Chapter _ 2 Episode _1 "Beautiful Nellie was young, but foolish fate intervened."

Sea Water… and the Last Moments of Light

That evening, the sea exhaled a faint sigh, as if it already knew that this family was approaching the final moments of its last happy day.

The sun sank slowly beyond the horizon, tinting the sky with soft shades of pink and violet, while the breeze brushed the edges of the shore with the scent of salt and warm sand. And in the midst of this scene, Kamel’s family laughed as though life could never turn upside down in an instant.

Kamel stood in the water up to his knees, splashing small waves toward his wife, Lily—who laughed from the heart, making him laugh, making the sea laugh with them.

Meanwhile, twelve-year-old Ryan leaped between the small waves, propelled by the winds of childhood, shouting his sister’s name:

“— Nelly! Look! Look!”

Nelly smiled, seventeen years old, wearing a simple swimsuit, her dark hair clinging to her shoulders from the seawater. There was in her eyes the sparkle of a child untouched by the hardship of the world, despite her quiet shyness.

As sunset approached, Lily examined the sky with a bittersweet smile:

“— It seems the day ended quickly…”

Kamel replied, wiping water off his face:

“— But it was the most beautiful day of the year… wasn’t it?”

She laughed. Ryan laughed. And Nelly laughed without sound, for she was always the quietest soul in the family.

When they stepped out of the water, the sand was cool beneath their feet, and the air was growing heavier with humidity. Kamel carried the beach bags while Lily organized the children’s belongings. The moment was simple, yet heavy with memories that would one day be impossible to forget.

They all sat in the car—Lily beside Kamel, the children in the back.

Kamel started the engine, and before he pulled away, Lily said:

“— Shall we pass by my sister’s house before going home? Her husband is sick. Just a short visit.”

Kamel looked at the road ahead.

“— We’ll visit them… but we won’t stay long. Work starts early tomorrow.”

“— The vacation passed so quickly, Kamel.”

He smiled at her:

“— But it was the best vacation we ever had.”

From the back seat, Nelly leaned forward and whispered with shy innocence:

“— Dad… can you turn on the cassette?”

“— Of course, Nino…”

Music filled the car. Ryan’s favorite song played, and he began swaying and laughing. Kamel laughed and reached one hand back to play with Ryan, while his right hand remained on the steering wheel…

The moment was full—mixed laughter, Lily humming softly, and a look of simple joy on Nelly’s face.

But…

The moment lasted only seconds.

Suddenly, without warning, a large truck veered wildly out of control from the opposite direction, charging like madness down the narrow coastal road.

They heard a long, sharp horn… Lily’s muffled gasp…

Then an explosion of impact—like mountains colliding.

The world overturned.

Bodies scattered.

Glass shattered.

Nelly screamed, but no sound came out.

She saw Ryan’s small hand reach toward her… then fall.

She saw her mother’s chest torn open with deep wounds.

She saw everything in a single second…

Then everything disappeared.

---

Years After the Accident

Days passed. Years passed. But time never dried the grief inside Kamel’s home.

He returned to life… but he never truly returned.

Kamel survived the crash alive, but broken—paralyzed, confined to a wheelchair that felt like an open grave.

Total paralysis took his body, and with it his voice. He could no longer speak, nor move except in narrow limits.

As for Nelly, she survived in body—but her soul… remained suspended at the moment of the crash.

She was young, but life placed on her shoulders the burdens of a grown woman.

She transformed overnight—from a girl who laughed with the sea, to a woman cleaning the wounds of time from her father’s fragile body.

She no longer played.

She no longer went to school.

She never knew friends.

She knew only her father’s room… his bed… his silence.

Every night, she sat beside him, studying his still face, searching in his eyes for any sign of life.

Sometimes she would see a tear slip from the corner of his eye.

And she would whisper:

“— Dad… why are you crying?”

But he never answered.

Was he crying for Lily?

For Ryan?

For himself?

Or for his daughter, who grew far beyond her age?

She didn’t know.

---

The Arrival of Raed

During those harsh years, Raed appeared.

A man in his early thirties—tall, strong-built, with features blending sternness and warmth in an unusual harmony.

He came to the house almost daily to administer Kamel’s injections, carrying his medical bag and a quiet gravity that filled the space.

At first, their relationship was purely practical.

He knocked, entered, greeted, injected, and left.

But over time, Nelly noticed something different:

His respect… his silence… the gentle way he touched her father’s frail body—as if Kamel were family.

And she—without realizing it—began to admire him.

Not love… but a soft pull toward a man who treated her father with dignity. A man whose presence brought a missing masculine warmth into the house.

Their conversations were brief:

“— Good evening.”

“— Good evening.”

“— How is Mr. Kamel today?”

“— As usual… but calm.”

Then he worked silently, efficiently, offering a faint smile near the end of each visit before leaving with quiet steps.

And every time he left, Nelly felt something shift in her chest… something she had never felt before.

Still, Raed’s looks toward her never surpassed respect…

And a touch of mystery that somehow made him even more compelling.

---

The Return of Life to the Details

One evening, Raed opened the door as usual.

Nelly moved a strand of hair from her face and said:

“— Welcome. Please come in.”

He gave her a calm look—one that carried no apparent meaning—yet his soft, fleeting smile lingered in her memory.

He entered the room, approached Kamel, and said:

“— Good evening, Mr. Kamel.”

The man did not reply, but his eyes trembled slightly—as if thanking him.

After completing the injection, Raed closed his bag, then turned to Nelly:

“— I’ll be on my way now.”

“— Thank you, Mr. Raed.”

She tried handing him the payment as usual, but he raised a hand to refuse:

“— No… Mr. Kamel is like a father to me. I don’t take money for this.”

He said it with a sincerity rarely found.

He stepped outside, and Nelly followed him to the front door.

She opened it quietly. He took one step out, then turned back to her:

“— Goodbye, Miss Nelly.”

“— Go in God’s care.”

He closed the door… leaving its echo in her heart.

---

Back to Kamel

She returned to her father’s room.

Kamel’s eyes were closed, as if he had exhausted whatever life remained in him.

She approached, pulled the blanket up to his chest, and wiped droplets of sweat from his forehead.

She whispered:

“— Don’t worry, Dad… I’m here.”

But the truth was… she was afraid.

Afraid of everything.

Of loneliness…

Of the past…

And of Raed—who had begun to occupy a place in her heart she never expected.

She stepped out slowly, closing the door behind her, leaving a broken man inside…

And carrying within her the beginning of a story.