THE TEACHER

Chapter thirteen

"I'm not sure I should come with you," said Melissa, already rethinking the idea of seeing Lucas Brooks again, especially in such a deep occasion.

She didn't even know if Abigail had alerted him on their relationship, and just then it was hitting her that she had slept with both the father and the daughter, which weirded her out endlessly.

"Mel, please. I need you. If this is the last time I see my father, I want you by my side," begged Abigail.

Reluctantly, Melissa sighed and followed her girlfriend through the glass doors of the hospital, and up to Luke's room.

"I'll just wait here."

"Fine. Don't leave after I walk in, though," softly smiled Abby.

"Never."

Before letting her walk into the room, Melissa placed a kiss on her forehead. Suddenly, Abby's adult spirit had disappeared, and she had the face of a frightened child who was about to see her father for the last time. She looked so innocent, small, and fragile that Melissa was almost scared to let her go all alone.

"Hi," weakly smiled Abigail, in front of the heartbreaking sight of her father lying in front of her, on a hospital bed, barely breathing.

"Hello, honey," he whispered, just loudly enough for Abby to hear. "You didn't have to come here."

"Don't be silly. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to sadden you or make you worry about me. I knew that if I told you I was dying, you'd be so worried and inconsolable. I couldn't hold you back," he explained. "But now this cancer has taken over me, and I had to see your beautiful face one last time."

Already crying, Abby got closer to the bed to hold his hand, and for a moment wished that everything was just a horrible dream, and soon she would have woken up in the real world. She even closed her eyes, but when she opened them again she was still in that hospital room, with her hand intertwined with her father's, and the terrible truth that it was all true.

"I can't lose you, dad. We've spent so little time together, I can't believe that it'll end this soon," she sniffled.

"I know I haven't been around much, but I'm grateful for every single moment we have spent together, even during our arguments. I'm sorry to have ruined our family, and I'm even more sorry to not have been there to see you grow up into the splendid woman you are today," he stated, with his eyes barely open.

"I love you so much."

"I love you as well, and I'm so proud of you."

The journey back to New Jersey was quiet and filled with sadness. Just a few hours after Abby's visit, Luke peacefully passed away in his sleep, leaving Abigail distraught about his death. She kept crying, remembering the sweet moments they had shared over the years, and as soon as they made it back home she just went to sleep without saying anything, overwhelmed by the emotions that she brought back from Nebraska.

The day after, Abby's only thought was to go to the one place that could relieve her stress and worries, and as soon as she woke up she told her girlfriend that she was headed to the pool.

"If you need anything at all, just call me, please."

"I just need to be alone for a little, but I promise I'll be fine."

"Alright."

Abby reached the pool and started swimming without taking any break; in the meantime, Melissa had already called Tina and Jess, to do a little shopping and at the same time see if she could find something to cheer her girlfriend up.