Again | DreamNotFound

The lost child

"What?"

"Up. I go up." She said, grabbing his arm.

"Are... are you sure?" He was worried people would think he's trying to kidnap her. He did not know this child.

"Yes. Up." She said.

"Um. How about you hold my hand and we can go for a walk to find your Daddy or somebody in charge." He said, offering his hand instead. Her small hand grabbed his, and they began to walk.

Dream was pale, looking around to try and spot a brunet man in a lightly coloured shirt looking frantic, or perhaps some security. He did not know what to do in this situation. He didn't want to take her too far away in case the dad was nearby or this was some kind of social experiment.

"Ok. New idea. What if you stand on this to see better." Dream said, putting his hand on a table.

"Okay." She lifted her arms up for him to pick her up, and he hesitated before cautiously picking her up and putting her feet on the table.

"Maybe hold onto my hand so you don't fall, ok? Can you see better?" He asked, as he gently grabbed her hand again and watched her carefully to make sure she didn't fall off.

"I want to be as tall as you instead." She said, looking at him.

"I don't want to pick you up, Alana. But this is tall enough, isn't it?"

"But I've never been that high before!"

"Am I taller than Daddy?" Dream asked with a light laugh. She nodded. "Well, is Mommy somewhere around too?" He asked, but she shook her head.

"I don't have a Mummy." She said. Dream cringed.

"Oh." He said, not sure exactly what to do in this situation.

"I miss daddy." She cried again. Dream squeezed her hand gently.

"We will find him. I promise." He said, but she was still crying. "How, um, how old are you, Alana?" Dream said, trying to keep a conversation going so she would stop crying.

"I'm nearly this many." She said, holding up four fingers while sniffling.

"You're nearly four? So you are three?" He said.

"Mm-hm." She nodded.

"Wow, you are so grown up." He said with a smile, and she grinned right back.

"I know! Daddy says I'm getting big and nearly enough to sit at the big girl chair at dinner." She said.

"Wow!" Dream said with an animated gasp. She giggled at his reaction

Alana seemed to trust him. Even though he was a strange man. He would make sure to tell her Dad to teach her better stranger danger rules.

"Daddy!" Alana suddenly snapped her head up, and Dream followed her gaze.

He could only see the back of a man's head at first, dark brown locks creeping down his neck, reaching a dark green shirt.

The man turned around at the sound of the girl's voice, and his panicked expression immediately relaxed when he saw her, and ran over.

Dream was right.
Those eyes were too damn familiar.

He was frozen for several seconds, up until the man reached them and Dream let go of the girls hand, taking a step back. He never once took his eyes off her father.

The young man embraced her as tight as he could, picking her up and sighing in relief. He had his daughter back in his arms, and had his eyes closed as all his anxiety left him.