Her father entered and took a moment to look around Eloise’s room, his eyes lingering on the numerous trophies she had won over the years. The walls, still painted in the light beige she had chosen when she first moved in for university, seemed to hold memories of a different time. He turned to face her, a seriousness in his eyes. “Eloise, I’ve come to realize that I’ve made a terrible mistake. Can I explain something to you?” Eloise, taken aback by his admission, nodded, curious about what he would share.
They both sat on her bed, a rare moment of closeness. Eloise noticed the unusual softness in her father’s voice as he began to reveal a part of his past she had never heard before. “When you were just a little girl, I worked in a factory making car parts. Your mom stayed home to care for you while I worked. We didn’t have much, but coming home to you two was the best part of my day.”