Chapter 9 - THE MAN WHO CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD
The call arrived on a rainy Tuesday.
Sarah sounded breathless.
“Elena, we found him.”
Elena gripped the phone.
“Who?”
“Your father.”
The room seemed to disappear.
“He's alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“In a long-term care facility outside Montreal.”
Elena sat down.
She couldn't breathe.
Sarah continued.
“He has neurological injuries. His memory has improved over time, but he still needs assistance.”
Elena covered her mouth.
“Can I see him?”
“Yes.”
Two days later, Elena traveled to Canada with Sarah.
Dante offered transportation.
Elena declined.
He accepted her decision.
At the facility, a nurse led Elena into a quiet room.
A man sat beside the window.
His hair was gray.
His shoulders narrow.
His hands trembled slightly.
He looked up.
Elena stopped breathing.
She recognized his eyes.
“Dad?”
The man stared.
His lips parted.
“Elena?”
She began crying.
He slowly stood.
“My little girl?”
She crossed the room.
He wrapped his arms around her.
For thirteen years, Elena had imagined what she would say if she ever saw him again.
Now she could only repeat one word.
“Dad.”
Thomas held her tightly.
“I'm sorry.”
She shook her head.
“You came back.”
His voice broke.
May you like
“I tried.”
And in that quiet room, a daughter finally found the father she had never stopped missing.
