The Demon Inside Me

Chapter 18: The Secret

Flashback

As I rushed down the stairs, my heart raced with panic, "Mom!" I called out desperately, my voice trembling. 

"Mom, where are you?!"

"In the kitchen, sweetheart!" came my mother's cheerful reply. 

I burst into the kitchen, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I scanned the room frantically. My mother stood at the stove, a serene smile on her face as she tended to the sizzling pan before her. "Mom, I..." I began, but my words caught in my throat. 

"Sweety, what's wrong?" My mother's gaze softened with concern as she turned to face me, her hands stilling their movements as she took in my distressed expression.

"I'm going to be late for my law exam," I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips in a rush. "I have to leave now or Mr. Atkinson won't let me in class. I whined."

My father, seated at the kitchen table with his morning newspaper, glanced up at me with a gentle expression. "No need to rush, kiddo," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "Take a deep breath."

I felt a surge of gratitude at my father's words, the tension in my chest easing slightly as his loving presence enveloped me. "Thanks, Dad," I murmured, offering him a grateful smile before hurrying out of the room. 

Father placed a tender kiss on my mother's lips before heading straight for the door. It was a typical display of their affectionate love, one that always grossed me out. 

I smiled at myself. Maybe I didn't hate it that much.  My father's presence was a fleeting luxury in our busy lives; his work often kept him away for long hours, leaving little time for family moments.

As he made his way to the door, I seized the opportunity to spend a few precious moments alone with him. "Dad, when are you going to get some time off work?" I asked, knowing full well that I often used my morning routine as an excuse to snag a ride with him to school, just to have a bit more time together.

His smile was warm. "Soon, darling, but there's something I need to discuss with you. It's important, and your mother can't know."

As we stepped out into the crisp morning air, the sunlight streamed and danced around the canopy of trees. The chirping of birds and the distant hum of traffic filled the air. I slid into the passenger seat of his car, fastening my seatbelt as he settled into the driver's seat. The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with the leather interior enveloped me. A smell that I once forgot.

Forgotten?  A slight sting echoed inside my head, briefly shaking it off. "Dad, when are you going to get some time off work? I miss going on trips with you and mom," I said, unable to resist the urge to sneak in another request for some quality father-daughter time.

His eyes twinkled with amusement as he started the engine, the soft purr of the car filling the air.

"Soon, but there is something I want to talk to you about. Again, your mother can not know."

Despite the seriousness of his tone, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of another adventure with him. "Sure, dad. Are we going somewhere?"

As we sped past my school, questions swirled in my mind like leaves caught in a gust of wind. "Who am I seeing today? Is it that old man?" I asked.

My father's grip on the wheel tightened, his expression growing more serious. "No, darling. This woman is going to protect you. You may not understand me now, but in the future, I want you to know that I did all this to protect you from the council. They can't know about you or me. At least not yet."