Chapter 61 The Hardest Goodbye
2 Weeks later...
It was her first day of going to college and Kate was so excited that she barely slept the previous night.
After returning from the lake house, she texted her friend Emily about going to college and both the girls were super excited to share a classroom space. It was like a dream come true for those long-distance friends.
Kate had packed her bag the previous day itself and now, she was getting dressed along with Marcus, who would drop her off at the college.
“Marcus...”
“Yes, Honey?”
“What if some boy comes up and talks to me?” she asked, hoping to get a rise out of her husband because she knew how much he hated when she talked to other men. And now that she was going to be surrounded by teenagers, he should be furious. But his answer was calm.
“Then you talk back to them. That is how you socialize” he said monotonously while buttoning up his suit. He was getting ready for the office. After leaving her at the college at the guard of his loyal men, he would go to work.
“And.... What if I try to flirt with a guy?” she asked again, purposefully choosing those words to poke his ego.
“I don’t care what you do to others. But if at all any of those horny bastards at the college do so much as lay a finger on you.... then the next day, I will bury them 6 feet deep under the earth”
Marcus grumbled and she gasped at his cold demeanor. It was written all over his face that he will definitely destroy anyone who disturbs her in a public place. He fumed and returned to fixing his tie and setting his hair.
Kate felt bad for ruining his mood early morning and so she walked over to him and hugged his chest that was heaving in anger. He looked pretty scary, as though he wanted to murder someone right then.
“I’m... I’m sorry... I was just joking...” she apologized in a guilt-ridden tone and felt his heartbeat slowdown and normalize under her closeness.
He cupped her face and made her look up at him.
“But I wasn’t joking princess... If anyone tries to irritate you or cause you discomfort, they won’t go unpunished. Is that clear?”
He said in a gruff voice, but his featured had softened. With a smile she nodded and rose up on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek.
“You don’t have to worry, I’m capable of kicking anyone’s ass” she said with a poker face, making him loosen up and laugh.
It was a true fact and he knew it. She was badass and savage enough to bring her opponents down to their knees, thanks to the defense training she has had over the years.
“Let’s go baby; We don’t want to be late on your first day” he said and placed a kiss on the crown of her head.
Marcus dropped her at the college and made sure that she found Emily, before leaving for business. Kate was in cloud nine when she walked into the campus after hugging the life out of Emily.
Emily showed her around the campus and took her to see the cafeteria, the huge library, the gym and the swimming pool. On the way, Kate was approached by many students like she was some strange creature, but slowly, she began enjoying the attention and befriending new people. All the while, she was extremely mindful to never let Emily feel avoided.
By the end of the first day, she made a ton of friends and met a lot of cool teachers, but her favorite remained Emily.
3 weeks later...
Emily and Kate were having food at the cafeteria, when a group of girls walked in and students scrambled out of their way to clear path for them. Kate instantly looked at her friend for an explanation.
“That’s Tiffany and her gang. She is the Queen bee of the third block” Emily said.
“You mean the head cheer leader? The one that made a scene on the game night last week?” Kate asked curiously with a mouth full of food.
“Yup. That’s the girl. She is also known for bullying new comers. But no worries, she won’t bother you because we are not from her building” Emily assured.
Kate knew that there was also another reason why Tiffany won’t bother them. It was because they were constantly surrounded by bodyguards – Three giants in black suit.
And speaking of bodyguards, Kate knew that Emily had a crush on the youngest guard who was only few years older than them. She had caught Emily staring at him a few times, but never got to confront her. And who knows? May be in the future, she will!
They were already at the end of the third semester and Kate always came first in in exams. The teaching staff and other people from the management were very polite with her.
The best part was that once she got to go on a field trip for two days. Kate’s bodyguards were present nearby, but she had a lot of fun, especially because she shared a tent with her best friend Emily. They told each other lame jokes and ghost stories until they fell asleep.
Days flew by and every minute of Kate’s life was becoming more and more eventful. She was healthy and happy.
