Franchesca POV

I have been out of the hospital for about 5 days. For the most of my days I have been asleep. I was drained and barely wanted to leave my room. 

Every day my father visited me I was too tired or asleep to respond to him.

 I dreaded being here and I didn't know what was going to happen next.

Every time I walk through the hallway I remember what happened.

I can still faintly see the bloodstains on the carpet.

When the maids bring me food, they watch me with pity in their eyes. I hate it.

So I refused to go out to see everyone, but I really wanted to see my dad.

I forced myself to get up and peep through my open door, and look down the hallway to make sure no one was there. Once  I saw no one I quietly made my way to his room. When I knocked there was no response.

I knocked again. Nothing.

I slowly opened it to find an empty room. He's not there, I closed the door and went to his office.

Reaching the door, I realized it was slightly open and I can see him sitting there at the edge of couch looking heart broken, like he had been crying. The first few buttons of his shirt were open and his shirt looked ruffled.

I push open the door gently and walked in, he looked up at me and I could see that his heart had been broken.

I sit next to him quietly trying to find the words to say .. but what can you really say.

"You're .. the only good thing I got in this world Franchesca" he started off staring into the distance.

"The money, the job this house don't mean shit to me if you're not with me" he turned his head and looked me full in the eyes.

"There's no parental guide or book on how to be a good parent and I want you to know that before I'm anything I'm a human being" he sighed and shifted his gaze.

"When your mother left, I felt so bad and insecure, like I wasn't enough and I had you to raise by myself. You're my first and only kid, I barely knew how to hold myself together while my heart is broken" I see his lip tremble like he was going to cry and It just made me want to cry.

I rolled my bottom lip in to refrain from crying.

He sniffled "I buried myself in work so I wouldn't have to deal with that pain because it tortured me for years until it became a habit to drown myself in work but it wasn't a wise choice because it was affecting you" he then fully looked me in the eyes but this time he was crying.

He grabbed both my hands "Baby I'm sorry" and one thing I didn't expect to happen to see my father full on cry.

"I can lose your mother, but I can't lose you too" I started crying and I hugged him.

My father was just as broken as I was. This was like an eye opener for me, that he's a human being just like me.

"I love you Franchesca" he kissed the side of my head.

"I love you too daddy"

After a few minutes we calmed down.

While still hugging each other he told me in the most loving way that he was sorry.

"I'm sorry it took me this long to realize baby I'm so sorry"

" daddy I forgive you, I just want you to be my dad" he pulled back and nodded "as long as you promise to never do this again"

"I won't" he seemed a lot less tense after I said that.

"This only shows me how hurt people unintentionally hurt people without being aware. I'm going to deal with my pain because I want to be free from it and happy and because I want to be the best father I can be to you" he said in all seriousness.

"I'm thinking I'll cut back hours on the job so that I can attend counseling and spend more time with you" this moment right here is something I wouldn't trade it for anything else. We had finally come to an understanding.

Things were going to be different from now on.

"Starting from right now?" He nodded "right now" he repeated.

"What do you want to do?" He asked and I got to thinking "well I just want to be in a bed, is it okay if we watch a movie together?"

"Anything you want mi amor" he kissed my forehead. "Alright let's simmer down on all this emotion it's making me uncomfortable" I chuckled softly. Tell me about it.

"We're watching it in my room. Last one there is a rotten egg!" He dashed for the door and it took me two seconds to piece together what was happening before I dashed out of the office.

"You're the rotten egg"

"You cheated" he scoffed "yeah okay" he mumbled as I climbed into the bed.

"What do you want to watch?" I wanted to enjoy this moment. I really like a kid again right now with him. "Let's watch Teresa" he screwed up his face "NO"

"I beg you, no novellas" I chuckled "okay fine"

"let's watch the game plan" I always love a feel-good movie. This move used to make me wish that that was my father sometimes or it would remind me of the good times I had with him.

I cried so much during our conversation earlier, that truth be told I fell asleep close to the ending of the movie.