Stockholm Syndrome |n.h

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You wouldn't be able to tell it was a grave sight from passing it while driving. You couldn't even see a clearing, but that's what I like about this place. I find it comforting that the people buried here are hidden away so that when the cars pass by, they get a warm happy feeling from the beautiful forest instead of a creepy and eery feeling a normal cemetery would usually bring.

It's so beautiful and colorful even in mid December.

"This is it." Dad says as he stops the car on the dirt path. "We have to walk for a few minutes though."

"That's fine." I say. It's the first thing that I have said to him all day. I know I'm being childish to hold a grudge but do you blame me?

As he said, we did walk for about five minutes to get to my mothers grave and I never let go of Niall's hand once, and neither did he.

My dad finally stopped walking and sat on his knees in the snow. He started digging in it with his bare hands and soon the headstone started to appear.

"Vivian Evanna Harris
Loving mother and wife
1973-1996"

"Hey Viv." My dad whispers.

"Vivian." I say to myself. I lived eighteen years without even knowing her name.

Niall gives my hand a squeeze. I smile at him and sit down next to my dad, Niall follows my actions.

I sit there in the cold snow, my jeans getting wet and my lips turning blue. It was dead silent.

I want to know how she died. I do, but should I ask? Is it too soon? Will my dad refuse to tell me? He has been keeping so much from me lately that I don't know if I should even talk to him. Everything he has told me my whole life has been a lie. 'Mom left. She didn't know how to care for a baby so she left.' 'You have never gone to the hospital, Ev'.

I'm asking. He can't lie when he is sitting on her grave.

"How did she die?" I ask abruptly.

"Ev,-"

"I want to know." I seethe. "You can't keep me in the dark my whole life." I stubbornly cross my arms over my chest. Niall scoots closer to me in the snow and puts a comforting arm around my shoulders.

"Maybe another day." he suggests.

"No!" I cry. "I have lost all trust for you." I point to my father. "You have been lying to me my whole life. You can't lie about my mothers death while we are sitting above her corpse." Tears are streaming down my face and I wish they would just stop. I'm tired of crying.

"Okay." He gives in. "Okay, if you want to know then you can know." my father takes a deep breath in.

"Don't let go of my hand." I whisper to Niall and intertwine out fingers.

"I won't." He assures me. I squeeze his fingers and he squeezes back twice.

I try to prepare myself for what my dad is about to tell me but I don't think anything could have prepared me for this. "Vivian was murdered." I let out a sob and lean back into Niall's chest. "it was our three year anniversary and I had bought her a beautiful diamond necklace the day before. She had to go to the grocery store to get some things for our dinner that night." Tears run down my dad's face as he relives the memories.

"We checked the surveillance cameras over and over again, we did. But we never found him. There were no cameras outside of the building. She was killed in the parking lot." His voice is quiet. "She was eight months pregnant with you. She had a big round belly and had to wobble wherever she went. The person who killed her strangled her, knowing full well that she had a newborn on the way. I was so close to losing you." He sobs. Niall holds me closer to him and I feel his warm tears land on my shoulder. "There was a doctor coming out of the store and he saw the body. He got you out of there as fast as he could and you were both sent to the hospital but it was too late for Viv. When they called me from duty, I got there as fast as I could and when I saw your mother, the necklace was gone. She was gone too, but you were there and well, and healthy. The most beautiful child I had ever seen. You look just like her too. Your blue eyes and dark hair, you act just like her. We discussed lots of names. We were set on the name Amelia but after the events that happened, you couldn't have that name. It didn't feel right.