Franchesca POV

I have come to this place where I didn't want to see anyone.

They all had a look in their eye when they looked at me. Pity. And it only made me feel more shame.

I'm not a quitter, I have never been. I just wanted out of a game nobody wanted me to play in.

I heard a faint knock  on my door. I turned around from my window sill and answered "who?"

"Delvina"

"Come in" She stepped in with my breakfast and laid it on my desk. She walked over to me and sat next to me. "Como te sientes?"

"I don't know I feel like everyone is looking at me pity in their eyes and beginning to make me feel so shameful."

"Well, you are in charge. Tell them to not do that" she shrugged.

"However, you have to think of it like this too, we all have been working here for years. We have watched you grow into who you are today. It would hurt us equally to see you go, for one the house would be too quiet. Your father would've probably gone mad, if you really think about it" she joked lightly.

"Mi reina, as much as you think you don't matter, you matter to a lot of people. Sometimes your mind plays games on you when your feelings are hurt. You start thinking about a whole lot of things that you would never think about. Pull your mind together and remind yourself of what's true."

She grabbed my hand in support "You matter here, okay? There is no other Franchesca Donovan that will ever be able to yell at us like you do, eh?" Breaking character I chuckle with her.

"Stop with the façade. I see you play this face to be strong. You don't want to hurt like you do but you're human. You have to feel in order to grow. Feel that thing. Stop pretending, if you're hurt, you're hurt. Just make sure you don't stay there. Don't stay stuck in your sadness, get up wash your face and start your day" She looked me square in the eye and I could see how much she cared for me. I leaned forward and hugged her. She encouraged me more than I expected.

She kissed my head "Alright, before the kitchen falls apart without me, I'm going to go back downstairs. However, reina if you need me, you know where to find me" She squeezed my hand before leaving.

As she opened the door, a small figure ran past her.

"Emi!" Delvina said sternly.

I see him come face to face with her "What did I say about running in the hallway?"

"Sorry, Delvi"

"No more running"

"Hey Champion" I said trying to grab his attention. He peeped behind Delvina. "Hii!" a smile crept up on his face. "Mira, she's the one that thought I was a spy" he told Delvina laughing lightly.

"Ven" (Come) I motion for him to come in. When he came forward, he came towards to me.

"Don't you have school?" I asked. "No, my brother told me I could stay home. I miss my mom and I cried yesterday so he's taking me to see her later."

"oh" remembering overhearing a conversation that their mom is in a coma.

I ruffle his hair a little. "I hope she feels better soon."

"Yeah, she will, I have been praying for her to get better. I have been praying for you too" Surprised, I looked at him in shock. "Yeah?" he nodded. "Milo said we should add you to our prayers. So, we pray for you every night." I felt my eyes well up with tears. This was the most beautiful thing that happened to me.

"Thank you, Emi," I said, fighting the urge to cry. He smiles and then when he saw my tears, he frowned "what's wrong?"

"That's just so nice of you. Here, I thought nobody cared about me." I half joked.

"I do! And I want you to be happy! When my mommy wakes up, I'm going to be soo happy! I want you to be that happy."

"Thank you, Emi! I hope to be that happy one day. You're so full of love and light. Always stay that way." I said, tapping his nose as he chuckled.

*****

"Dadddyyy!" I groaned as he kept messing up my hair. "Come on! Let's go pray"

I never actually knew that my dad knew to pray so I was a little shocked. "Yeah, I'm okay"

"I know this is new for you to know" He sighed "But baby, all the riches in the world didn't and couldn't save me from everything I was feeling after your incident."

"I was desperate and hopeless, so I reached for God like I never have before. You really struck a vein and lost a lot of blood. It was a really scary moment for me, for all of us." He said looking at me.

"And although that moment was scary, once I had prayed, I felt as if everything was going to be alright. Almost like a peace washed over me."

"So, I said if this is what one prayer can do, I want to know God, I want peace, I want to know how to live life right so that I can stay in this peace and light weight feeling"

"It's a bit weird to be this at peace, I was hurting of course but I could almost feel that peace even though I was in tremendous pain. Almost like he wanted me to know he was with me." I saw my father face have this light radiate that I haven't seen in years, that only made me believe just as much as he did.

"And if he can do so much in little time, I can't imagine a lifetime with him."

"wow" I said a little in awe. This was a totally different person in front of me.

Lost in thought I feel a pillow hit me square in the face. "Come on! Let's pray" he joked.

"Daddy!" I yelled in partially frustrated and partially joking.

"Okay" I got down by my bedside and kneeled next to him.

"Heavenly Father, I thank you for my daughter..."

*****

Seeing my dad be so full of light really blew me away. I had always wanted my dad to be happy but also to be my dad. Since he's experienced what he's experienced, I can see a total shift in him, and it blew my mind.

'Could that possible happen for me too?' I thought. Lost in thought. I heard something hit my window. I jumped in fright.

What the heck was that?

I pushed my covers back and got out of bed to see what it was. When I came to the window, I pulled the curtains to the side, and I saw milo standing in the yard with a bouquet of roses. Immediately, I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. I grabbed my robe quickly and ran downstairs.

I slid open the sliding door and walked towards it. I had no words after everything today, I was just grateful.

Without saying anything, I hugged him for a long time. After a few minutes, I said "Hi", but it came out a lot softer than I thought it would.

I pulled back from him and looked him full in the face. "Hi" he said, smiling at me and rubbing my chin.