Chapter 7 - Reunion
The rehabilitation center’s courtyard was filled with blooming spring flowers and the soft chirp of birds. Andrew sat in a wheelchair near a marble fountain, his legs encased in lighter braces, his face fuller and healthier than it had been weeks ago.
His eyes were fixed constantly on the glass double doors leading out from the main building.
When the doors slid open, a little girl in a yellow raincoat ran out onto the concrete path.
"DADDY!"
Andrew’s breath caught in his throat. He unlocked his wheelchair’s brakes and reached his arms out wide, ignoring the sharp twinge of pain in his recovering chest.
"Ashley!" he cried out.
Ashley threw herself into his lap, wrapping her tiny arms tightly around his neck. She buried her face into his shoulder, sobbing tears of pure joy. Andrew held her so closely it felt as though he would never let go, pressing soft kisses onto her hair, his own tears falling freely onto her jacket.
"I'm so sorry, baby," Andrew wept, his voice breaking with deep emotion. "I'm so sorry I made you wait so long. I tried to come back... I tried so hard..."
"I knew you were coming," Ashley sobbed, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. "I kept Buddy safe for you. And Officer Natalie said you held my medicine the whole time!"
Andrew looked up over his daughter’s shoulder to see Natalie standing a few feet away, alongside Eric, both of them watching the reunion with tears in their eyes.
Andrew reached out a hand to them. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice trembling with profound gratitude. "Thank you for saving my baby. Thank you for listening to her when no one else did."
Eric stepped forward and shook Andrew’s hand warmly. "She saved herself, Andrew. She was the bravest caller I’ve ever had on my line. All I did was keep her company until help arrived."
"And she never stopped talking about how much her daddy loved her," Natalie added softly, sitting on a bench beside them. "Not for a single second."
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For the next two hours, the courtyard was filled with sound of laughter. Andrew held Ashley in his lap, listening intently as she recounted everything she had done at the foster home, showing him new drawings she had made, and making sure he patted Buddy on the head.
For the first time in months, the heavy dark clouds that had hung over Andrew’s life seemed to disperse entirely, replaced by a clear, bright sky.
