AMOS VOSS, RETURN OF THE TITAN

When the star comes home

"Dad," Her voice came— low and innocent, like a quiet thunder in a storm, shattering something inside of Amos.

Rose's expression lifted seeing her father. A gentle and warm smile crossed her face as she pushed herself up, but she paused, squinting eyes on the bottle in his hand which Amos tried to push behind his back but it was too late.

"Dad," Her voice came quietly, almost disbelief. "When did you start drinking?"

Amos jaw loosened. The question hit harder than any object. He'd been a role model to his daughter, but here he was, sipping alcoholic for a betrayal that still burns.

Amos forced a crooked smile and gently walked up to her. He set the bottle aside on a table and Crouched before her. He smiled, taking her hands.

"Do you remember what dad told you about the one take of alcohol?" Rose nodded gently, saying. "It kills every human sense of humor and makes people act like they've lost it....."

She continued smartly, her tiny voice raised a bit now. "...And it contains GABA, a neurotransmitters which makes human CLL."

Amos' eyes narrowed on her in mild shock. Rose had always been like that. She tends to do more findings about things she hears.

"What do you mean by CLL?"

Rose chuckled lightly. "It makes people Calm, less coordinated, less careful," She said. "That's CLL, Dad."

Amos paused, impressed and at the same time slightly shocked. He ruffled she hair gently. "You've been doing some good research, sweetheart. Keep it up, dear."

"Thanks, Dad." Rose said happily, though a flicker of curiosity still flashed in her eyes. "So, why are you with the bottle, Dad?"

Amos took a glance at the bottle, guilt flickering in his eyes. Not wanting to get her worried, he said. "It's a bottle containing herbal medicine. It's no alcohol, dear."

Her intuitive eyes narrowed with concern as her eyes flickered between the bottle and Amos.

"Does that mean you're sick, Dad?"

"No,no. Dad is fine, Sweetheart " He shook his head.

"Come, sweetheart, Come." Amos lifted her up gently to his shoulder. "You need to sleep early so you can wake up very early for school tomorrow."

"You haven't eaten too. Let me prepare something light for you while you relax in the room." He added along the way.

Rose chuckled on his shoulder, her tone light and filling the room with warmth that made Amos forget the chaos earlier. "Dad," She said on his shoulder. "I already bought cookies while coming from school. I have eaten mine. Yours is on the dining table. You should eat it before it runs away." She ended with lilt laughter.

Amos paused, a wide smile breaking over his face. Seeing her happiness, his heart twisted, wondering how she would take it when she found out about her mother.

"That's thoughtful of you, Rose," Amos praised her as he head forward. "I'll get you enough cookies tomorrow, and you won't have to cry over cookies anymore."

Rose threw a playful punch to his shoulder, feigning offense. "I'm no longer a baby, Dad. Only babies cry over cookies. I'm not like Elizabeth who always cries when her pencil is missing."

Amos' laughter floated in the apartment. "You're still my baby, Rose." He gently laid her on the bed and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her with a warm smile as silence took over for some seconds.

"Dad," Rose broke the silence quietly. "When is mum coming home? She promised to take me to school tomorrow."

Amos froze at her question which felt really difficult to answer regardless of the simplicity.

In the past, Amos had thought every night Lisa burns outside was a commitment to grow her career. The night rehearsal, when she'll refuse to pick his calls for two days saying she was in the middle of practice. It has all been a lie!

She was too busy to spare her daughter a second in 24hrs.

Amos couldn't have thought she had been a Hoodwink all this while— A master con. The woman he thought was plain sheet was dirty linen!

Amos smiled at Rose, stroking her hair back gently. "You know, mum is always busy, " He said, but it felt bitter, heavy.

" She'll eventually be back... maybe tomorrow." Amos lied. For the first time. He lied to her daughter! A pang of guilt struck his heart. "You should sleep now, sweetheart." He said quickly, drawing the bed sheet over her.

Moment later, Rose drifted into slumber, her chest rising and falling gently in steady breath.

Amos sat there, staring at her. He smiled, satisfied to see her finally sleeping. He placed a gentle kiss on her head and stood up and plunged the ambient light into dimness.

Amos picked the bottle of alcohol. It smells poisonous now after Rose's condemnation and explanation about CLL. He smiled, walked to a dumpster where he tossed the bottle.

The next morning, Amos woke up early, packing Rose's lunch box as he prepared to take her to school. Rose was still sleeping peacefully in her room, when Amos heard key twisting in the entrance door.

The door opened and Lisa walked in— walked in like she'd always done after her night rehearsal before her secret spilled. It wasn't the same Oxblood stripper dress the previous day, but a blue dress far more decent, a facade for the life she built in secret.

Amos stared in her eyes with a cold expression as she headed to Rose's room.

Amos stepped forward, blocking her from taking another step. "Where do you think you're going?" He growled.

Lisa lifted her head to look at him. Her brow scrunched. "You don't get to question me, Amos. This is my house too." Her voice dripped with arrogance. "I'm here to see my daughter."

Amos chuckled— a bitter laugh. A laugh so sharp it could cut glass. She just walked in like nothing ever happened. Like all he witnessed about her the previous day was conventional.

"Your daughter?" He said in disbelief. "You don't get to call her your daughter after everything you've done. You think coming here now makes you a good mother?

I trusted you. How could you be so shameless, sleeping around with men in the name of becoming a star!" Amos berated, anger lacing his voice.

Lisa looked at him in surprise. Her laughter crackled in an exaggerated mock. "This is why you're always little, Amos." She started, tossing strayed strands to the back.

"This is the life you couldn't afford to give me. You couldn't even afford one good thing for me since we've got married. Yes. I am a star now, but what are you?" Her brow knitted theatrically, her smile sharp and mocking. "Are you really a man?"

The ridiculing question gutted Amos. He stared at her in disbelief and disappointed. This wasn't the compassionate woman he thought he married....or maybe he'd been too invested in love and the marriage, and he was blind to see through her mask.

The same woman for why he tripled his shift to give an extravagant life, the same woman who he went far for her sake, getting funds from loan sharks to give her a befitting birthday surprise.

Even when he's poor, he still makes sure he gets everything she demands.

When she complained about directors not looking at her side, it was Amos who gave her hope that her time would come. But she had been deceitful all along.

And now, that same woman had called his efforts a joke, like he never toiled to prove his love for her.

Amos had always loved her, respected her. But something had changed. Something inside his heart had snapped since the previous day at stellar. It wasn't hurt. It was disappointment. Detachment.

Amos shook his head, stepping back. "I can't continue this anymore. Let's divorce." He slammed a paper on the table.