The girl rested her head on my chest, seeking a hug, which I obviously gave her. Gently, I ran my hand through her hair, giving her as much affection as I could. It was the least I could offer at that mont.
Suddenly, the door opened, and a boy who looked about 11 or 12 walked into the store, eager for so candy. I was about to help him, but the girl stepped in, surprisingly taking over the task with a calmness I hadn't expected.
Despite her movents being a bit hesitant and her hands trembling slightly, focusing on the job seed to ease so of the tension weighing on her shoulders. Each order, each exchange with the custor seed to gradually pull her away from the fear that was suffocating her.
"You did really well," I praised her as soon as the boy left, the doorbell ringing as he departed.
"Thanks," she replied sweetly, accepting my affection with a small smile. "But it's nothing special, I just did my job like always."
"Well, you deserve to be praised every day for doing your job so well." I patted her hair again. "How are you feeling?" I asked, keeping my tone light, almost casual, trying not to overwhelm her.
She bit her lower lip, looking away towards her parents before lowering her head, clearly shaken. The silence that followed was heavy, filled with unspoken words. Her eyes wavered, and after a long mont, she whispered, her voice trembling and fragile:
"Can you save ?"
Those few words seed to drain the last of her energy, as if she was forcing herself to say sothing she didn't quite know how to express.
I didn't need any more details. Not at that mont. I knew the last thing I should do was press her to talk about what was troubling her.
"I've got this." I held her hand firmly, trying to convey all the strength I could, assuring her that sohow, I'd help her.
For now, what she needed was the assurance that she wasn't alone. I had no idea what the whole problem was, but I'd be by her side.
Ti is cruel and always marches on relentlessly. Looking at the clock, I felt the tension rise, as it was Eva's lunch break. She was counting on , and I was weary of feeling inadequate. My shyness and insecurities closed in around , making the mont feel heavier and more uncertain.
I took a deep breath. I wouldn't let that girl down. Face-to-face with that angry look, with those gray hairs and a stern expression, I had no idea what to say, but I stepped up.
"Let's go. I know a really nice place nearby, it's a good restaurant," I said as naturally as possible.
"What do you an, 'we'? Just get out of the way, I want to talk to my daughter alone. For starters, who are you to her?"
My heart raced uncontrollably; as usual, just one person raising their voice was enough to intimidate , but in this case, being a coward wasn't an option.
"I'm her boyfriend," I lied once again.
Eva seed surprised, but when faced with her parents' inquisitive looks, she just nodded. Holding my hand tightly, she was determined to trust at that mont.
That said, Eva's intimidating father didn't seem at all inclined to accept around. Of course, I wasn't about to give up that easily. After a heated argunt that seed endless, he finally relented, realizing I wasn't going anywhere. In the end, if he wanted to talk to Eva, it would be with there too.
The whole situation was really scary; inside, I felt insecure and terrified, but responsibility pushed to keep going. I temporarily closed the store and guided the two of them to a nearby fast food place, not just any fast food, but one with pretty diocre fries.
I had originally planned to go to a restaurant, but I was too irritated with that stubborn old man and decided to go sowhere with crappy food. Yes, it was childish, but who cares.
I hurriedly ordered food for everyone, grumbling under my breath about having to pay for it all. I really didn't want to argue, though, so I just went along with it. With Eva helping carry the trays, we returned to the table, where the couple was already seated, their sour faces making it clear they weren't pleased.
I sat down and had the brief pleasure of seeing the man's discontent as he ate a soggy, greasy fry. I knew that place wouldn't let down.
That said, all good things co to an end, and my happiness was cut short when he opened his mouth to speak.
Soon, the father started his lecture, scolding Eva for leaving ho. I understood why he was angry; after all, she had worried them a lot, but...
"Just out of curiosity, why are you here?" I interrupted the man's irritated speech.
"Isn't it obvious? To talk to my daughter." He gave a look full of hatred that almost made lose my confidence and stay silent.
"At any point today, did you actually look at her?" My words were harsh, carrying a genuine anger I was starting to feel. "Did you co here to vent your frustration or to try to understand her? If all you want to do is yell and let out your anger, let's go. If you want to understand her, start by looking your daughter in the damn eyes. Can't you see she's..."
I couldn't finish the sentence; the right words just wouldn't co, or maybe I thought saying more than that was unnecessary. Either way, I vented my anger and said what I needed to say. After that, I looked at the man firmly while he seed to prepare for another long argunt.
"Dad, please, could you...," Eva tried to intervene, her voice trembling. Luckily, this attempt was enough for him to finally look at her properly, noticing how much his daughter was shaking with fear. It was clear he had gone too far.
anwhile, the elegant lady next to him — completely the opposite of her loud companion —watched everything in silence. Her expression was perfectly serene, revealing little emotion.
"Alright, I'll save the lecture for another ti..." The man reluctantly admitted so fault, stepping back a bit and allowing Eva at least to breathe. However, he seed ready to say sothing more serious, but I interrupted him before he could continue.
"And by the way, do you want to know what she's been up to? How she's doing? Maybe talk about the ga last night? I don't know if you watch basketball, but it was an amazing ga."
I was really getting annoyed with how little they cared about being parents, seeming only interested in giving a lecture and then controlling Eva in one way or another.
In response to what I said, at least sothing changed. They finally seed to realize and put on a smile, trying to actually talk to their daughter. The situation was still uncomfortable, no doubt, but at least there was so dialogue.
Her mother, unexpectedly, ntioned she was taking an online philosophy course, sothing she found surprisingly fun. The father, though quieter, asked a few questions here and there. Eva, still a bit unsure, started to relax little by little and, to my surprise, spoke excitedly about her recent attempt to start a YouTube channel.
But for what?
Her father quickly ruined the pleasant mont, making it clear that, in his opinion, that idea had no future. And that's when he launched into his endless, tireso speech about responsibility, finishing with the old demand that Eva give up her "fantasies" and focus on getting a "proper" college degree.
As he spoke, Eva squeezed my hand tightly, but this ti, she wasn't trembling as much. In her gaze, which had once seed fragile, there was now a fla of unwavering determination.
"Dad, I want to be a singer and do...," Eva's voice gradually faded, and her last words were almost inaudible, but they clearly expressed her desire: "I don't want to go ho."
"You didn't hear , this is a waste of ti, you're going to..."
"That's enough." I stood up, pulling Eva close. "Have you ever thought about actually listening to the people around you? You don't have to agree, but at least listen, idiot."
"Of course I listened, but there's no reason to take teenage illusions seriously."
"Seriously, did you really listen? Then do you know what your daughter's future plans are?" I then looked at the stoic lady. "And more, do you have any idea what your wife thinks about this? If she thinks anything, since she seems so quiet, like an accessory. You know, ma'am, we're talking about your daughter. I think you should get a little more involved."
Annoyed, I took Eva and left, ignoring their complaints. I was done dealing with them, so we ran away from that place. Of course, the future would still be there, but for now, I decided to handle things that way.
Once we were far enough, I stopped and let the girl go, apologizing for acting impulsively. But before I could continue apologizing, she placed her index finger on my lips, telling to be quiet. Then, her angelic voice reached my ears:
"Thank you."
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