There were times when Milani thought her father, who hated liquor and had never been to any bars, was the most incredible man who ever lived. Now she looked at the state he was in now she couldn't help but think back to those glorious days. Milani thought as she held her unconscious father's hand in her arms.
Milani watched her father's body movements as if he would leave her and go drink as soon as she'd take her eyes off him. Him having spent the previous week tossing down eight or ten bottles of Italian beer without a care for what would happen the following day.
Mike's conscious sat beside his daughter as he stroked her long hair while watching her weep. To see his body laying on the cold hospital bed made him feel useless in his daughter's life. Poor Mike had no strategy at all, his limbs incapable of moving, in what should have been normal for him.
Sounds of the heart monitor battled with the faint chatter of his daughter and a strange-looking boy as Mike tried to gather his senses. The black canvas before him turned into a rock-walled ceiling as his vision became clear. Thick blankets warm under his skin, lying ramrod-straight on his back. Stretching his beyond sore body, he turned his head to examine his surroundings. Mikes vision was still fuzzy as the two vague figures moving in the corner attested.
"I'm a nobody! Who are you? You're the fucking king of high school, the only person I have in my life is my old man and he can't even keep himself safe." Mike tried to open his mouth and stop the two figures from arguing but he failed. "You have no right to pay for a new hospital room and have them move my father," Milani yelled. "You have everything and everyone, you can go outside right now and have press surround you that's how important you are." The taller figure tried to calm down the smaller figure who wouldn't stop pacing the room. "Why are you still here? My life doesn't concern you, it never has and it never will." She gave him a dirty look while he kept hugging her.
"I understand how you're feeling right now but I want you to recognize that I'm here for you. I figured you'd get frantic when I told you to go home and take a nap. But Milani you need it, it's not healthy for you to go days without sleep. Your dad is right here I'll stay with him until you come back."
Mike grunted as he tried to sit up. "No need to quarrel I'm up." The look on his daughters face showed both joy and sadness. "Oh my god dad you're awake." Milani ran to the side of her father afraid that if she let go he'd fall back into another coma. "Ow, sweetheart who's this?" Caesar gulped as he walked up towards the two determined to shake her fathers hand. "This is a boy that I'm tutoring and he's also my friend." Mike shook his head at them both while gesturing for them to leave. "Glad to see that you're finally awake sir," Mike nodded at Caesar as he shook his hand. "Now Lani do what the boy told you and go home, shower, get some sleep I'll be fine." After a long battle of arguing Caesar led his daughter out the room and drove her home while Mike sat in his room regretting what he had done.
A few days later he was out and about from the stiffness of the hospital bed. He couldn't remember why he drank so much that night so he went back to work to forget the whole mess. "Hey Mike glad to hear and see that you're ok and back standing up ypu gave everyone a scare." A coworker hugged Mike as he entered the building. "Thanks Greg," he replied. "By the way boss wants to have a chat with you, and by the looks of it he doesn't seem to happy." Mike knew the chat wouldn't be good after the scene he pulled off a few weeks ago. He knew he'd either get fired or grilled but he'd have to take it or leave it.
After sliding into his boss' office he sat down on one of the empty chairs. "You know Mike you just will never change will you." He knew that voice anywhere, that same voice that tortured him for years. That very voice that betrayed him, his ex wife Rima. "You know I never seem to get tired of that look on your face, you'll never learn will you?" Rima pulled out a sheet of paper and slammed it on the desk causing mike to jump up.
When he looked at the paper Mike sank to the ground, too shocked to register what to do next. She looked down at Mike, with a large grin on her face. "I want you to take this last paycheck and leave because you're fired now, you can leave." He shook his head in defeat and opened the door for her, bowing deeply. Mike picked up the last envelope as he threw up his hands in defeat and disappeared downstairs.
On the other side of town Milani and Ceaser were both walking to her house. They were connecting together, it was obvious that they both cared for each other but neither had the courage to admit it. A slow smile worked its way across Caesars face resulting in his eyes gleaming. His warm hands slid around her waist, pulling her back against him. "Listen Milani, ever since I first saw you that day you came to my house I couldn't stop thinking about you." Butterflies filled her stomach as she listened to those words. Is this what love feels like? She thought. "I love you like a little sister I want to protect you with all my heart." Milani's smile faded and her expression became apathetic. "I gotta go inside I'll see you tomorrow," Milani replied.
She felt disappointed when he released her hand and dug in his pocket for the house key. "Here you forgot to take it back when you asked me to hold it earlier. Remember to text me tonight before you go to bed." Without speaking another word to him, she left Caesar standing outside her front door.
Lani closed her eyes, the soft sound of the TV greeting her anything else did. Dropping the bag on the ground, she sank onto the couch. "There's literally nothing good on tv," Milani watched as a family ate happily around the table. Tears burned her eyes and her lower lip trembled. The door opened and Mike stepped into the room.
There was a soft knock at the foot of the couch arm. The stored tears continued to flow and the sobs wracked her body, robbing it of the ability to speak – barely allowing a breath to be drawn. "Sweetheart why are you crying?" Mike tried to hug his daughter but she pulled away. "I'm so sorry, but with the way you're acting, I feel like you don't care about anybody else's feelings but yourself dad." He watched as his daughter scooted away from him and pulled her legs to her chest. "You lost your wife but guess what that was my mom too. I understand that you're hurting but in the process you're hurting me too and I can't take it anymore." She frowned, and he couldn't tell if she were more disappointed or relieved at his arrival.
Mike looked at his daughter, a penetrating stare that made her again regret ever stating anything. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but at least for now, I think it's better that you're not involved. It's better if we just don't talk about it." With that he left the room and headed to his room. That night, for the first time in more than a week, she tossed and turned in the bed, her sleep interrupted by memories of her family.