Rainbows & Promises

09| Promise?

Dabbing her tears away, Aurora hurried off to the church, keeping her gaze low and avoiding looking up. It was a pang in her heart to see her mom weeping in secret for the man she loved. And it hurt watching Sofie and Noah shed tears over her dad. Joseph, her old man, had another heart attack yesterday, landing him in the ICU.

Right after she'd hung out with Chase that night, she got a call from Noah saying their dad was in the hospital, complaining about some chest pain. But when the doctor let them know it was a heart attack, it stunned everyone.

Since then, Noah and she have been taking turns at the hospital. At the start, it was a struggle to share a room with her dad. It'd been years since they'd had a proper chat. Even when he moved back to the city, they hadn't really talked. It hurt to see the love he was showering on Noah.

A bit of envy crept in—real envy for her half-sibling.

Still, Noah was trying to talk to her like a regular person. But she'd kept him at arm's length too, thinking he might hurt her like others had.

After heaps of talk with her mom, she'd slowly let her guard down with Noah. He was a good boy. Aurora could see he was trying to earn her trust, which she appreciated.

Once she started feeling comfortable with him, Aurora started opening up to him bit by bit, bringing happiness to Noah's face. He understood that she needed time to let him in. And he was willing to wait. This past week had brought them a bit closer.

Aurora heard from her mom that Noah had even threatened some guy who tried to make a pass at her, making her smile.

He was looking out for her, and that made her feel good.

Aurora had a sense of happiness. She was starting to accept Noah as her brother. She had a tendency to overthink things, and she'd promised herself that she wouldn't overthink accepting Noah as her brother. And from the day Noah came to the city, he was nothing but a caring brother to her. Of course, it's a bit irritating as well. But that's what will happen when you have a brother.

She'd started chatting with Sofie more too. Like she'd said before, Sofie was a good person, loving Aurora like her own daughter. All she needed to do was talk to her dad and, at least, act naturally around people.

Things were looking up. But now, with her dad laid up in a hospital bed, it felt like happiness was a mirage—to show her what it could be.

Watching everyone in the hospital cry for her dad left her emotionally drained. She tried her best to hold everyone else up. But when she needed a bit of comfort, no one was there. She knew Lilly and Willow had headed back to their ends, so she didn't tell them about her dad. She didn't want them fussing over her; she didn't want to cause them bother.

She could've gone to her mum, but the old woman was in no shape to console her daughter. That's why she left the hospital and came here to gather herself. Aurora told herself not to cry, but on the tram, the tears just rolled down. The memory of walking around the city with her dad brought tears to her eyes.

Even thinking about it now set her off.

She sat in a pew, shutting her eyes to stop the tears. It hurt her fiercely to think about the memories she held dear.

Aurora jolted a bit when a finger brushed away a tear. She opened her eyes, coming face to face with those deep green eyes—the thoughts of him that kept her sane these last few days. He knelt near her pew, giving her a small smile.

"Hey," Chase whispered, his voice carrying a gentle tone, as he wiped away another tear that had slipped down. "You alright, darlin'?"

Aurora nibbled her lower lip, fighting back the urge to break into sobs. His words were precisely what she needed to hear. The sight of this young man stirred a longing within her, a desire to lean on his shoulder and find solace. Yet she was determined not to appear fragile before him, not wanting to burden the person who had come to enjoy their time together. Then, instead of revealing her true emotions, she chose to lie.