Deep love: insatiable lover

-All right.

Dylan looked at his daughter, who was smiling amused at the camera.

He had come on the right trip, his daughter loved it. He should free up more time in the future and take her out more often. The more she sees, the more her eyes are opened, the livelier her daughter will be.

With good intentions, Dylan began to think seriously about all the trips he would take in the future.

If Vanessa could be found, it would be perfect if she could accompany us on all our trips.

Dylan thought, with a glint of sadness and pain in his eyes.

Vanessa, where are you?

-Dad, what’s wrong with you?

Cecilia waited for her father to take a picture, but after waiting an eternity he remained crouched and motionless with the camera, wondering what he was thinking. Worried that her father was not well, she hurried over.

He grabbed Dylan’s little hands and looked at him with concern.

Dylan then snapped back to reality and apologised, shaking his daughter’s hand:

-I’m sorry, daddy got a bit carried away. He hasn’t had his picture taken yet, sweetie, stand up again and daddy will take it for you, okay?

-Dad, you’re not bad, are you?

-No, Dad is fine.

Dylan chided himself for walking away and making his daughter worry about herself.

Luckily, the little girl took him at his word and again approached the butterfly she had chosen and asked her father to take a picture of it. It also came to life with a variety of poses and faces…

Apart from Dylan, there were people clicking away with their cameras or mobile phones.

After taking the photos, Dylan took his daughter with him.

-Dad, do you want to take a picture? Can I take it for you?

Dylan sniffed and laughed bitterly:

-Don’t use it, it’s enough for daddy to take pictures of my sweet princess. But if Candy wants to take a picture with daddy, let the passers-by help her.

-Yes!

Cecilia agreed immediately.

-Well, then we’ll find someone to help us with the photo.

Dylan picked up his daughter and rubbed her nose affectionately, then brushed her face with the beard sprouting from his chin.

That made Candy laugh.

-Hello, could you take a photo of us as father and daughter?

-Of course.

-Thank you, pretty sister.

Cecilia thanked the person who took her picture and called her sister. Her big round eyes were filled with a charming smile that made you want to take her home and keep her for yourself.

The woman who was asked for a photo felt very lucky today.

Dylan took several pictures until Cecilia was satisfied, then handed the camera back and thanked her again.

After almost half an hour of walking through the scenic area, Cecilia was a bit tired and thirsty.

Dylan sat down in a resting place with his daughter in his arms, took a thermos from his school bag and poured her a drink.

-Drink slowly, be careful of the heat.

-Mmm.

Cecilia nodded and lowered her eyes, blowing gently on the steaming water in the cup and taking a small sip when it was no longer hot. It felt so much better to have the hot water moistening her throat.

Dylan smiled at his daughter, with kind eyes.

Out of the crowd, Vanessa stood, somewhat dazed, next to a dimly lit butterfly lamp. There were so many people around that she could not easily be seen, but from her angle she could see the father and daughter sitting in the living room.

It was them.

Vanessa recalled that she had seen a video of a father and daughter playing in a playground on one of her social media accounts when she was abroad.

They must have been the ones the girls were talking about.

I would never have imagined that I would see that father and daughter in C-town.

Vanessa didn’t know what was wrong, she just felt her heart beating violently. She obviously didn’t know them, but somehow she felt close and wanted to go there.

-What’s going on?

Alonso was supposed to take Vanessa’s picture, but only after taking it did he realise that she was walking away.

The expression on her face made Alonso’s heart clench inexplicably and he moved forward unconsciously to block Vanessa’s view, smiling at her as if nothing was wrong.

-Did you finish filming?

-Well, it’s done, it’s beautiful.

Alonso said, opening his camera and handing it to Vanessa with a smile:

-Do you want to see it?

-Of course.

Vanessa smiled and looked at the camera Alonso was holding out to her, flipping through the photos inside one by one.

Only she knew that the images did not enter through her eyes.

-Are you tired?

Vanessa was about to shake her head when she thought of the father and daughter in the lounge area and said unconsciously:

-Yes, that’s the rest area, go there and take a break.

-All right.

To Vanessa’s dismay, there was no sign of the father and daughter in the lounge area.

-Looking for something?

Alonso saw Vanessa’s eyes look around and asked, smiling discreetly as he repressed the strange feeling in his heart.

-A bit thirsty, looking to see if they sell anything to drink around here.

-There’s one right there. Alonso pointed to the front left: -What do you want to drink, I’ll get it? It looks like a milk tea shop, what flavour do you like?

-Matcha, I think.

It had a fresh colour and a good taste.

-Good. Wait for me then, I’ll go and get it.

Alonso smiled and left the camera on the table, getting up and going to buy milk tea at the milk tea shop not far away.

Vanessa looked sadly at the seats in the living room, where the father and daughter had sat. Only they had left, perhaps while she was talking to Alonso.

-Why does he look familiar? Could he be someone I knew?

Vanessa frowned, thinking to herself.

The thought became clearer and clearer as it came and went on.

She felt rather silly, since he looked familiar, let’s go look for him. Maybe it really was someone she had met in the past, maybe seeing them would remind her of something?

Go and get them.

A voice in her mind urged her, compelled her.

Vanessa stood up unconsciously and looked for them in the crowd as if possessed.

-Miss, your camera! Miss…

The passer-by who was about to come and take a break saw that Vanessa had forgotten her camera and hurried away, calling out to her, but unfortunately Vanessa did not hear her at all.

-What can I do? I think there is a lost property centre here.

The passer-by muttered to himself and was about to pick up his camera and leave when Alonso, carrying two cups of milk tea, came striding over.

-Excuse me, have you seen the girl sitting here before?

-Do you know each other?

-Yes.

Alonso, his face full of anxiety, nodded vigorously.

-I don’t know where she was going. I was going to take a break when I saw her get up and leave, not even wanting her camera. I called out to her, but she didn’t say yes.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

-I have it, thank you. Tea with milk for you, thank you.

Alonso pushed two cups of milk tea straight into the passer-by’s hands, thanked him again, grabbed the camera and ran off.