I can't do this

Dave, Elena’s father coughed. Deliberately.

But they didn’t bulge. They were locked in each other’s arms.

Dave coughed again.

Then again.

This time, Elena pulled away. Cameroon let her go easily. His hands lingered on her hair. She had washed them as he suggested. And she hadn’t dried them. So they were still wet.

He let her go.

Elena turned to face her dad.

“I’m going out briefly with him.”

Dave didn’t respond. But he had thoughts running through his head. He had lost his daughter, not physically but all her memories were gone. And he was helping her get back into a schedule. And here was this guy, an alleged murderer, wanting to take her away. He was uncomfortable. But he also realized that Elena was an adult. And even though he loved her, he had to always remember that she was responsible for her decisions. She didn’t need his permission to go out. Even if it meant going out with this guy that stood in his living roo