Case Closed. Cold Case Opened.

Memory

Holly sulked through the front door of the house to find her younger brother slouching in the couch. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in college?"

"Na, I don't have it on Monday's. Why are you here?"

"I got suspended for working a case without permission."

Jack, her nineteen-year-old brother, scoffed. "Mom go crazy?"

Holly nodded and laughed. "Yeah," She smiled. "But here's the craziest thing, she gave me the case to work anyway."

"What's the case?" Jack questioned.

"It's an old one, so it's pretty cold, but I feel as if I can solve it." Holly sounded confident.

"Cool, well I'm gonna give you good luck." Jack mentioned, before turning his attention back to the TV.

Holly stared at him for a moment, before nodding to herself and taking off upstairs. When she reached her bedroom, she slumped down on her bed, tossing the case file in her hand on to the floor. She glanced up at a picture that was framed, its position made it clear to see the happy family that was present in the frozen point in time. She smiled, remembering the exact moments leading up to the picture being taken, just seven months before her father disappeared.

Christmas Day, 2024,

In the centre of the room sat Jake and his three-year-old daughter, Holly. Amy was sat on his left side, right next to their five-year-old son, Logan.

It was dark outside, and Holly had lost track with the amount of times her mother had said she needed to go to bed. The family had been up since 5 AM, thanks to Holly's large excitement about the upcoming day ahead.

She was obviously falling asleep on her father's knee, and he was trying to keep her awake. Karen, Jake's mom, was squeaking a toy behind the camera as if her granddaughter was a dog, to get her attention.

"Holly," Jake spoke in a calm, awakening whisper, "After this you can go to bed, I promise, but we want to get our annual Christmas photo done, okay?"

Holly lifted her head up from his chest and nodded ever so slightly. She stared right at the camera and gave her tired look. Jake knew how to make her smile, so just before the photo was to be taken, he tickled her sides, knowing that was her most ticklish spot. He only did it twice, so she continued to smile over the photo being taken.

Once it had, Holly looked up at her dad. "Why you do that?" She whimpered.

"Because, sweetie, you needed to smile for the picture." He raised the point, smiling down at his exhausted daughter.

She stretched her arms up, yawning. "Daddy, can I go bed now?" She quietly asked.

Jake kissed her forehead. "Of course you can." He smiled.

Jake got to his feet, keeping Holly in his arms. She waved her grandparents and uncles a goodnight before Jake took her to the joint bedroom. He tucked her tightly into her bed and smiled. "Good night, my little princess." He kissed her forehead again.

He slowly walked out the room. Standing inside the doorway, he watched Holly roll to her favorite side, and fall deeply asleep.