Marcus took her along with him for jogging in the morning. She was so lazy that he had to carry her on his back, half way home. But her husband didn’t mind. He also spoiled her with gifts and took her to a lot of public places and let her taste every letter of the word ‘FREEDOM’.
Approximately 3 months later...
Kate was attending a pop quiz in algebra when an announcement trough the speaker paused the class.
“Katelyn Winston is requested to come to the office immediately. Thankyou”
While other students turned and watched her, Kate stood up from her seat, packed her bag and came out of the class after saying goodbye to Emily.
Strange enough, Kate knew why she was called. Her fear was confirmed when she saw her father’s personal bodyguard standing inside the college office. Without saying anything, he guided her out of the campus.
When they reached a car that was waiting for them, he opened the backdoor for her and she saw that Marcus was already inside. She carefully slid into the backseat next to him and closed the door. He was equally tensed as she was.
Without a word, Kate entwined her fingers with his and kept their joined hands on his thigh. She rested her head on his shoulder and let the recent memories of the time she spent with her father flash in her mind.
Everyday after returning from college, she would go to him and narrate all the incidents that took place that day. Winston smiled and laughed a lot with his daughter. She was happy and the sight of it made him happy. Her memories with her father were like a priceless gift that she would cherish forever and it will never be destroyed.
They reached the hospital in no time and walked to the room where Winston laid. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the room and saw her father smiling at her from his deathbed. Apparently, his heart had collapsed again but unlike the previous times, he was not going to recover.
That was the day the world would lose a good human being.
“Dad...” Kate called out with teary eyes when she stood next to her father’s weakening body.
“My sweet heart...” Winston mumbled in a low voice, but there was no worry or sadness on his face. Because he was happy to die, knowing that she was going to be okay; And Marcus’s hand on her shoulder was an unmistakable proof of it.
“I love you dad... I wish that you and me had some more time....” Kate sniffed as she held his trembling hand on the bed.
“I know child... I want that too... But now, the time has come for me to go and meet your mother and tell her how wonderful and stubborn her daughter has been...” Winston said and managed a slight laughter and Kate smiled through her tears.
“Don’t... don’t cry my angel... I don’t want to see tears in your eyes, ever. And I know that Marcus will take care of it, right?” Winston asked and looked over to Marcus, who stood right behind her.
“Absolutely sir. I’ll never give her a reason to be sad. I’ll ensure that her smile stays on forever...” Marcus promised with a curt nod.
“I bless you both with a lifetime of love and happiness. I may not be around anymore, but I’ll be in your hearts... Both of you had gifted me everything I ever wanted from this life. I love you both...” Winston’s voice cracked at the end.
For a few more heavy minutes, they stayed like that. None of them said a thing, but a lot had been said.
Gradually Winston closed his eyes, the picture of his smiling daughter tattooed on his heart. Kate felt his hand loosen its grip in hers and instantly, the ECG machines on the side beeped in a single sound.
A sob escaped past her lips when she bend down to place a final kiss on her father’s hand. But before she could breakdown and collapse on the floor, Marcus pulled her forcefully towards him and pressed her against his thundering chest.
Her loud wails were muffled against his comforting embrace as her body shook with inconsolable sobs. She clutched and pulled at the material of his shirt to suppress the agony of losing her father. He absorbed her heart wrenching cries and gently rocked her from side to side.
It was the most emotional moment of her life and even the doctor present in there couldn’t hold back his tears.
Her cries reared down after an hour of grieving and she remained closer to Marcus the whole time. He was all that was left for her in this world.
His love and his warmth.
After the funeral, she grieved silently for two weeks and Marcus never left her side, not even once. They both basked in the comfort each other could provide and it was more than enough to make them feel alive.
Kate had promised her father that she would be happy even at his absence and with the help of her husband, she fulfilled the promise.
Every time she laughed and enjoyed her life with genuine happiness, she could feel her father smiling down at her, from heaven...