Sean's Chance

Two years ago, Sean Austin made a grave mistake.

He abandoned his only child. His presious daughter. Whom he promised his deceased wife, he'd protect.

He'd also broken a promise.

A knock on his office door distracted him from his thoughts. His assistant entered and placed some documents on his desk that needed his attention.

But instead of leaving he stood there.

Sean looked up to see a grim look on his assistant's face he'd become so familiar with in the past two years. Sean knew it only meant one thing when his assistant had that look on his otherwise perfectly expressionless face.

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Still no word on his daughter's whereabouts.

He thought back on the day that ruined his life. No, he laughed at himself. It was the day he destroyed his daughter's life. Left her with no one to turn to. But of course he didn't see that when he was feeling betrayed. He mocked himself at that. Yeah right. He was the one betrayed when his daughter was being accused for something she never did. And by her own Father.

He didn't know why he ever believed such lies about his daughter when he could even now clearly see the agony on her face when she realized that her Father had no intention of believing her. That she was already judged and her pleas were falling on deaf ears.

He knew the moment his anger subsided that he messed up but before he could do anything about it, it was too late.

Without the anger blurring his eyes he could see how his daughter had no idea why she was being confronted. How, when her aunt yelled at her to stop acting dumb and give back the money she stole from her room, Evelyn's face lost all the color. Of course to him and everyone that was the added proof that Evelyn was guilty. So when she said she had no idea why they were saying that and more importantly why would she steal money in the first place. No one believed her. They just said horrible things to her.

Evelyn didn't cry. Not until she went to where her Father was standing in the room and asked him that he should know she wouldn't do anything like that. Tears fell when he didn't agree with her.

In a quivering voice she gave him an explanation. The explanation she believed she didn't need when talking to her Father.

And her explanation was solid. Yes she didn't go to her aunt's room even once. He knew that because she usually stayed in her room. And the day her aunt arrived she wasn't even at home because she had plans to stay with a friend. But of course everyone turned her words against her, concluding that her friend was definitely her ally in all this.

Evelyn just looked at him with tear stained face. Her eyes pleading for him to believe her. Telling him that he should know that's not true. And he knew. God he knew because those were the plans they both discussed weeks before their guests arrival. Hell they didn't even know then they had guest coming. It wasn't a plan to steal.

He failed his daughter when he sided with everyone else. Why he did that to her, to this day, he had no idea.

They cornerd her to claim the false blame by threatening to punish her friend as well. Her Evelyn would have told them to go ahead and call to make sure they were not the thief but seeing how her own Father thought otherwise must have scared her for her friend's family not believing her too.

She looked at her Father and told everyone to go and check her room. Her aunt went to do just that while Evelyn just looked at her Father with a disbelieving look in her eyes.

Sure enough his sister came out with the so-called money. He didn't glance at it since he was busy glaring at his daughter. Unable to correctly comprehend the look of pure dispair she was showing.

A sound from somewhere outside his office pulled him to the present. At some point his assistant had left. He didn't notice since he was deep in the past. 

He stood up and made his way to the attached bathroom of his office. He splashed the cold water on his face to clear his head. Placing his hands on the sink he looked at the mirror. The reflection he saw disgusted him to his core.

All he wanted to do was to smash it to pieces. So he did exactly that. His fist collided with the mirror, shattering the image there, but it did nothing to decipate his ever growing anger at himself.

Drops of blood fell on the white sink but the pain he felt in his hand was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his heart. The one he gave to his daughter. And the one he would never be forgiven for by his wife.

He stood there for who knows how long because all he could remember that at one point his assistant came and dragged him out of the bathroom. His hand was also bandaged. Must be his assistant's work.

Then he was being directed through the office towards his car. They arrived at his house and after placing food in front of him his assistant reassured him that they'll definitely find Evelyn. So he should take care of himself. After that his assistant left. He then went to his bedroom to take a nap that he knew would allude him.

