LOVE ONLINE

Chapter 4

''Losing someone hurts, missing that someone hurts even more, but wanting them back kills you." Author Unknown

July 6

It was already past eight in the morning when Jamie knocked on the door before going in her father's bedroom. She was utterly disappointed to find the comforter still undisturbed, exactly the way she had left it yesterday. That could only mean one thing, and that was her father had not come home, and must have slept in the office again. It disappointed her. She knew how much her father required rest and how much he lacked it.
 
Jamie sighed when she saw that all of her mom's belongings were in the same untouched state, like it was when her mom was alive. From the assortment of make-up and accessories she had, down to the toothbrush in the bathroom, everything remained untouched as if waiting for the lady of the house to return.
 
Shuffling over to the dresser that held a giant mirror above it, she picked up a glass picture frame and saw a woman who bore the same resemblance as she did, smiling happily, sitting on a fallen trunk in the beach beside her husband. Her bright blue eyes still carried that careless, free and happy gleam effortlessly; it's like they were screaming 'no worries'. Jamie traced the photo using her finger. Cindy Gallagher still looked so beautiful even without much hair in a big straw hat with a simple white dress, that flowed as a gust of wind blew and made it fly around her body, matched with a light denim jacket on her feeble, delicate body. She looked like the happiest woman in the world.
 
It was only Dan Gallagher who looked worried sick, hugging his wife tightly in each frame as if the simple gesture was enough to keep her there. When Jamie took the last pictures of them together, a month prior her mom's death due to brain cancer, she wanted to refuse that the inevitable was going to happen sooner or later. With all of the memories, Jamie felt a sadness well up in her, her heart clenched as she wanted to cry. Jamie missed her mom very much. But it seemed that her father was having trouble to come to terms with his soul mate's death.
 
When she put the picture frame down, she noticed an attractively engraved invitation card that she hadn't noticed when she first came in, tucked neatly between some billing statements. Jamie picked it up and saw that it was addressed to her dad's firm for this year's 35th Annual Excel Awards Gala to be held at Hilton's Times Square in New York, five days from today. She walked out the room and wondered if her father would attend the gala, considering that he had already missed going to the ceremony two years in a row now. She made a mental note to ask her dad about it later. 

Down in the kitchen, Jamie fixed herself a chicken sandwich and was almost done with it when she heard a car entering the garage. Still looking surprisingly handsome in his early forties despite the salt and pepper hair, Dan entered the kitchen, and gave his daughter a quick peck on the forehead upon entering the kitchen.

"Hi sweetie."

"Hi dad!" Jamie exclaimed cheerfully, "Did you have breakfast already? How about a sandwich?" She rose to get the necessities of making a sandwich for her loving father. 

Dan lifted his hand and shook his head, and settled in one of the stools. "That won't be necessary. Coffee would be fine. So, have you found a picture for my client's book cover yet?"

"Not yet dad, I'm doing it later with Eric."  Jamie continued, "By the way, I saw the invitation card from the Excel Awards in your room. Are you going this year?" Jamie quickly went to fix her dad a cup of brewed coffee as she said this, waiting for his reply.

"No, hon. I'm pretty busy in the office right now. Plus, I don't have anyone to go with me."

Jamie said,  "I don't think that's a problem if you don't have a date 'cause I can help you fix a pretty decent one. You know, you really should go out more often dad. It's been two years since mom died, and you still haven't dated anyone yet." She explained, worry flashing through her expressions.