Hostilised Short Story

Chapter three

Dinner night came. Jane fixed her short white dress that hung loose to her knees running out to the front door. She open it and smile happily when she saw Declan standing there.

"Hey." He greeted her with a bright smile.

"Hey." She greeted back and step away for him to come in. "Jul! Your dad is here!"

"Hey dad!" Julia greeted him from her room.

"Uhmmm. Hey!" He greeted back in a shout as she came out of her room straight to them. "Here."

He gave Julia a teddy that holds a heart that has written, 'you're special' on. Jane smile and look at Declan that holds a rose out to her. She look at it and take it from him prudently.

They sat around table about to eat in total silence as Declan look at his daughter proudly.

"So, can we talk?" He ask drawing both women's attention. "Maybe about...Jade?"

Julia gave a smile and put down her fork sitting up straight as Declan touch her hand.

"I know you miss him a lot. These last couple of years haven't been easy for any of us and I need to apologise for that." Declan started as he place his other hand on Jane's. "Jade was...he was our rope. When he was gone, so were we. Without him we...split."

"Daddy, you had a choice." Julia spoke with words on her heart. "Jade was your one and only son. After he died you chose the way you lived. So did we."

"I know honey. I miss him a lot you know. I miss you two." He said as Jane look down with tears in her eyes. "If I had to do this over I would've done it right. But we're only human."

"Everybody makes mistakes." Julia said pulling in her lips touching with her free hand on Jane's. "We must live with it."

"If I knew Jade would fall I never would've let him climb that tree. I swear I would've cutten it off." Declan granted them.

"Mom, are you okay?" Julia asked noticing Jane being unhappy.

"Yeah I'm okay." Jane replied standing up as they let go of her hands. "I just need to use the bathroom."

"Jane..." Declan tried to get her attention but she walked into the hallway without even looking at them. He look at Julia that look at him at the same time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd upset her. We talked about him the other night and from what I can recall, she didn't cry at all." Julia explained to her dad.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. I'll go talk to her." Declan replied and stood up.

He knock on the bathroom door hearing sniffling echoing through the bathroom.

"Jane." He called her name in almost a whisper. "I...Sorry if this topic was too heavy. This was actually the first time me and Julia didn't fight."

She open the door and lean against the door frame looking at him.

"I'm glad you and Jul can rebuilt a relationship." She said scanning him from bottom to top and he can tell that she cried. "A dad is all she needs now."

"I'm glad I could be one." He said worried about her.

"What wouldn't I do to see Jade." She said resting her back against the door frame. "Jul asked me something the other night that had me wondering."

"What is it?" Declan asked looking into her pretty face.

"Would we have gotten divorced if Jade didn't die?" She asked scanning his face.

"No. We wouldn't have." He replied honestly.

"Then why did we?" She asked folding her arms.

"Jade's death was too heavy for us." He responded as they heard glass broke. Jane jump up straight looking down the hallway seeing shadows in the living room.

Declan look at her as they slowly walk down the corridor into the living room seeing the big window is broken and on the shattered glass layed the hammer.

"What the..." Declan started but got cut off when he got hit over the head with a spanner.

"Declan!" Jane shout in horror being shutted up when she heard someone behind her pointing a gun to her head. "Where's my daughter? Jul!"

Julia was about to leave her room but froze at her doorway when she saw that there's trouble. She run back into her room climbing into her wardrobe. She locks it from the inside looking at the lines between the two doors seeing a man wearing a black balaclava walking into her room.

"Jul." He repeated her name looking around for her. She move away as he try to open the door gently but gave up, he walk to her bed looking under it. Next up he look behind her curtains having no sign of her.