I sit up to face her. “They did, eventually, when my father had calmed down. But I refused to return. You see, my living away was bad for the optics and my parents’ need to always portray the perfect family was getting marred. They gave me an ultimatum at eighteen to return home else he would cut me off. My Dad was pissed off when I chose the latter. Eventually, he coerced Sylvie to convince me to visit during some holidays and when someone important was visiting. So I did, but it was always forced and awkward when we were all in the same room. I preferred visiting here when none of them were in residence. I had the entire place to myself then and like you know already, I love it here.”

Aaliya gives me a questioning look. “I still don’t understand why you stopped playing.”

I lift my right hand up and curl it into a fist. “Because David broke my hand that night before I ran away and instead of tending to me, my father decided to let me be in pain as a punishment. What he didn’t expect was my resilience. I refused to bow to them and hence I ran away. Mrs. Wells found me trying to escape and she helped me. She took me to a hospital, got my hand treated and gave me money to reach Scotland.”

Aaliya’s mouth gapes open. I kiss her parted lips and she inhales. She holds my right hand in both of her smaller ones and rubs it between her palms.

“I’m so sorry,” she says.

“It’s all in the past, Aaliya and I guess all this made me who I am. Anyway, I never played after that night.”

She looks deep into my eyes, while she raises my hand to her lips. “Promise me that you will play. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but you will play at some point soon.”

“I can’t promise you that right now, but I do promise to think about it.”

“Damien, you have to find a way to let go of the demons of your past. Don’t let your history or your accident destroy your future. You get to choose whether you want to be happy or not.”

She’s right. I need to decide whether I let the past and my broken memories ravage me slowly or whether I take it all in my stride and move forward, stronger now for being given a new chance at life. I stare at this clever, insightful girl who has come like a gift into my life and thank my stars for sending her to me.

I draw her towards me until she’s sitting on my lap and capture her lips.

“Will you be there in my future, Aaliya?”

Her eyes glimmer in delight as she nods.

“Well then, the future looks good,” I say, rolling her below me and sealing my mouth to hers.