Chapter 52
“Hello?” A sleepy voice came through the phone, and that’s when Sophia suddenly snapped out of it, remembering that the time zone here was different from back home.
She meant to say she had dialed the wrong number and to let Haley get back to sleep, but before she could speak up, Haley was already sitting up, concerned, asking her, “Sophia, what’s wrong? Did something happen for you to call so late?”
“No, I dialed by mistake,” Sophia quickly reassured, “Sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s alright, as long as you’re okay,” Haley replied with a sigh of relief, now fully awake and ready to chat, “How’s it going over there? Settling in okay? Got enough dough? Do you need me to send you some extra cash?”
“No need, Dad, I’m good. I’m getting along well here, and my classmates are super nice to me, don’t worry about me,” Sophia said softly, comforting him, “But now that I’m not there, make sure you take care of yourself and don’t skimp on good food.”
“Don’t worry, I’m doing great,” Haley said with a chuckle, putting her at ease, “Just today I was talking about you with your brother and mom, thinking it’s been a while since you called, wasn’t sure how you were doing. Wanted to call you, but then I heard about the time difference and all that jazz, and I didn’t want to mess with your classes or your rest, so I didn’t dare call. And here you are, calling tonight.”
His aged voice was filled with joy and contentment.
But Sophia felt a twinge in her nose.
Before she left, she had a bit of a fallout with her mom and her brother Aaron, and had only called Haley once to check in after arriving, neglecting her dad’s feelings.
“How,” Sophia hesitated, then softly asked, “How are my mom, my brother and sister-in-law doing?”
“All good, you don’t need to worry, just take care of yourself,” Haley said cheerily.
“Okay,” Sophia responded quietly, sensing Haley’s upbeat mood. She thought for a moment and couldn’t help asking, “Dad, can I ask you something?”
“What’s up? Go ahead,” Haley said.
“Back when,” Sophia pursed her lips slightly, her voice growing softer, “when you found me, did I ever say anything about my family or my name?”
Haley paused, then cautiously asked, “Sophia, why are you suddenly asking this? Did you find your family?”
His tone lost its cheer and took on a cautious note of sadness.
“No.” Sophia quickly reassured him, sensing his disappointment, “Dad, don’t worry. I met a classmate today who got separated from her family too, and we chatted about it. I was just curious, that’s all. I’m not planning to look for them.”
“I’m not trying to stop you from finding your family. It’s just, I can’t help but feel down thinking about the day you might leave and not come back,” Haley sighed, his tone dropping.
“Don’t be like that, Dad,” Sophia said, feeling somewhat guilty, “I was just asking, don’t overthink it. No matter what, you’ll always be my dad.”
Her attempt to comfort him didn’t do much to lift his spirits, leading to a series of sighs over the phone. Whether it was the deep of the night stirring up unwarranted sentimental emotions, Haley seemed particularly down..
Sophia regretted bringing up the topic, feeling guilty for disturbing Haley’s peace.
As she had grown older, perhaps due to a sense of security, Haley had become reluctant to discuss her past. Whenever the topic of how he found her came up, his mood would instantly plummet, making him seem afraid of her leaving.
After this happened a few times, Sophia began to understand Haley’s emotional hang-ups and tried not to press him about her past.
But tonight, her mind was clouded, and she had forgotten to avoid this sensitive subject, inadvertently stirring up Haley’s melancholy.
“Dad, Sophia called out softly, regretting her words, “I really was just asking. Don’t be upset. I’m not looking for anyone.”
“It’s my fault,” Haley sighed, “It would be natural for you to look for your biological parents. You’ve had it hard growing up with us. I’m not much of a good father and haven’t taken care of you well.”
Haley’s emotional outpouring was hard to stop.
Sophia gently interrupted, “Dad, don’t say that. You and Mom have taken great care of me. If it weren’t for you two, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Don’t talk like that.”
“Ah, your mom.” Haley sighed, about to continue his rant when Laura’s shrill voice suddenly cut through, “Who are you on the phone with in the middle of the night?”
“It’s no one, dialed the wrong number,” Haley meekly replied, then whispered to Sophia, “Let me hang up now, you go get some rest.
But before the call ended, Laura snatched the phone away.
Laura’s sharp and agitated voice then came through, “I knew it, the only person who would call at this ungodly hour is that ungrateful girl. When she took the money, she was so defiant. She didn’t even want a family if it meant giving the money back. We’ve written her off. We don’t have a daughter like that. Middle of the night, such bad luck!”
With that, she hung up.
Sophia felt a pang of sadness, not sure if it was because of Laura’s words or Haley’s reaction, or something else.
Laura’s rant wasn’t directed at her, but it was clearly meant for her to hear.
When she insisted on taking that money back to Brandon, she knew her relationship with Laura was irreparable. Yet hearing Laura say those words so bluntly, Sophia still felt incredibly sad.
She had never felt so acutely that she was someone without a home.
She didn’t know where she came from or where she should go.
If anyone in this world knew who she was, it could only be Haley, the man who found her.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t give her any useful information.
She was too young back then and couldn’t remember anything.
The feeling was helpless and bewildering.
She used to have a home where she could avoid thinking or reminiscing, but now, Sophia knew all too well that she couldn’t return to the place where she grew up.
The sadness spread through her chest, and Sophia didn’t know why she had made that call, seemingly piercing through everything.
Her tears, prompted by the spreading sadness, began to fall.
There was a knock at the door just then, from the outside.
“Sophia,” came Brandon’s deep voice, following the knock.
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