FATHER ALWAYS SMILING

Chapter 18 ~~~~~~~

WARNING!!!

This chapter includes mention of Sexual Assault, domestic abuse/child abuse if this is something that causes issues then please don't read this chapter!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you feeling a bit better now, Miss Ortiz?" Alastor asked as her cries slowly petered out. She had yet to lift her face from his chest. Yet, she did not move. "Miss Ortiz?"

"I ruined your vest... and tie... and shirt..." she muttered in his chest, where she could feel the vibration from his chuckle.

"I don't think tears could destroy clothing unless they were made of paper. It's alright, Miss Ortiz, what you did was healthy. Trying to suppress what you feel is never good. I'm glad you let it out."

She still didn't move her face from his chest and just continued to hug him. And as if he had read her mind once again.

"I won't think of you any less if you're face is red and puffy from crying either." She twitched but still didn't move, yet she then felt his chin rest on top of her head as he began to rub her back and started humming. Whether it was his intention or not, the man was making her feel a heck of a lot younger than she was. It was a bit embarrassing.

What made this even more embarrassing was that her Dad would, and had, done something like it whenever she broke down like this when she was little. Where all Dad's like this or just the ones she knew?

When she finally moved away, she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye while he silently smiled down at her.

"I'm sorry..."

"What are you apologizing for?" Elain didn't say anything as her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. "You know, I believe you still have that cake waiting to be finished. Why don't we head back down to the kitchen?"

"Sure," she said in a very soft voice as they went to stand, leaving his office to head back down into the kitchen. And when she tried the cake again, she found that even though it didn't taste any different, it somehow felt different to her, regardless of how small.

This started to make her rethink about going to therapy now after speaking with Alastor.

"How does it taste?" he asked her.

She smiled, one that felt real for the first time in a long while. "It's good."

Afterwards, when Alastor cleaned up he looked to his pocket watch then asked. "Why don't we go for a bit of a walk? There's still some time before I need to go and pick Amalie up from school."

Elain was a little confused by this suggestion. "Uh, sure? I guess."

Alastor's smile grew at that. "Wonderful, there's a place that I think you'd like, it's a trail that I've walked countless times, both with Amalie and alone. It's a wonderful place that can make you feel calm. Not to mention with the trees are very beautiful."

That did sound nice.

But why would he even offer to do something like that for her anyway? They didn't know each other all that well, and he was probably a very busy man, he was a single parent and

already had his hands full. She didn't want to add more stress or burden him even further.

"It's alright you know," he said suddenly. "Amalie doesn't get out of school until three, there's plenty of time to walk around for a bit before I need to pick up Amalie."