Donovan

9. Nightmares

"Emery!" I smiled at the sound of my dad's voice. As soon as I ran towards the house, he was standing right in the kitchen, holding up my favorite little dress that I loved to wear when we went out for special occasions.

"Daddy!" I shouted. He laughed before swinging me up in his arms, placing kisses all over my face as he saw my mother walk in.

"Come on you two. We have to get ready. Sarah!" She called for my sister. Sarah was already dressed in her favorite blue dress with her hair in a tight braid.

"Dad!" She shouted before running into his arms. We both held him as he rocked us back and forth. It has been three months since we've seen him. Three whole months.

"Jeez. I've only been gone for a few months, baby girls." We laughed at his nickname for us. He always had different and creative names to call us like honey bees or little dragons.

"We're not babies anymore, dad," Sarah said as she placed a kiss on his cheek and then onto mom's.

"You're nine years old, Sarah. Of course you're still my baby girl. And Emery is six so you are both still our little babies," Mom explained as she hugged dad from behind. He let me down as he wrapped his arms around mom's waist and kissed her deeply. If only she had stayed this way. Loving and caring. Money made her greedy. Love destroyed her entirely. And I was shattered because of her greed and the death of my sister.

"Do you have to go back, daddy?" I whined.

"I'm going to be helping people, baby. I have to. But I get only two months to leave and I'll be back before you know it," he said to us. Soldier Daniel Jane, was what was read on his gravestone.

"You'll never leave us again after you come back, right?" Sarah asked with a grin. Dad smiled.

"I will never. And if I ever do though, your mother will take very good care of you guys." If only he had seen how much she has "helped" us.

"I love you, daddy," I whispered to him. He held onto me tightly as he kissed my cheek.

"I love you too, little girl."

"Emery?" My body shook as I woke up from my dream. Donovan was staring at me with worried eyes and that's when I felt my wet cheeks. My hand wiped away the sweat and tears as he watched me with careful eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked him as I slowly sat up.

"I heard you cry," he said in a quiet voice. Oh. I felt another sob ready to escape my lips at my little perfect dream but I held it in as I bit my lip.

    "Can you.. Uh. Leave me. Please," I whispered with a shaky voice as I brought the covers closer to me feeling the cold air of the night hitting my hot skin.

    "Hey," he said as he placed his hands around my arms, rubbing them slightly. He was inches away but I couldn't look at him. Why did he always have to see me like this, at my worst?

   "Stop it, Donavon." I pulled away when I suddenly felt his hand cupping my cheek, bringing my face back towards him. I refused to look him in the eyes as I struggled to pull away when I heard him speak softly.

   "Stop fighting me," he whispered. Slowly, my gaze fell onto his as he brought me closer to him, his eyes staring at my lips for a brief second. I sighed deeply. Don't give in. Don't give in.

"Then stop hurting me," I retorted. Tears threatened my eyes once again and won as they fell down my warm cheeks. He was about to say something but then he closed his mouth instead. He knew that he was hurting me but did he know how much it actually did hurt? A hell of a lot.