Chapter 23: Unfamiliar Happiness

Daisy stared at the ceiling. Six in the morning. But she hadn’t slept a blink. Her body lay still, drained on the couch, but her mind kept looping through the night like it refused to shut off. She heard the front door open sometime around two in the morning. Light footsteps like a thief doing their job but she knew who it was. So, when Jasmine peeked through her bedroom door, Daisy kept her eyes shut. Pretended to sleep. She didn’t have the energy to fight again at that time. Sigh. Then the sudden sound of notifications started. One after another, her phone lit up on the nightstand, snapping her out of her thoughts. At first, she ignored them. Too much on her mind to care. But they kept coming. Relentless. Frowning, she turned her body on the couch and reached for her phone. "What is this?" she mumbled. Her frown deepened as she read the message. "A milli—" she froze mid-word, quickly sitting up. "Did he start working this early? Why send the money at six in the morning?" she muttered, though her heart bloomed with something warm and unfamiliar happiness. Her mind was already racing. She could finally send her father to a proper stroke recovery center, somewhere with real care, full-time attention, maybe even a neurologist. Somewhere he wouldn’t be left alone again. But then... her smile faded. One after another, the notifications kept coming. Not deposits but deductions. The bank was eating away at the transfer like vultures on a carcass. Loan repayments, auto-debits, late fees—all clawing into the balance. Her throat tightened. "No, no, no—" She shot up from the couch, heart racing, fingers fumbling as she opened her online banking app. The screen was loaded and she stared at the number. It was shrinking. Fast. She needed to transfer the rest to Aurora now before it all vanished. Her thumb hovered over the screen, hands trembling. ’Come on, come on...’ She tapped "Transfer", scrolled to Aurora’s account number that she saved and keyed in the remaining amount. There was just enough—barely. She hit "Confirm". The app paused. A spinning wheel. Transaction successful. She exhaled, only just starting to feel the tension in her shoulders ease but not even a full minute passed before her phone lit up with a call. Daisy flinched at the sound and picked it up. "What the heck are you doing? Five hundred K?!" Aurora’s voice exploded through the line. "My account’s probably going to get flagged! Daisy!" Daisy blinked, suddenly yanked out of the fragile peace she’d built in the last sixty seconds. "I—I had to transfer it fast before the bank drained it with the auto deductions." She stood, pacing the floor barefoot, one hand pressed to her temple. "It’ll be safer in your account than mine. We can recover it if it gets blocked." There was a long, dramatic sigh on the other end. Then Aurora spoke, her voice quieter now. "Is that... the money from my boss?" Daisy stopped pacing. Her hand dropped to her side. "Yeah." Her voice came out softer, almost ashamed. Aurora didn’t say anything right away. Just a breath. "Alright. I’ll hold it for now. Just tell me what you want me to do with it." "Thank you." Daisy swallowed. "It’s for dad. I’m sending him to a better care facility. I couldn’t risk the bank eating it all before I moved it." "I get it," Aurora said gently. "Let’s find the place fast. I need to make sure my account is cleared too. Shall we go today? I’ll take an emergency leave." Daisy quickly shook her head, even though Aurora couldn’t see her. "No, no. I... I need to go to him. At eight. He asked me to..." Her voice faded toward the end. There was a pause before Aurora’s voice came again, steady and calm, "Then I’ll take a leave and go scout the places first. We’ll sort it out together." Daisy blinked hard, holding the phone a little closer to her ear. "You’re seriously the best, you know that?" "I know," Aurora replied with a smile in her voice. "Now go face your rude, emotionless husband and get back to me after that. I still haven’t heard the full story about how you ended up married to an igloo." Daisy burst out laughing, a little too loud... then quickly glanced toward the end of the room. Her father was stirring. "Oh! Gotta go... Dad’s awake," she said quickly, hanging up before Aurora could tease her again. She tucked her phone away and rushed across the room, her smile already blooming. "Good morning, Mr. Thomas Sinclair," she cooed playfully, scrunching her nose. "How do you still manage to look this handsome right after waking up?" His eyes softened, the corners crinkling just enough to let her know, he was smiling. Maybe his expressions were limited now but his eyes still spoke. And today, they said, ’thank you for being here’. Daisy leaned closer and brushed his hair gently with her fingers. "I’ll make you something before I go, okay?" She paused, blinking a few times before continued, "But can you wait just for a while, I need to take a bath first." He blinked once—slow and clear. "Oh, and Dad," Daisy said gently, crouching near the foot of the bed. "I’ve got a job now. It’s... a little demanding, so it might be harder for me to be home during the day." She swallowed. The words felt heavier than she expected. "Minda will be here soon, and I’ll head out after that." She stood up and turned toward the door, but something tugged at her chest. Her feet stopped moving. She turned back. "One more thing..." Her eyes met his, those patient, wordless eyes. "I’m looking for a place for your treatment. Somewhere better." She saw it, just a flicker and a shift in his gaze. Maybe surprise? Or probably guilt. "Don’t worry," she rushed to say, forcing a smile that felt too tight. "This new job pays well. I can manage the bills." She stepped closer and lightly adjusted the blanket near his shoulder. "All you need to do... is get better. Okay?" Then she turned quickly, faster than necessary, as if that could stop the lump in her throat from rising. She didn’t know why but suddenly, she felt like crying. The moment Daisy opened the door, she almost jumped. Jasmine was standing right there. Messy hair. Wrinkled robe. Eyes still heavy from sleep. It was too early for her to be awake. And yet there she was, eyes slightly widened. "How much?" Daisy blinked, taken aback. "What?" Jasmine lifted her chin slightly, arms crossed. "Your new job. How much are they paying you?"