When he realized what he did he went to look for Evelyn but she wasn't in her room. His security guard told him that his sister threw Evelyn out. And when he interwined she told him that's what Sean ordered. So he couldn't do anything. And Evelyn herself stopped him from doing anything.

Full of rage he lashed out at his sister and her family. She confronted that that was what he also wanted. He looked at her incredulously. Told her he would never want his daughter out of his life no matter what.

But everything clicked into place when his sister said it was good that wretched woman's daughter was out of their lives.

His sister never liked Avery. Never gave her a chance. She just simply hated her though he was not sure why. But he thought she liked his daughter. Showed him she cared about Evelyn. But he was lied to obviously.

It was not Evelyn who planned to steal, it was actually her accusers who did. To steal her home from her. And more importantly her Father. The only one person she thought would be on her side forever.

Until she found he wasn't.

He was so devastated. He left his security to handle his sister and her family and went to search for Evelyn. But he couldn't find her anywhere. Till this day he was still looking for her. He hired investigaters. But still no word on his daughter. It was like she vanished in thin air.

He had alot of worse scenarios but he didn't entertain them. He just couldn't. The reality of what he did was more than what he could take.

Days passed just like they did in the past two years. Agonizingly slow and with no information about Evelyn.

It was fine if his daughter never forgave him. He would live with that. He just needed to know she was safe. That she was not suffering. Because not knowing was the hell he'd not wish even on his enemy.

More months passed and one day his assistant brust into his office and the usual grim look he had when delivering the same news about his daughter was replaced by happy excitement.

Sean thought his heart would stop if his assistant didn't say whatever it was in the very next second.

And it did.

For a minute he couldn't breathe. Couldn't believe the words his assistant uttered. Not until his assistant placed his hand on Sean's shoulder and gently shake him.

Sean looked at him and he smiled. His expression free assistant actually smiled at him and told him again that his daughter had been found. And that she seemed to be in good health too.

The investigator told them that when she was on streets an old man saved her and took her with him.

Without wasting a minute more Sean and his assistant rushed to the address they've been given.

On the long drive Sean felt like his breath was stuck somewhere in his chest. His heart was beating at a strange pace where sometimes he felt it will stop altogether. The anticipation was almost suffocating.

He was told his kid was fine but it seemed his mind would only believe the news of her being found when his eyes would confirm that for itself.

Since they've called the old man he'd been waiting for them at his house. He told them how he found Evelyn and how she ended up working in his bakery.

The man said he had asked her if she had anywhere to go. But she refused to tell him anything and asked him to leave her alone. That of course he couldn't since she looked to be an underaged girl. And he told her just that. To which she replied she was seventeen. And can look after herself.

So he offered her work in his bakery in another town and gave her a place to live.

The old man's exact words were she was stubborn and wouldn't have listened to him if he had offered free loading. So he had to do that to take her out of the dangerous streets.

Sean felt his heart slice when the man told them Evelyn's argue to his offer was that she was a labeled thief so he shouldn't just trust her when money is involved.

But he was so glad that the good old man was able to convince her. He didn't want to consider what would have happened if it wasn't this person who approached her.

He thanked the man for what he did for his daughter. He felt obligated to ask him whether he could meet his daughter or not. Because this stranger believed otherwise when she told him herself she was a thief and being her Father he refused to believe her even though she told him she wasn't.

When Sean told him that, he admitted that maybe to the old man he wasn't making any sense but that was how he felt any way.

The old man smiled and then told Sean we all make mistakes right. Go, makeup for yours.

Those words were too kind for someone like Sean but he clung to them anyway. He needed a life line and what the man said was just that.

He went to the bakery the old man gave him address for. It was almost an hour before closing. The sky still had light to give before darkness of night took over.

He looked in from the glass door of the shop. He froze where he stood when his eyes landed on Evelyn. The breath whooshed out from his mouth. His chest felt lighter then before. Without warning a tear slid down from his eye. He placed his hand on his mouth and turned away from the door. Leaning back on the wall behind him for support because his legs suddenly lost all the strength.

