helping me to right a wrong of my own making. It won’t bring Rose back, but maybe, just maybe, she’ll forgive me.”
“Do you have a picture of her?” I ask, needing to see how much we look alike.
Gary pulls out his wallet and opens it, pulling out a photograph. He stares at it before handing it to me. The corners are all crinkles; he must hold it often.
The girl looking back at me is indeed like a younger version of myself in my blonde days. Her face is rounder, and she’s shorter, but her smile is bright and contagious.
