Ocean Eyes

c h a p t e r e i g h t e e n

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked again.

Dad looked into the distance as he hesitantly said :

"I'm fine."

Those words were the first to be uttered in a seemingly long time.

After barging into the house in the crazy state my dad was in, I didn't really believe him.

His bloodshot eyes, his disarrayed hair, his -

Hell, he looked awful.

I gave him a concerned look as his brown tainted eyes met mine.

He was a mess.

He was restless to tell me something about... mom.

His eyes widened with panic; in fear of not being able to ever find another time to talk about this matter.

It took me a good ten minutes to convince him to wash his face off and sit down on the couch so he can take his mind off the subject that made his body tremble.

Now that he's finally sitting and seems more at rest, he looks... lost.

As if he doesn't know where to start in this big mess.

My arms were resting across my chest as I waited patiently.

What could possibly disturb him to the point of mania?

I was woken from my revery as a sigh reverberated in the empty, silent room.

He laughed.

A laugh laced with surprise, a laugh laced with fatigue.

" I guess I should start from the very beginning," he started.

His voice was hoarse and rough, like sandpaper smoothing the edges of hardwood.

I was leaning against the wall as I was looking at Dad attentively.

In fear that he is going to break.

" Jane was a woman like no other. It felt that we were both made for each other," he started.

Silence enveloped the room once again.

I sat myself down on the couch, keeping eye contact whilst doing it.

" Turns out we were actually made for each other."

He said it so quietly that I thought I imagined it.

I scowled in confusion.

A few moments past.

"What do you mean?"

His eyes finally met mine.

No emotions were present on his expression.

No love.

No sadness.

No warmth.

No cold.