The ambulance sped through the city with its sirens wailing and lights flashing. Cars pulled over to the sides, clearing a path down the middle of the road.
“Dad, please… just hold on. Don’t leave me,” whispered the girl sitting beside the stretcher.
He couldn’t hear her. Instead, he saw another girl—smiling, her eyes glowing with warmth. That light drew him in, pulling him forward. He didn’t resist. He wanted to reach it, melt into it… His body felt weightless, as if it barely existed.
But something held him back, yanking him away from the light. He tried to say, “Let go,” but no words came. Suddenly, a jolt struck his chest, throwing him backward. The girl’s face vanished, the light dimmed, and his body turned heavy, rigid. Do stones feel pain?
Sounds seeped back through the darkness—sobbing, someone calling his name, a firm grip on his hand. He wanted to ask them to release him, to call out for the vanished Emily, but then he plunged into nothingness. No darkness. No existence.
***
The day before
“Dad, can I go to the coast with Olivia and Daisy? Daisy’s relatives have a place down there. I just need money for the train and a bit extra.” Her voice was pleading, almost whiny.
Daniel always knew when she was lying. Sometimes he pretended to believe her—but not today. He set down his newspaper and studied Lily. Yep, lying. Her ears were red, her eyes dodged his, fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of her skirt.
“How long are you planning to stay?” he asked calmly.
“About two weeks,” Lily perked up. “Fresh air, the sea. I’m sick of this grimy city.”
“With Olivia and Daisy, you said?” Daniel repeated.
Hearing the sarcasm in his voice, Lily realised her lie hadn’t worked.
“You’re terrible at lying. I spoke to Daisy’s dad yesterday. They’re heading to the Lake District.”
Lily’s ears weren’t just red—they burned. The flush spread down her neck. She lifted her chin defiantly.
“I knew you wouldn’t let me go with James, so I lied. His aunt actually does live there.”
“You were right. I’m not letting you,” Daniel replied, unshaken. “I get it—young love and all. But is that really enough reason to go off alone with a bloke to the seaside?”
“I love him,” Lily said desperately. Her face paled.
“And does he love you? Love and lust aren’t the same. I know how blokes think. When a lad asks a girl to travel with him, it’s not about romance.”
“So that’s a no?” she challenged.
“Correct. My holiday starts in a month—we’ll go then.”
Lily bit her lip, thinking. Daniel’s chest tightened. She looked just like her mother—same habit when she was upset or unsure. His daughter was all grown up. How could he explain that after so much loss, she was all he had left?
“Dad, please. We’d only be alone on the train. Then we’d stay with his family!” Lily’s eyes pleaded.
“No. If you want, we’ll visit them together next month.”
“I didn’t think you’d be like this,” she snapped. “I could’ve just left without asking. I’m an adult. But I wanted to do it properly.”
“The fact you didn’t sneak off means my opinion matters to you. So listen to it.” He reached for his paper again but didn’t read it.
“Trust me, one day you’ll look back on this differently.”
“Let me go. We love each other,” Lily pressed.
“You might love him. Does he love you? If he did, he wouldn’t push you to lie.”
“You know everything, don’t you? About him, about me? What about you?” She froze, realising she’d crossed a line.
“That’s exactly why I’m saying this. I’ve lived it. Some mistakes haunt you forever.”
“Right. Tell me again how hard it was raising me alone, sacrificing your happiness…” Her voice wavered. “I’m grateful, Dad, but I need to make my own mistakes. Please.” Her brows knitted in desperation.
“No.” He picked up the paper—conversation over.
Lily huffed, spun on her heel, and slammed her bedroom door.
Daniel tossed the paper aside. Who could focus on the news now?
***
How many years had it been? Felt like yesterday he’d convinced Sophie to sneak off to Edinburgh for a weekend. Had she lied to her parents or told the truth? They’d let her go.
The trip had been perfect. They’d returned changed—or so he’d thought. Then Sophie left for London, uni-bound. He stayed, enrolled in engineering school, met Jessica. Lost his head, forgot Edinburgh, forgot Sophie, forgot his promises. No—he’d never said “love.” He remembered that much.
Then Sophie came back. Pregnant. He panicked—not about the baby, but losing Jessica. Sophie showed up at his door straight from the station. He begged her to end it. Rambled about youth, how he wasn’t ready, how it was safe now…
She cried. Twelve weeks along.
“Why wait this long?” he’d yelled. “Twelve weeks is still doable—”
She left. He assumed she’d terminated it—heard nothing for three years. If she’d had the baby, he’d have known. Her parents would’ve hunted him down.
He married Jessica, booked a seaside honeymoon. Then the doorbell rang. He barely recognised her—pale, thin Sophie holding a little girl’s hand.
“Hi,” she forced a smile.
Daniel froze.
“Who is it?” Jessica called from the living room.
He knew she was watching from behind—Sophie’s flinch gave it away. He turned.
Jessica stared at the girl. “Who’s this?”
Sophie’s eyes trembled with pain. Shame burned through him. He hadn’t killed anyone, yet he felt like a criminal caught red-handed.
“We went to school together,” he managed.
Jessica ushered them in. Sophie hesitated, then stepped inside. Daniel spotted a duffel bag. A horrible thought hit him—it was the girl’s things.
“Going somewhere?” he asked, hating his forced casual tone.
“Away. I can’t take her,” Sophie murmured, gaze dropping to the child. “No one can look after her. You’re her father. If I come back… I’ll take her then.”
He wanted to say they were leaving too, but instead: “Where are you going?”
“Far. Her documents are in the bag. Allergies, favourite foods…” She lifted the girl, kissed her, set her down, and left.
“Yours?” Jessica demanded.
“She was supposed to—” Daniel stammered.
The girl cried, realising her mum was gone. He picked her up. Jessica exploded. He pleaded—it happened before they’d met, he hadn’t known… Their new marriage already cracking.
The papers confirmed he was the father. Three days alone with the girl nearly broke him. On the fourth, Jessica returned.
She tried—really tried—to love the quiet, clever child, so like Sophie. A year later, he learned Sophie had died of leukaemia. When Lily turned six, Jessica left. He didn’t stop her. He saw how much it cost her.
***
Daniel went to Lily’s room and told her everything, even as she sat with headphones on, pretending not to listen.
She’d learned about Sophie when Jessica left—the woman she’d thought was her mum. Daniel never hid Sophie’s death.
“I was young, reckless. With Sophie, I rushed. With Jessica, it was real love. Then you dropped into my life—wrong place, wrong time…”
“There’s contraception, you know.” Lily had taken the headphones off by then.
“Yeah. At eighteen, you don’t believe mistakes last forever. Some can’t be fixed. Think about it.” He left her alone.
Next morning, Lily resumed the conversation.
“I’ve thought. You can’t shield me forever. It’s my life. You never remarried because you were scared—scared no one could love me like a real mum. Jessica couldn’t, and that’s why you split. But risks are everywhere. I don’t need to go to the coast to make mistakes. Dad, I’m not your property. Mum would’ve understood…”
“But she’s not here. I’m your father—I know how men think—”
“I’m going. You can’t stop me. I love James. We’ll be fine.” Her voice cracked. She coughed, gasping.
She lunged for the window, shoved it open, and leaned out, gulping air.
For a second, he thought she’d jump. A vision flashed—Lily on the pavement, blood pooling—
“Lily!” He lunged.
Halfway there, searing pain spearedAs he collapsed, clutching his chest, Lily turned and screamed for help, her hands shaking as she dialled 999—realising in that moment just how much she still needed him.
