As Sarah sat on the bed, trying to process her emotions, she couldn't help but think about her complicated past with her father. She flashed back to the days after her mother's passing, when her father's behavior had become increasingly erratic.
At first, Sarah had tried to be understanding. She knew that her father was grieving, just like she was. But as the months went by, Sarah began to notice a disturbing pattern. Her father was constantly bringing home new women, women who were younger and more beautiful than her mother had ever been.
Sarah felt a wave of anger and resentment wash over her as she remembered the countless nights she had spent listening to her father's loud laughter and the sound of his bedroom door closing. She had tried to talk to him about it, to tell him how his behavior was affecting her, but he had just brushed her off.
"Sarah, I'm just trying to move on with my life," he would say. "You need to learn to let go of the past."
But Sarah couldn't let go. She felt like her father was disrespecting her mother's memory, and she couldn't understand why he couldn't see that.
As the years went by, Sarah's relationship with her father continued to deteriorate. She began to feel like she was living in a constant state of chaos, never knowing what new drama would unfold next.
Finally, when Sarah was 18, she had had enough. She packed her bags and left her father's house, determined to start a new life for herself.
As she looked back on those difficult years, Sarah realized that she had been trying to escape her past for a long time. She had thought that by leaving her father's house, she could leave all the pain and drama behind. But now, as she sat in this hotel room, trying to process her emotions, Sarah realized that she had been wrong.
Her past was still a part of her, and it always would be. But maybe, just maybe, she could learn to accept it, to forgive herself and her father for the mistakes they had made.
As Sarah sat there, lost in thought, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. It was a fragile, tentative peace, but it was a start. And as she looked out the window, watching the sun set over the Texas horizon, Sarah felt a sense of hope that she hadn't felt in years.
Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to let go of the past and start anew. Maybe she could learn to forgive herself and her father, and to find a sense of peace and closure.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Sarah felt a sense of determination wash over her. She would face her past, and she would come out stronger on the other side. She would learn to forgive, and to let go. And she would start a new chapter in her life, one that was filled with hope and possibility.
Sarah's eyes welled up with tears as she thought about her father's passing. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow responsible for his death.
If only she had stayed with him, she thought. If only she had been there to take care of him, to support him, to love him. Maybe then he wouldn't have died.
Sarah's mind was filled with what-ifs and maybes. She thought about all the times she had argued with her father, all the times she had pushed him away. She thought about how she had left him, how she had abandoned him when he needed her most.
She felt a deep sense of regret and sorrow. She wished she could go back in time, wished she could undo all the hurtful things she had said and done. She wished she could have been a better daughter, a more supportive and loving child.
As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, Sarah felt like she was drowning in a sea of guilt and regret. She couldn't escape the feeling that she was responsible for her father's death, that she had somehow contributed to his passing.
She thought about all the times she had complained about her father's behavior, all the times she had judged him and criticized him. She thought about how she had distanced herself from him, how she had pushed him away.
And now, he was gone.
Sarah felt a wave of grief wash over her, and she buried her face in her hands. She wept uncontrollably, mourning the loss of her father and the loss of their complicated, imperfect relationship.
As she cried, Sarah felt like she was releasing all the pent-up emotions she had been carrying around for so long. She felt like she was finally allowing herself to feel the pain and the sorrow that had been building up inside her.
And as she wept, Sarah began to realize that she wasn't responsible for her father's death. She wasn't responsible for his choices or his actions. She was only responsible for her own choices and her own actions.
And with that realization, Sarah felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She felt a sense of freedom and release, a sense of forgiveness and understanding.
She knew that she still had a long way to go, that she still had to process her emotions and come to terms with her past. But for the first time in a long time, Sarah felt like she could finally start to heal.
Sarah walked into Dave's office, feeling a sense of determination and purpose. She had been thinking a lot about her father's passing, and she had come to realize that she needed to know more about his final days.
"Dave, I need to ask you some more questions," Sarah said, taking a seat in the chair across from his desk.
"Of course, Sarah," Dave replied, nodding sympathetically. "What do you want to know?"
"I want to know about my father's estate," Sarah said, getting straight to the point. "What happened to all of his properties and assets?"
Dave hesitated, looking uncomfortable. "Sarah, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but...your father didn't have much left at the end."
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? He had a successful business, and he always seemed to be doing well financially."
Dave sighed. "That's true, but...your father had a lot of debt, Sarah. He had been struggling to keep up with his payments, and he was in danger of losing everything."
Sarah felt a shock run through her system. She had had no idea that her father was struggling financially.
"What happened to all of his properties?" Sarah asked, feeling a sense of trepidation.
Dave hesitated again before answering. "Sarah, your father sold all of his properties. He used the money to pay off his debts, but...there's nothing left."
Sarah felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her father, the man who had always seemed so successful and confident, had been struggling financially and had lost everything.
"But what about the house?" Sarah asked, feeling a sense of desperation. "The house where I grew up...what happened to it?"
Dave shook his head. "Sarah, I'm so sorry. The house was sold too. Your father had to let it go in order to pay off his debts."
Sarah felt a wave of grief wash over her. She had lost her father, and now she had lost the only home she had ever known. She felt like she was losing her sense of identity, like she was losing the very foundation of her life.
As she sat there, trying to process this new information, Sarah felt a sense of anger and resentment towards her father. Why had he kept all of this from her? Why had he let things get so bad without telling her?
But as she looked at Dave, who was watching her with a sympathetic expression, Sarah felt a sense of sadness and compassion. Her father had been struggling, and he had been trying to protect her from the truth. He had been trying to spare her the pain and worry of knowing about his financial struggles.
As Sarah sat there, trying to come to terms with this new information, she felt a sense of forgiveness wash over her. She forgave her father for keeping secrets from her, and she forgave herself for not being more understanding and supportive.
As she stood up to leave, Sarah felt a sense of peace and closure. She knew that she still had a long way to go, but she also knew that she was ready to face the future with courage and determination.