Chapter fourteen

"The Letter"

They both sat in comfortable silence for some time. Both steeling glances at the other when they thought that the other part wasn't looking. When their gazes met they smiled at one another but didn't say anything. After a while he asked her in a low voice "What happened on the ship?"

Sasha took a deep breath and answered in the same low voice "Well, I watched you go off the ship and when I went to my room, I slipped and fell down the stairs." She said sheepishly.

"You fell down the stairs? Doesn't sound like you. What happened really?" Tom asked.

"Like I said, I went down to my room and fell" Sasha replied again. But seeing him with an annoyed look on his face she continued "Okay, I slipped because I couldn't see the steps. Because … because there were tears in my eyes. You're happy now?"

Tom looked at her in disbelief. She had tears in her eyes? Why? Because of him? He blurted out that he loved her and she left him without any word. So could it be that she still loves him? He asked himself. Tom took Sasha's hand in his and led it to his mouth. Pressing a gentle kiss to her palm. "No, I'm not happy Sasha. I don't want you to get hurt. What if you have slipped and broken your neck? I don't want to loose you again. Please be careful the next time. Promise."

Sasha was overwhelmed hearing him to confess he loved her for the second time on the same day. She only smiled at him and hoped he would see that she cared about him as well as he did with her. But she couldn't say anything to him. She wasn't ready to confess her feelings to him.

Sasha woke up a little bit later not realizing that she had fallen asleep a while ago. She looked around the plane. Tom's kids were still sleeping, so were Miller and Green in their beds next to her. She looked on the left side and saw Tom resting his head on her mattress, still holding her hand in his. Sasha would have given everything to ran her other hand through his hair but with the loop she couldn't do it. Therefore she enjoyed the feeling and his company and watched him sleeping. His features were relaxed. Her thoughts went to the previous night.

Flashback

After she came back from the mess with a bottle of water in her hands, she found the letter. Curious who wrote her a letter and about its content, she opened it and began to read

Dear Sasha,

perhaps you are questioning yourself why I would write you a letter. The first time I saw you, was at the airport in St. Louis after my Dad came to the plane and got us out of Shaw's claws. The next time I saw your picture in his wallet and then when you came to take us back to the ship.

As I told you, my Dad talked about you when I showed him the picture. He told me that you were his student at the Naval Academy and he was your teacher. At the beginning you were only his student but at some point he saw you with other eyes (his exact words). When he talked about you on that afternoon in Greece, his eyes were shining and there was a sparkle in them I hadn't seen for quite a while. When I remember correctly the last time I saw that expression of hope and love was the day my Dad said his goodbyes to my Mom and went to the ship to get ready for the Arctic.

I heard you and Azima talking in the shower. And Azima said, that when we see the glow of his eyes every time he looks at you, we would do everything to make our Dad happy. And Azima is right. We would do everything. He did so much for us the last 20 months...

Our Dad was so devastated when he got to us the other day in St. Louis. It was like he was a robot. He got us something to eat or drink, he went with us to get some things. But he wasn't there like we were used to. He was in a really bad mood. He had to deal with our nightmares which wasn't that simple for him. I think we went away because everything reminded him about the things and persons we lost. So we ran away. But running away wasn't bringing our Dad back to us.

When we arrived at Yaya's and Alex's house we felt welcomed. Both of them were like Grandparents to Sam and me. They took us into their arms, they laughed with us. Laughing at that point wasn't something we did that much like we were used to before the pandemic. Dad always had a joke on his mind and made us laugh with simple things back in the day. But not since Grandpa died. Sometimes Alex could bring him to laugh or when Sam tried to explain to him something and gotten everything wrong. His laugh is music to our ears because he does it so rarely.

Well, Dad had a girlfriend, Cali. We didn't like her that much. She was selfish and sometimes we had the feeling that she didn't like us. She wanted Dad for herself. But she changed Dad in a positive way. He was getting more and more to his old self. He laughed more but not so much we were used to. His mood was better at times. But his eyes were still blank. There was no fire in them but he got along. He helped Alex as a fisherman and helped to fix the house. But he is still not at the point were he was when he left for the Arctic.

And then I saw you at Yaya's place and his eyes were following you. And there it was, the fire, my old Dad. He is so in love with you, Sasha. Although I'm only 12 nearly 13 years old, I can tell if he is in love with another woman or not. He was definitely not in love with Cali. But he is with you. He looks at you with longing and love in his eyes like he used to do with my Mom.

You told Azima that Sam and I have to be his priority. That there couldn't be us and you. You were afraid that we don't like you.

I appreciate it very much, that you make us his priority and that you would rather be alone than with him if it means he had to decide between you or us.

So to answer your fears: WE LIKE YOU. And we like you even more when you make our Dad happy.

I know I can't force you to love my Dad. But I want you to consider to give him another chance. To show you that he is worth it. It's okay when you come to the conclusion that he isn't worth it, but you tried and that is the main issue. Right?

We will be leaving early tomorrow to get to the plane. Dad said something that we have to see the President first when we come home. After that we will go to the house and see if we can live there. So when you will arrive in St. Louis we might be not at the house. Therefore please don't think that we are on the run again. Just find us.

In hope we can see us in three weeks,

Ashley

Sasha was shaking and crying and had to read the letter multiple times. It was too overwhelming. She hadn't expected such a letter from a 12 year old kid. There was a lot of Tom Chandler within his daughter.

Her thoughts wandered to him and their conversation some hours ago. "Why was I so annoyed at him earlier in the day?" She asked herself. "Is Azima right about me thinking too much? Why can't I accept the fact that he had to move on with someone else so he could heal? Why does it hurt so much seeing him with another woman? Not only with Cali but with Lucia too. Lucia was so angry at him and wanted revenge for what he did. What had he done to her?" Sasha was convinced that he had slept with her. The way Lucia looked at him at the Colosseum said enough. "Did he really made love to her? Was it only a game for him?" Sasha's eyes looked down at the letter again.

Her thoughts swirled around her head and one in particular: Why does it hurt so much seeing him with another woman? A little voice broke through her thoughts and said "Because you love him and you don't know how to handle the situation. You are too afraid of the future."

"Oh shut off" Sasha tried to silence the little voice inside of her and the thoughts which let her come to the conclusion that she couldn't run from her destiny.

End Flashback

Looking at his sleeping form Sasha realized that she really couldn't run from her destiny. She loved him.