Jocelyn could feel a subtle shift in Melvin’s demeanor when she mentioned ‘Heaven Lake’.
She cocked her head to the side and looked at him curiously. “What’s up?”
Melvin asked her, “Did Yasmine take you there?”
She knew he was too sharp not to have figured it out.
She nodded.
Seeing his expression darken, Jocelyn quickly added, “Don’t be mad at Yasmine, okay? She told me... your dad, he’s got liver cancer, terminal stage. He doesn’t have much time left. His last wish is to see you.”
“So she asked you to convince me?” There was a noticeable chill in Melvin's voice.
Jocelyn nodded again and hurriedly explained, “I get it, I really do. No one can truly understand what it was like for you back then. So I’m not going to force to go see him.”
Melvin relaxed a little at that.
“I went to see him the other day. He’s just this frail old man now. And seeing him full of regret, I couldn't help but wonder why he had to doubt a woman who loved him deeply, whom he once loved. If he hadn’t, maybe things would have been different for your family.”
Melvin was silent.
Jocelyn leaned against his shoulder, holding his arm. “I'm not asking you to forgive him or to fulfill his last wish. I just hope you can move on, not live in the shadow of past hatred.”
“To put it bluntly, he doesn’t have much time left. When he’s gone, the hate will go with him,” Jocelyn said gently. “I just don’t want you to have regrets once he’s no longer here.”
Melvin scoffed, “How could I?”
“What I mean is, you might regret not getting the answers you've been seeking. Once a person's gone, their words go with them.”
Melvin frowned slightly, his face a picture of seriousness.
Jocelyn patted his back. “Let’s drop the topic for now.”
She was trying to disperse the gloom that seemed to shroud him from the inside.
She could tell that Melvin really hated his father, that he truly didn't want to see him.
Jocelyn wouldn’t press him to go. Loving him meant respecting all his decisions.
To spend the rest of the day, Melvin and Jocelyn decided to go shopping.
Jocelyn wanted to pick up a few things to spruce up their home. Passing by a baby store, she saw a father playfully teasing his son while the mother looked on with a face full of bliss.
Jocelyn’s thoughts drifted to Euston. Castiel hadn’t mentioned anything about him to her lately, and she wondered if they were getting along well.
Pulling Melvin along, she caught him also watching the playful father and son. She knew he must be thinking of his own dad.
Family bond is something never to be broken, after all.
Even though it was hatred that seemed to hold their relationship together now, who could say what feelings might emerge once that hatred was gone with the passing of his father?
Melvin didn’t linger on the scene, and they continued their stroll. As the afternoon waned and they were about to head home, Daisy called and invited them over for dinner. Jocelyn accepted.
But on the way back, Yasmine called with bad news - her father Brighton Martinez was fading fast.
Jocelyn noticed that upon hearing the news, Melvin’s face betrayed no emotion, which worried her.
“Do you want to go see him?” she asked.
After a deep breath, Melvin gripped the steering wheel tighter and finally turned the car around.
They arrived at Haven Nursing Home soon. As they got out of the car, Jocelyn held Melvin’s hand tightly. His whole body was tense.
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