Destiny's POV
I stood there frozen, my heart thundering. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, and before I could stop them, they fell.
"Destiny," Red whispered beside me, his voice soft but steady. "You can go to him now."
I turned to him, my lip trembling. "Red, I thought I was ready," I breathed out. "But I'm not. Seeing him like this... it hurts, Red. It hurts because he doesn't deserve that kind of pain."
Red's expression softened, his eyes warm and full of quiet understanding. "He's not thinking about pain," he said. "He's thinking about you. He finally gets to hold his daughter again."
That was enough to make me break.
I stepped forward, one shaky breath at a time, as the space between us closed. My father didn't move at first—he just watched me, as if afraid I might disappear again. But when I finally reached him, his restraint shattered.
He opened his arms, and I fell into them before I even realized I'd moved.
