Where It Leads Us

Chapter Forty-nine

My dad returned to work right away after they were discharged from the hospital, despite the occasional excruciating sensation that makes him pause amid the stack of papers he had taken home from his office.

Sometimes, when I would take a break from studying late into the night and catching up on my homework, I'd find him still working. On occasion, he would doze off on the couch in the living room while documents were strewn on the coffee table.

Mom got the rest she needed and is now gradually regaining her strength. When he isn't busy calling his colleagues for updates about the cases they've been working on, Dad would usually bring her breakfast in bed.

The instant I woke up, I made my way down the stairs as I slide by the kitchen counter, seeing my dad preparing breakfast again, "Hey kiddo, want some pancakes?"

I rest my chin on my hand as I watch him mix the pancake batter, "Sure."

Christmas break is a few days away. After a long time, it would be our first Christmas spent together. Before, even though I insisted, Mom doesn't want to spend money on presents and ingredients for a big feast, so we often don't celebrate the holiday. Frequently, we would go to my aunt's house to celebrate or she would stay with us the whole break, allowing us to celebrate as I assisted her in preparing our feast and gift buying.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him as I watch him hurriedly grab some non-stick pan from the cabinet and butter from the refrigerator.

He gave me a look before slicing a butter, turning the stove on as he placed the pan on top, and waited for the pan to heat up before tossing the butter to melt.

"I'm doing great," He says as he continues to mix the batter before pouring it into the pan, "You? How's school?"

I shrugged, "It's good. I was able to catch up with what I've missed," I said as he nodded his head, looking at me smiling.

"That's great, kid," he says, adjusting the fire of the stove and placing a lid on top of the pan.

I made him a cup of black coffee as I circled the counter to assist him in preparing breakfast. I took a mug out of the cabinet and handed it to him after pouring the coffee into it. "Shouldn't you be resting more instead of working so late?"

He took the mug from me, thanking me before taking a sip, and says, "I wish I could but there's an important case that was assigned to me that I have to report to as soon as possible."

My eyebrows draw together in curiosity, "Do you really have to? Can't they wait until you've fully recovered?" I asked as he shakes his head.

"The family relative of the people who were involved in the case wanted it to be solved, and it's a cold case that my people and I need to get through."

I gave a quick head nod and asked no more. Since it is a personal matter unrelated to me, I was aware that I wouldn't be able to extract much information from him either.

I have always appreciated the way he goes about his job and the amount of attention he puts into each case. I knew he enjoyed every aspect of his career, even if I came to despise it and how it had previously absorbed his attention more than anything else, which was one of the reasons why he also left.

He appeared to place more importance on his work than anything else. Although, lately I've observed him making an effort to maintain balance around the house by acting like the devoted father that he should be and taking care of us as he promised, which he eventually did, as he told me he would.

After he cooked some pancakes, I promptly ate them before heading upstairs to my room to get ready to leave for school. As I was getting ready, I noticed and hear the vibration of my phone on my nightstand and saw a message from Lauren asking if she could hitch a ride.

I agreed right away since I couldn't say no to her. As soon as I was ready, I yelled for Jonathan to come and just meet me outside.

"Okay!" He shouted back from his room as I bent down to grab my backpack from the floor, under my working table.

I notice the note in my drawer, which I had left open, as I took the car key that was on the table. I stared at the note with a heavy sensation creeping over me. I closed the drawer, brushed the emotion aside and the note at the back of my mind where it should be, and went down the stairs as I stepped out of the house.

***