Chapter 33

Athy and atheia went to see claude the next day.

"mommy are we going to meet grandpa..?" athie asked and athy gave her a nod.

"grandpa and mommy become friends .?" she asked excited.

"yeah.. Grandpa asked sorry to me so.." athy said and atheia laughed happily..

" see.. I told grandpa you will..." she said and giggled.

"you told him...?"  athy asked confused.

"hmm.. I told him you will forgive him... Mommy is good girl .. like an angel.." she said athy giggled.

" no you are the angel.. Our little kind angel..."

she said as she parked the  car  and undo her seatbelt. She let her down and she ran inside... Everyone in the house stared  at her with heart eyes..

" oh my such a cute child..!! "

"she is so adorable..".

Everyone admired her as athiea talked to everyone in a cheerful tone.. Claude heared giggling sounds and he came out of his room to get tackled by athiea's hug..

He was surprised to see her hugging him and looked up to see athy walking towards him smiling.... He can't believe his eyes and blinked few times to check he wasn't dreaming .

" athanasia..?" he called her  name in a doubtful tone and she smiled at him.

" yes..?" she asked smiling...

"hello grandpa.." athiea said and he looked down at the little human  hugging him and patted her head with a happy smile..

"hello... Athiea.." he said and smiled..

"are you OK..?"

athy asked seeing the tired look on his face.. He looked up and smiled at her. She isn't still used to his smile and stared at him surprised.. He looked like a totally different person.. Less detestable .. He looked weak and tired.. His overlypale dry skin with a light shade of yellow , his chapped lips and lifeless eyes.. Made her feel sad..

" I am OK... I am just surprised to see you two.. Come sit.."

he said as he walked towards the couch holding athiea's hand. The servants bring her usual favourite desserts and tea and milk for atheia.. Athiea savoured the desserts with delight and claude stared at her with a bright smile..

" she is just like you.. Fond of sweet things .." he mumbled and athy giggled.

"she is more fond of them than me..I am worried about her teeth so I won't let her eat much but lucas is spoiling her and letting her eat  secretly .. They think I don't know about them Eating sweets in secret.." she said and he giggled

'I can't believe I am witnessing him smiling and giggling.. I thought it would be awkward and hesitated to meet him even after I entered the house... But our conversation is going unexpectedly smooth.. Life is sure full of unexpected things..' she thought surprised.

"grandpa.. What's there..?" she asked pointing at the other side..

" just some extra rooms... If you want you can check them out.." he said smiling and she started roaming around like she is waiting for him to give permission..

"she is so energetic. " he said and smiled.

"I still can't believe you are here.. Thank you for coming.." he said and smiled.

"actually... I wanted to say  something... I.. Decided to forgive you..." she said and smiled..

Claude stared at her surprised can't believe what he just heared.. His eyes wet from tears..

" but you don't have to.. I am not  someone  worthy of your forgiveness.. "he said and gave a small sad smile..

" nope.. That's mine to decide, whether I forgive you or not.. And I decided to forgive you and I heared everything  from felix.. "she said and he was silent.

" is that why you are forgiving  me...? " he asked and she shook her head as a no.

" may be  that's one of my reasons .. But it's not solely because of that.. It's because you apologised.. I thought I hated you so much.. I hated myself so much.. I was so hurt.. Just thinking about you or looking at you from distance made me think about that night.. But it all gone now... I don't know how.. But I don't felt  that scared  or hurt when I heared your voice yesterday..

I don't even know about your condition that time.. I felt surprised at how is that possible..?! But it did.. And then I heared about  your condition I think the rest of my resentment, hatred towards you crumbled .. I will forgive you.. So you should also Let go off your guilt and live in peace... "

she said and smiled.. Tears dripped down from his eyes and he smiled happily...

" I am still  aware that  I don't deserve this but thank you  .. I suddenly feel like  a huge  pain left my heart.. Thank you.. "

he said and cried.. She stood up and Sat beside him and patted his back while he cried his eyes out.. Her hands halted  after feeling  how fragile  His body felt under her touch .. It's like he will break if she hit him harder.. She felt sorry for him and tears rolled down her cheeks..

Athiea came back and saw both her mom and grandpa crying and ran towards them...she climbed up the couch and hugged claude and athy.

" why are you two crying...?" she said as she also started crying  hugging them.. They hugged her back and the   three cried their eyes out on each other's warmth..

Athiea fell asleep after some time as she got tired from all the cry..athy made her sleep in the bed and tucked her inside the bed sheet..

" it's her first time here.. And I made her cry.." claude said in a sad tone and athy smiled at him..

"it's ok.. She do this from time to time.. Athiea is so soft.. She sometimes cry to sleep.. watching anime" she said and smiled at him..

They went outside to garden for a walk chatting..

"why did you refused to have transplant..?" she asked and he was silent for a while..

" it's suffocating.." he said and she looked up at him.

" huh..?"

"living... I don't want to live long.. That's why.." he said in blank tone...

" you didn't give up even when mom. Died but why now..?" she asked..

" I didn't give up back then.. And I still regret it.." he said with a small smile and she looked at him shocked.

