1975 | m.h [completed]

Chapter 26

After a long day, I desrved this sleep beside Matty on my couch. I have hurt so much to just feel him so close to me. And no bars are keeping us apart.

I had an amazing dream, an amazing sleep. But what I woke up to was horrible.

Window broken, glass shattered all over the floor. Matty beside me, but one child missing.

I searched my whole entire property for my daughter. She's no where to be seen. What was left of her was her bedroom, all her things and a note.

While Matty is talking to the cops with his son by his side, I lock myself in the bathroom.

I unfold the note that lays in my hand and I read it. At least I attempt to read it through my tears.

' Siera,

You ripped my soul out. I'm not sorry for beating you up. You deserved it for hurting me so badly. Since I can't have you, I'm taking the most precious thing to you. Your daughter. Nothing is more closest to a daughter and mother.

Love,

Jacob '

What a sick person he is! I stand up from the ground and I open the door quietly.

I hand the note over to the cops. "Thank you for this" one cop says. I shake my head without saying anything. "Ma'am?" the other cop asks. I look up and raise my eyebrows for them to go on. "We are going to find your daughter" he assures me. "I hope you do that" then I shut the door as they walk off to their cars.

"Babe, this is all going to be okay" he places a hand on my back and that's when I flip out. "Don't you dare tell me that this is all going to be okay! He has my child and God only know's what he'll do!" I throw my hands in the air.

Matthew starts to cry and he runs off upstairs to his room. "I'll go talk to him" Matty mumbles. I nod and wave him off.

I do feel like a jerk for yelling at Matthew like that, but I'm angry. I have so many emotions right now and I don't know what to do. Either break everything or just break down into tears.

A few minutes later of silence and sitting down on the couch with thoughts swirling around in my head, Matty finally comes back down stairs.

"I'm sorry about earlier" I say loudly. He walks over to me and just stands in front of me. "Me too" he says. "What are you sorry for?" I ask quietly.

"I'm sorry that your daughter is gone" he whispers. "Me too"

He sits down beside me. "Matthew is sleeping. He ended up crying himself to sleep" he tells me. I nod.

"He'll need you" Matty says. "Why?" I ask in a hushed tone. "If Layla doesn't come back. If the cops don't find her alive, your son will need you. You'll need him. God, I'll need everyone" he sniffles.

"What are you implying? That my daughter will not come back? Don't you have any faith?" I snap. "I do! I didn't mean it like that" he wipes a hand over his face and sighs loudly.

"You thought of it. You thought about her not coming back!" I yell as I get up. "Stop that! I don't want her to die! I want her to come back! But I'm just thinking about the possibilities! I just don't want to get my hopes up for nothing!" he screams.

I fall to the ground with tears filling my eyes. He kneels down and hugs me. I let him hold me. "I don't want her to die. She's my world" I grip tighter onto his shoulder as if he'll leave this space. I need him. He's part of my world too. My kids and Matty are my world.

"I won't let her die" he gets up and helps me up as well. "What?" I ask with a curious look on my face.

"I'm going to find our daughter" he tells me. "No! You can't!" I hug him tightly. "Don't go" I whisper in his shoulder. "I'm going to bring her back to you" he whispers back.

I pull back and cup his face in my palms. Then I kiss him. "Be careful" I whisper against his warm lips. "I love you, Siera" he kisses me again and leaves, letting the door shut by itself. "I love you too, Matthew" I whisper to myself.

Hours later of worrying and crying and wandering around the house, I finally sleep. I cried myself to sleep beside Matthew on my bed.

***

Some knocks on the door wakes me up. But I don't get up to answer it. Then more and louder knocks erupt from downstairs, causing Matthew to wake up too. I tell him to go back to sleep.

I stomp my way down stairs. Half way down, everything sinks in from what happened yesterday.

More knocks. "What?" I say sternly to whoever is at the door. Cops.

"What's going on?" I squint from the bright sun behind them. "Ma'am? We found your daughter" one cop moves to the side to reveal my child. I couldn't have been more happier than this moment. "Layla!" she leaps towards me and hugs me tightly. She's all dirty with leaves in her hair and mud covering parts of her clothing and herself. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" I immediatly ask her when I set her down. "Yeah, I'm okay. Matty saved me!" she smiles widely. "Where's Matty?" I ask her. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since he saved me. Then I passed out. That's what these police men told me" She shrugs.

"Where is he?" I ask the cops, looking between them. They look at each other and then back at me. "We need to have a word with you. But without your child" one cop says.

"Please go upstairs to Mommy's room and wake up Matthew. Go play with him for a little bit" I smile down at her and she does as she is told.

"What happened to him? He's alright, isn't he?" I ask them. "He passed away. I'm so sorry"

"What?!" I yell. "Ma'am, please calm down"

"I will not calm down! What happened to him!"

"While he handed over your daughter to an ambulance, he was shot by the kidnapper"

"Jacob shot him?" I ask mostly to myself. "Yes, miss"

"Matthew is dead?" I ask them.

"Yes, miss"

***

That was the last time I remember Matthew Healy being alive.

1986 to 2015. 29 years ago, Matthew Healy died. Now I'm 65, sitting beside his gravestone. Just woke up from my love life of a dream.

Everything replayed in my mind. I have that same dream every night. Ever since he died.

Some days are good, some are bad. But I get past those days with two amazing children that visit me frequently and I know Matthew is there with me. I know he's watching over me.

Some day I'll meet up with him. When the time is right.

"Goodbye, Matty" I kiss my hand and place it on his gravestone. "I love you" then I'm off.