"Fiona, what are you doing here this early in the morning?"
Elder Alfonso rubbed his eyes fitfully to bade sleep goodbye, before staring at his daughter again, not totally believing she was at his doorstep.
Did anything go wrong? Did Ewan chase her away?
But that was impossible. Ewan would never do that.
Something must be wrong then, as usual. He thought.
His daughter only visited when there was trouble.
Fiona's answer to her father's question was to break down in tears.
Alfonso was startled. He forgot his grudges toward her in a heartbeat, pulled her into his arms—muttering sweet nothings into her ear—and led her into the sitting room.
He used his right leg to kick the door close.
"Talk to me, Fiona. What's the problem?"
Yet Fiona kept crying.
Her tears and hiccups tore at her father's heart. She was his only child after all, and he never wanted her to be in pain. He could do anything to make her happy.
