Safe Haven

Self-doubt

The next morning she woke up in Hailey's arms. Her dad was still sitting in the chair. He's sleeping. His face rested on the mattress and one hand gripped Charlie's arm.

Reluctantly, she gripped her father's hand. Jay groaned wearily and looked into her brown eyes, "Hey, how are you?" He asked worriedly.

"Better," she whispered ..

"I'm so sorry Charlie!" Jay said, "I should never have lied to you, but I did because I didn't have the heart to tell you the truth. I wanted to give you a good life without all of these questions. And what happened there I..."

"Daddy?" She interrupted her father, "I love you!"

Despite his sadness and reproaches that plague his conscience, Jay smiled, "I love you too, honey!"

"What happens now?" Charlie asked quietly. She was so gullible, went with a stranger and actually expected a sermon from Jay.

"We are all here for you. Whatever you need, just ask. Together we can do it," Jay said softly.

"Okay," she sniffed, "I want all of this to be over. I finally want to go home."

"I'm talking to Natalie. Iit might be good if you talked to a psychologist about it," Jay said. Back then, after the bank robbery or his injury, he never thought it necessary to see a psychologist for Charlie, but after that he only wanted the very best for his child.

"I just want to go home," she whined, "Please."

He spoke to Natalie and he was allowed to take Charlie home late in the evening. Before that, she should talk to a psychologist - alone.

While Charlie disappeared into her room, Jay was standing in front of the bathroom mirror. His guilty conscience still troubled him. He felt he had really failed. He was unable to protect Charlie from such an act. If he had never lied to her, Charlie would never have had this terrible experience.

Angrily, Jay hit the mirror, the edge of which shattered into small pieces. With his other hand, he quickly gripped the injured one. Here and there was a small shard in it. He slipped a towel around his injured bloody hand. For some reason, however, he had to feel this pain. No matter whether Charlie is his daughter or not, no child should find itself in this situation. Slowly, Jay slid down, leaned against the bath wall, and let his tears run free. His life shattered like the mirror in several small parts.

"Jay?" Hailey asked gently, kneeling down in front of her boyfriend, "Hey it's okay. Nobody blames you for that. "

"I didn't notice," Jay muttered.

"I was also in the pictures. We all didn't notice anything. He probably would have caught Charlie either way. As much as we wish to protect our children, we cannot be everywhere," said Hailey, sitting next to Jay and holding her friend's uninjured hand.

"You are not responsible for her,"

"Oh, because I never adopted her? Charlie is like a daughter to me," said Hailey. The intelligence investigated in the case of stalking. However, the man became aware of Charlie's internet entry several weeks ago and has been watching her since. Finally he contacted Charlie a few days ago.

"It wasn't meant like that. As a father I would have..." Jay said and was interrupted by Hailey, "It doesn't matter if mother, father, aunt. Jay, we all didn't notice anything. We were all partially photographed in the pictures. Neither you nor Charlie is to blame. I understand that as a father you want to protect your child. You won't help your daughter if you sit here and break the mirror. Be there for Charlie. She needs you now more than anything else in the world." Hailey got up, disinfected, and bandaged Jay's hand.

Days passed. Jay sat on the couch and flipped through an old photo album. Charlie's birthday party, kite flying, Charlie climbing, vacation in North Wisconsin, Charlie's first day at school, Charlie as a flower girl...

He sighed sadly. How quickly time flies. He remembered their first meeting as if it were yesterday. There was something strange about this girl. And he didn't regret for a second that he adopted her. Charlie was a halstead.

His eyes wandered to the wall next to the television. Her drawing was still visible and put a smile on his face. His little girl. At that time she was still very dependent on him. And now she only needed him to get to school or friends.

"Everything good with you?" Charlie asked gently when she noticed that a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Yeah," he breathed out, "I only remembered the day you painted my wall."

"I can continue painting if you want." She grinned and sat on the couch with her dad.

"We had many moments togehter," she murmured as she looked at a picture of her and her father, she falling around his neck.

"You know Charlie, I love you very much. And no matter what happens, just remember what I taught you," Jay said.

"Never go with strangers," she swallowed hard.

"Much more than that, okay?" He exhaled.

"Dad, did you hit the mirror with your fist?" Charlie asked worriedly. She had noticed the bandage around his hand for days, but there was also no mirror in the bathroom. "Is it because of me?" Charlie asked before Jay could say anything.

He sighed, "I was a little angry with myself." He looked at the mural again before pulling himself up, "Shall we go have an ice cream together?"

Charlie nodded in agreement and followed her dad. The trip to the favorite ice cream parlor was quiet. They hardly talked to each other. Charlie noticed that something was wrong with her father. He was never so funny and absent-minded. Perhaps he was still blaming himself, although she often said that she was not angry with him. Maybe he just didn't know how to deal with the new situation. He's just supposed to be her dad.

"Dad, are you all right?" She asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he nodded.

"You know I'm not blaming you," said Charlie.

"Charlie, I'm fine, really." Jay said, "I just want to have ice cream with my daughter."

"Good, because I don't like it when you're sad," said Charlie.

Every now and then she looked worriedly at her father. Something was bothering him. His behavior was just not normal. After their ice cream, they went for a walk through the park on Navy Pier. They had been sitting on a bench for a long time now. Jay kept looking at his smartphone and checking the time.

It was a mystery to Charlie why they didn't go on.

"Do you still want to meet your mom?" Jay asked after a while.

"I don't think she wants to get to know me. Let alone that we find her." Charlie said.

"I promised you," Jay said.

What do you think? Did Jay find her mom? How will the first encounter be? Why do you think she abandoned Charlie?