⚠️ This chapter will mostly be in third-person POV while, most likely, the other half will be in Ellie's ⚠️

He watched his little girl lying motionless on the hospital bed. She had just suffered from her first seizure and, according to all the specialists, there won't be her last, either. There are much more to come for the little baby.

Her mother was finally asleep after staying up all night with their little girl. However, he couldn't sleep after what he had witnessed. He ran in just in time to help her through her seizure before running her to the local hospital.

She was just a baby. Barley ten months old and already having a seizure, but - like before - there will be more to come with her new condition. When he asked the doctor how much longer she will have them, they said: "She could have them her whole life, but if you keep her on a steady medication plan, she won't have them after the age of three."

And, so, it turns out that her mother kept her on a steady medication plan; then, she didn't have them anymore after three years old. However, the doctors did warn the father of the following: "She could still have them after three years of age. Down the line, maybe in her twenties or even thirties, after years of not taking her medication, they might return."

The father was very worried as he sighed and looked the doctor in the eye. He asked, "And if they do?"

The doctor's cold eyes met the father's warm orbs, then he replied: "It could kill her."

Today, he was back. Back for the first time in twenty-seven years. He hasn't really seen in person since she was ten months old. Now, all these years later, her mother is dead and she's back in the hospital.

He was watching her through the wide glass, looking into her room. She was about to be transferred to a more private room after surgery. A nurse was passing by when he spun around and stopped her. "Excuse me, ma'am," he called to her and she ceased, spinning around on her heel.

"Yes, sir?" she squeaked out, eyebrows raised in question.

"Hi, I'm Eleanor Knight's father. She's the girl in here," he told the nurse, who nodded little by little as the conversation went. "I just wanted an update on her situation. What happened? I heard that it was a car accident?"

The nurse was now shaking her head. "Not necessarily, sir," she was starting to tell him. "It was storming last night when she ran into the street. The coast was cleared, apparently, but a car was coming her way on the other side." His chest hardened, getting tighter as she kept going on. "Before the car got her, she fell and experienced a seizure."

Now, he felt worse than he has ever in his whole life. His baby girl was in trouble and it was only going to get worse.

"A seizure?" he breathed out, lowering his head in disappointment.

"Yes, sir," she nodded and studied his face a little bit. "I'm sorry about what happened, but she will be okay. She just got out of surgery to relocate her shoulder back into place. She will be out of work for about two to three weeks, at least. She was very lucky, considering what she had just went through."

I sighed and nodded. "Thank you, ma'am," he said to her and she nodded in return, then turned her back on him to walk away finally.

He turned to face the window again, seeing how a man was now standing there and talking to her. He knew who he was, obviously. And, if he went in there, too, he'll know him, also. There was no way to get in and out without being unnoticed. Shit, he mentally cursed to himself.

However, he did get close enough to the door to hear what the guy on the inside was saying to his daughter. "El... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that this happened to you. Right at the height of your career, too. Damn..." Seth was the guy's name. So, he paused just so he could take a deep breath. Then, he grabbed ahold of her hand and continued: "I should've said it before to you when I had the chance, but I... I... Ugh! Why can't I say it to you? I mean, you're asleep and I'm still fucking afraid to tell you how I feel. I'm sorry, Ellie, but I gotta go. I'll come back later to check on you."

Seth was about to come out the door, so the father casually turned his back on him, so he wouldn't see or recognize him. Seth had went the other way, towards the lobby, so this was now his chance to get in there and to get out in a hurry.

He opened the door and flew inside. The curtains to the window was out of the way, so he stretched them for them to be closed. He locked the door behind him and caught up with his breath. He had to calm down or he'll never be able to tell his daughter what he's been trying to say to her his whole life.

—

• E L L I E •

"Darling," an unfamiliar voice whispered and grabbed my hand just like Seth did before.

For a moment, he was completely silent, which made me believe that he was taking in my looks and how I had grown into the body of my late mother. "First of all, you are so beautiful, honey. Just like your mother once was." He sighed and tried to think of the words to say. His mind drew a blank, though, but not enough for him not to say anything whatsoever. "Anyways, I better make this quick before somebody comes in or you wake up."

He swallowed hard and quickly took a seat next to me. "Look, baby... I hate to make this quick with a message, but... I only left you because I couldn't deal with the fact that you might die so young because of seizures. Then... You didn't and I knew that, even when your mom called to beg me to come back home. I didn't. I didn't because I was on the road constantly. I didn't want to lose you, but I did, either way. I'm sorry. Baby girl... Daddy is so sorry for leaving you and that I didn't even come to your mother's funeral, either. It was so hard on you. I knew it was. I was watching from my car. I'm sorry, Eleanor. I'll make it up to you someday, baby girl. I will. Oh, and, darling? I... I love you."

Then, before he could say another word to me, I heard him practically run out the room with the door slamming behind himself. Then, I left in disbelief and asleep

I can't believe it. My father was here. Really here and I couldn't even wake up to see or talk to him, too. He cared enough to come back and, from what he just told me, the pieces of my life are far from being complete. He's been watching me for years now... But who was he?

The more I thought about his voice... It was playing on repeat in my head. I haven't heard his voice since I was a baby and, even then, I couldn't exactly remember it. Now, however, it's all coming together and, the more that I thought about it, the more it was starting to sound recognizable.

That's when the truth came down on me like a ton of bricks with his same old voice playing in my head, bringing me right back to my young years as a baby. The smell is in the room from his distinct cologne to the lavender smell of my wipes as a baby. I knew who he was now and what my mother knew was now in my mind, even when I was now in a dazed state.

The moment of truth was... I knew who my father was now.

• DUNT. DUNT. DUNT. Hah hah! You guys are going to like what's coming next, tho, and after that, too... 😍 To Fk-crybabyomega & _fabandboujee request, I did this and it's all slowly coming together now, too ✨ HOWEVER... PLEASE BE AWARE OF SOMETHING! THAT SOMETHING IS... THE END IS COMING! That's right, I said it!! THE END OF THIS BEAUTIFUL AND SEXY (AND VERY EMOTIONAL) BOOK IS COMING TO AN END VERY SOON 😭 But don't get TOO sad, tho, guys... "Burning Passion" will have a so-called 'sequel,' as to say — which will be the rest of Enzo & Lillie's story AFTER this little number here ends. I am VERY excited to start writing it (especially with Lyssa's help, because everybody knows good and damn well that I need it 😂)! It will be called "Burning Low" cuz why the hell not?! 🔥 Nevertheless, guys... ✨ All the love .xx •