Kalt
let the rain wash away
It isn’t long before she starts to stir. I knew it wouldn’t be, but it was so second nature to bring her inside that I didn’t even think about it.
Theea blinks up at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused and searching, and I stay quiet, letting her gather her surroundings as she comes back to consciousness. It takes a moment before she lands on me, and I give her a crooked smile when she finally does.
“Dad!” She says, surging upward. I wrap her in a tight hug, shifting to the side slightly so the position isn’t quite as awkward for either of us.
“I’m here,” I whisper, one hand gently strumming up and down her spine. I force myself to look up at the feeling of her tears against me, of the tremors through her body, threaten to bring my own again. I wonder when the shock of the passage of time will wear off—if it ever will…
“I’m sorry,” she weeps. My brow furrows, but I don’t let go of her for as long as she needs it. “I’m so sorry. I tried, I tried—”
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I push a slow breath through my lips. “Deep breaths, Theea,” I tell her, slowing the way I move my hand over her back to a pace that she can follow. “What do you have to be sorry for?”
Theea blinks up at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused and searching, and I stay quiet, letting her gather her surroundings as she comes back to consciousness. It takes a moment before she lands on me, and I give her a crooked smile when she finally does.
“Dad!” She says, surging upward. I wrap her in a tight hug, shifting to the side slightly so the position isn’t quite as awkward for either of us.
“I’m here,” I whisper, one hand gently strumming up and down her spine. I force myself to look up at the feeling of her tears against me, of the tremors through her body, threaten to bring my own again. I wonder when the shock of the passage of time will wear off—if it ever will…
“I’m sorry,” she weeps. My brow furrows, but I don’t let go of her for as long as she needs it. “I’m so sorry. I tried, I tried—”
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I push a slow breath through my lips. “Deep breaths, Theea,” I tell her, slowing the way I move my hand over her back to a pace that she can follow. “What do you have to be sorry for?”
all the pain of yesterday