He slid down the wall, placing his head on his knees. His daughter was safe. She was really here. He finally found her. These thoughts raced in his mind. He couldn't stop more tears from falling as tons of relief came over him. And a heavy dose of guilt. His daughter looked exactly as his assistant. Without an ounce of emotion on her face.

While he didn't know why his assistant was like that, he knew for a fact that he was the one who stole every single one of them from her.

He contemplated leaving before meeting her. He wasn't looking for forgiveness. He'd lost that chance the minute he doubted her. And he made sure she was in good hands.

But then he remembered the old man's words. How she called herself a thief and warned him off. He had to at least fix that. It wasn't her fault. She shouldn't have to bear the burden of his mistake for more than she already did.

So the decision made he stayed there and waited for the shop to close. When the sky finally turned dark, a figure came out and turned to lock the door. But of course she was startled since he was still slouching against the wall.

He didn't say anything nor did he move. He was watching her and knew the moment she realized it was really him. He also saw as tears gathered in her eyes and how she blinked them back. A gesture he was responsible for making her learn.

He slowly stood up. His daughter now reached his shoulders. She was so tiny before. His heart ached as he realized how he missed the moments of her growing up. She always wanted to be as tall as him. Drinking milk every day and exercising. Then matching her height with his daily to see if she succeeded or not.

More tears threatened to escape but unlike his daughter he didn't stop them. Maybe she understood his pain. Because she opened the door again and gestured for him to follow.

He did just that. But instead of sitting on the chair she motioned to he remained standing. He couldn't sit. His hands were trembling and his throat was choking with emotions. He tried to speak but words failed him. So he just stood there in the middle of the shop, with the smell of baked goods wafting in the air and like a creepy person just looked at his daughter.

She seemed to have lost weight and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her clothes looked old and well worn. And her posture was stiff. Wariness was surrounding her. And he was the one who put it there. It was his fault that his daughter had to be on guard around him.

All the ugly words he threw at her that day were running in his mind like a show put on repeat.

He had to do something to undo the damage.

So in a voice that was not above a wisper and so full of everything he was feeling he said he was sorry and that anything he'd say to explain himself would be just excuses. Because, in the end there was no explanation that could explain his actions that day. He was ought to be on her side but he wasn't. And she shouldn't have to live with his mistake. And that he knew saying sorry won't erase his unforgivable actions but he had no idea what else to say.

They stood there for what felt like an eternity but were just a few minutes. He would have been fine if she threw something at him or yelled at him. He'd deserve more than that but he wasn't prepared for what she said.

He watched her in disbelief as she approached him slowly and stiffly hugged him. Repeating the words. He wrapped his arms around her.

His daughter just gave him forgiveness.

He wasn't even deserving. Not when he didn't show her any mercy.

Something loosened in his chest and right there in the middle of a shop he held his kid tightly and sobbed.

All the emotions, the regret, the fear, the guilt, the saddened and the happiness poured out of him.

After a long time he released her from the embrace. And wiped his face with back of his hand. He felt like he was floating. If possible he wanted to take her back home badly but he didn't have the courage to be selfish. He didn't deserve what he got so how can he ask for more.

But somehow Evelyn understood what he wasn't saying. And told him that she couldn't go there. Just couldn't. That was no longer a place she wanted to be. He understood that completely. After all he was the cause for her feeling that way.

He wasn't even expecting her forgiveness. But here she was willing to give him a chance even when she never got one from him.

He'd take anything as long as his daughter was a part of his life.

They stood there for a few more minutes until Evelyn said she needs to go home.

She refused his offer to drive her there. He nodded as she left him standing there on the sidewalk with a smile on his face. After two years he was finally able to breathe properly. He called his assistant to arrange to move everything in this town where his daughter now lived. He would definitely listen to the old man's advice and try to make up for every hurt he caused his presious daughter.

      _________________