" what..? "she asked

" My life got suffocating and meaningless the moment she left me.. If only I just give up on living this useless life... You wouldn't have grown up with the painful childhood memorise  I gave you.. And my life get just more worse after that.. The pain of losing her got covered by guilt and selfhatred after I did that to you.. It's painful.. To live like this.. "

he said and she felt sad hearing that... Then she  noticed how he still maintain her mom's garden like how it used to be when she was young.. How everything in this house is still the same.. Like when she lived there .. Like how her mom setted up the entire house.. The interior, the servants, the garden ..

' dad was living with so much pain and guilt all his life to the point  he give up on his life... And waiting for his death.. I am not the only one who  got hurt.. I somehow feel like his pain was more than  mine...'

she thought and tears poured  out of  her eyes and claude got panicked.

"wh.. What happen..? why are you crying...?" he asked in a worried tone...

She hugged him tight  and kept crying.. He kept saying sorry while patting her back..she parted after sometime and looked up at him..

"you don't even know why I was crying.. What  are you sorry for..? " she asked

"yeah.. I don't know why you are crying.. I  am sorry for everything.. Don't cry.." he said wiping her cheeks. She kept staring at him for a while.

"dad.."

His hands froze from wiping  and he stared at her surprised.. His heart got overwhelmed with happiness, warmth spread every nook and corner of his body..

" dad.. Stop saying sorry.. I already forgave you , so don't apologise anymore.."

she said sniffing.. He gave her a brightest smile and nodded a yes.

'I can't get used to his smile...' she thought and giggled.

" are you really going to Venice..?" she asked with sad face and they started walking again.

" well.. That's what  I planned on doing.. But then I changed my thought .. This house.. This garden.. Everything was made by diana.. Every room, every walls, every steps.. She used them all .. I decided to stay here where she lived until  I meet her again.." he said staring at the house and the garden..athy smiled at him..

" OK.. That's good... I wanted to invite you stay with us but it feels what you said just now is more meaningful... " she said.

" really..? Thank you for that.. But I Can't stay with you.. But don't take decisions on  your own.. Discuss them with lucas.. Or else you may end up getting into fight with him .. "he said patting  her head..and athy giggled.

" don't worry dad.. Actually we really don't fight that much.. I am the final boss in the house.. " she said proudly and he smiled at her.

" then I am glad..  "he said as they Sat on the tea table in the garden.

" you know what..? if I told him let's go and live in the Mountain he will just follow me without even asking why.. He is older than me but he always listen to me.. "she said and he giggled.

" of course he should listen to you.. I was not sure since he always look grumpy.. Glad to know he is kind to you.. I know how he look at you differently from others but I still had doubts.. "he said and she smiled.

'wow.. If dad and I was in good terms  back then he would have definitely killed lucas other than making him his son in law..' athy thought and gulped.

" I wanted to come along with him  but he  got caught up in work.. I will bring him  tomorrow" she said

"tomorrow..?" he asked tilting his head.

"hmm.. I will Come and visit you every day.." she said and smiled.

" you don't have to.. You are already busy taking care of  atheia.."  he said and she waved her hands as no

"it's no biggie dad.. Athiea's school was on this way.. I will drop by when I came to pick her up.."  she said and he smiled at her happily.

'waah.. So bright he is handsome even though he is sick..' she thought  and smiled..

She stared at him for a while

'his eyes were  on daze whenever there is a pause in their conversation .. He didn't talked much but actively listened when I  talk and he never talked about himself and only asked about me.. Is he still worried about me..? Yeah.. He can't turn into a happy person in a single day because I forgive him.. May be the fact I forgive him may become a new burden for him... He said he didn't worthy of forgiveness... 'she thought staring at him.

"dad.. You know what.. I used to zone out often like you.. I think you already know but I accidentally got pregnant... But I didn't even cared about that... I thought I can raise  her on my own.. But lucas made me realise.. What it means to be a family.. I regretted how my thinking would have snatched the chance of having a loving dad from atheia.. He is the reason I started living again.. He made me  smile.. Tolerated all of my tantrums when I was pregnant .. He made me believe in love  again...

After we got married he never failed to take care of me and always make sure I was fine even though he was already broken to pieces.. He didn't run away and take responsibility and that's how we made our little family.. And I am happy now.. Really happy.. "she said and he smiled hearing her.. A truly satisfied smile..

'yeah.. I am really happy.. Whenever I saw lucas and atheia interact.. The gap in my heart.. Where I yearned for your love got filled with their father daughter moments.. May be that's why I  didn't feel bitter when I heard your voice back then.. The bitter feelings of father  daughter relationship got replaced by my own daughter bonding with her father... I know lucas loves me with all his heart and that feeling overwhelms me in a way that  i started to look  forward to everyday.. A new day. I started feeling  alive.. Feeling loved.. Feeling happy.. I am really happy now .. 'she thought and smiled.. They chatted for a while

"this house was for me..?" she asked and he nodded a yes.

" I thought you gave it for jennete.." she said tilting her head confused.

"I only gave her my company.. Which I thought would be ok since her father was also the heir of obelia.. But this house. And the other properties.. I earned them all .. This house was your mom's favourite.. So if you want.. In future spend some time here.. If you can please take care of  this garden.. "he said in a emotional tone and she smiled nodding a yes..