If Only

Believe In Me

♣️12- Believe in Me ♣️

Rita couldn't make it to the funeral. She just couldn't.

Emotionally unstable, they said.

Heartbroken.

Haze and Hannah stayed with us. Haze wasn't the kind to show weakness and he froze for a week, barely eating or sleeping. Hannah was the determined kind, wanting to help her mother and making herself busy with the cafe to forget.

And I? I cried every night. He was the only person in my life who could qualify as a father. My real dad left my mother a long time ago, and this man had treated me like his own son.

One night, I was washing up in the cafe when someone opened the back door and entered the cafe kitchen.

"Hey, Josh, " I heard Hannah's voice. "I'm sorry. "

She broke and I let her fall into my arms, whilst sobbing.

"Hey... it's ok. What are you sorry for?"

"I stopped speaking to you for a stupid reason. If I want to make it to Broadway, I have to deal with rejection, you know, " she whispered, trying to lighten the mood.

"Am I forgiven then?"

"You did nothing wrong, Josh. But I also wanted to ask you for a favour, "

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's something dad would've wanted. He believed in me, you know, and I don't want it to be too late... " she trailed off, her eyes glistening with a light layer of moisture.

"Go on,"

"Promise you won't tell anyone? "

"I promise, "

"Can you come with me for my audition for Sylvia Young Theater School?"

My eyes widened. "You're going to do it?"

"It's now or never. But don't tell anyone. I don't want to be humiliated when I don't get it,"

"Don't worry. You will, "

"I thought dad was the only one who believed in me, but you do too, don't you?"

"It's not only me and your dad. You too. If you believe in yourself, you can be whatever you want to be, "

Deep. Whenever I was with her, I became a deep and wiser man.