Read Online Contributor (Contributor Trilogy, book 1) by Nicole Ciacchella - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicole Ciacchella
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gently.
"Yes, yes. I have to." His voice held a slight edge of panic.
"Well, if you're sure..."
"I am." He shook himself visibly, his eyes clearing. "Dara, you're so young."
Puzzled, she studied him. "And?"
"I...I hate to have to ask you this, but...but your mother...I can't...if Magnum decides she needs long-term care—"
"We won't let that happen, Dad. I promise." Dara's voice was soft but firm. She went over to him and took his hand. "You don't have to worry about anything. You couldn't stop me from helping take care of her, no matter how hard you tried."
His face crumpled, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes, and he gave her hand a feeble squeeze. "Thank you, sweetheart. But to burden you with this—"
"It's not a burden, and please don't ever say it is. Really, Dad, I'm serious."
"I'm just so worried about her," he whispered.
The lump in her throat grew so large she could barely speak around it. "Me too."
He gave her hand another squeeze, then turned to pour them some coffee. Dara gratefully took a cup; she feared she'd fall asleep without the jolt. As she picked at her food, she knew she should eat it, that Magnum would frown upon the waste, but she couldn't summon the energy to care. Five minutes later, she scraped their almost untouched plates into the garbage chute.
"Dad, you need to shave."
"What?" he asked, startled. He ran a hand over his jaw and frowned. "I can't believe I forgot about that." He sounded vaguely surprised, as if he was making an observation about a distant stranger.
He headed off to shave, and Dara went to her room to finish getting ready. Try as she might, there wasn't enough makeup in all of Magnum's dome to make her look any less exhausted than she so clearly was, and she gave up after ten minutes of trying to erase the dark circles under her eyes. She smoothed her hair back into a neat knot, deciding her appearance couldn't possibly get any better.
"If you hear anything at all—" she began, as she and her father stood near the door, gathering their things.
"I'll get a message to you immediately, I promise." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"Do you want to walk with me and Jonathan?" He was so distracted, she feared he might end up on the other side of the dome.
"No, no. I need to pick Stephen up. We have a lot to discuss," he replied, referring to one of his colleagues.
"Are you sure?" Though she was relieved he wasn't going to walk to shift alone, her fears had not been allayed. She had never before seen her father so distraught.
"Yes, I am. I know I don't look it, but I promise I can keep it together today, Dara. Your mother needs me." His eyes filled with steely determination.
"All right, Dad. Just...just take it easy today, okay?"
"I'll do what has to be done," he said, by way of answer. "It's what I've always done."
Confused, she looked up at him, but he seemed not to notice. He dropped a kiss on her head and then was gone. Dara still stood in the doorway staring after him when Jonathan arrived.
"Did you get any sleep at all?" he asked, kissing her cheek and looking worriedly into her face.
"Not really." She shrugged listlessly.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Not right now. But thanks." She clasped his hand. He took it between both of his and tucked it into the crook of his elbow.
"Promise you'll get a message to me if you need me," he said, as they walked.
"I will," she promised, though she knew it was a lie. If something happened, she would not trouble him with it—not because she didn't think he would help, but because she was certain he would. Though they loved each other, this problem was hers and hers alone. She would not jeopardize his future, no matter what happened.
"I'll see you after shift," he said, as they entered headquarters. He looked reluctant to leave her there and she put a lot of effort into giving him a fleeting smile.
"I'll see you then."
"We'll go straight to the med center."
She nodded and, with one last, regretful
"Yes, yes. I have to." His voice held a slight edge of panic.
"Well, if you're sure..."
"I am." He shook himself visibly, his eyes clearing. "Dara, you're so young."
Puzzled, she studied him. "And?"
"I...I hate to have to ask you this, but...but your mother...I can't...if Magnum decides she needs long-term care—"
"We won't let that happen, Dad. I promise." Dara's voice was soft but firm. She went over to him and took his hand. "You don't have to worry about anything. You couldn't stop me from helping take care of her, no matter how hard you tried."
His face crumpled, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes, and he gave her hand a feeble squeeze. "Thank you, sweetheart. But to burden you with this—"
"It's not a burden, and please don't ever say it is. Really, Dad, I'm serious."
"I'm just so worried about her," he whispered.
The lump in her throat grew so large she could barely speak around it. "Me too."
He gave her hand another squeeze, then turned to pour them some coffee. Dara gratefully took a cup; she feared she'd fall asleep without the jolt. As she picked at her food, she knew she should eat it, that Magnum would frown upon the waste, but she couldn't summon the energy to care. Five minutes later, she scraped their almost untouched plates into the garbage chute.
"Dad, you need to shave."
"What?" he asked, startled. He ran a hand over his jaw and frowned. "I can't believe I forgot about that." He sounded vaguely surprised, as if he was making an observation about a distant stranger.
He headed off to shave, and Dara went to her room to finish getting ready. Try as she might, there wasn't enough makeup in all of Magnum's dome to make her look any less exhausted than she so clearly was, and she gave up after ten minutes of trying to erase the dark circles under her eyes. She smoothed her hair back into a neat knot, deciding her appearance couldn't possibly get any better.
"If you hear anything at all—" she began, as she and her father stood near the door, gathering their things.
"I'll get a message to you immediately, I promise." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"Do you want to walk with me and Jonathan?" He was so distracted, she feared he might end up on the other side of the dome.
"No, no. I need to pick Stephen up. We have a lot to discuss," he replied, referring to one of his colleagues.
"Are you sure?" Though she was relieved he wasn't going to walk to shift alone, her fears had not been allayed. She had never before seen her father so distraught.
"Yes, I am. I know I don't look it, but I promise I can keep it together today, Dara. Your mother needs me." His eyes filled with steely determination.
"All right, Dad. Just...just take it easy today, okay?"
"I'll do what has to be done," he said, by way of answer. "It's what I've always done."
Confused, she looked up at him, but he seemed not to notice. He dropped a kiss on her head and then was gone. Dara still stood in the doorway staring after him when Jonathan arrived.
"Did you get any sleep at all?" he asked, kissing her cheek and looking worriedly into her face.
"Not really." She shrugged listlessly.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Not right now. But thanks." She clasped his hand. He took it between both of his and tucked it into the crook of his elbow.
"Promise you'll get a message to me if you need me," he said, as they walked.
"I will," she promised, though she knew it was a lie. If something happened, she would not trouble him with it—not because she didn't think he would help, but because she was certain he would. Though they loved each other, this problem was hers and hers alone. She would not jeopardize his future, no matter what happened.
"I'll see you after shift," he said, as they entered headquarters. He looked reluctant to leave her there and she put a lot of effort into giving him a fleeting smile.
"I'll see you then."
"We'll go straight to the med center."
She nodded and, with one last, regretful
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