FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 13

Sleeping now would be pointless, although as if recently she had been sleeping better and during the week Alex made no mention of seeing her out and about at night so that at least was a good sign but if it wasn't for the sudden influx in cash she wouldn't have been so worried.

She glanced to her nightstand where her cellphone lay. I should call him... she thought as her hand reached for it only for her body to go still when there was a knock at the door and her hand withdrew. "Yes?"

Nina opened the door and peaked inside. "Dad's home, and um... he said he wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh, okay, thank you Nina." It's most definitely about what I said this morning. She thought as she left her room and offered a slight smile to the girl. "I'll go speak to him now."

"Did something happen?" Nina asked with a questioning stare.

She shook her head. "No, at least I'm hoping nothing happened. But it's nothing you need to worry about Nina I promise." Charla headed down stairs and when she reached the foot of them she saw her uncle by the dining room table. She knew that parental look on his face right away; he wanted Charla to sit down so he could talk.

And she did what he asked of her in silence.

"Charla," Isaac began. "You don't have to look so troubled, I'm not angry with you."

"Then what reason would there be to talk to me?" she asked after a moment of silence before looking at him with a slight sad expression. "If it's about what I said to you this morning, I'm sorry. I was out of line when I said all of that to you, I just wasn't aware of it until after I spoke about something I shouldn't have."

"Charla, you don't need to apologize for speaking your mind," Isaac told her. "But if you don't mind me asking, why did you think that working was my escape from grief?"

"Why?" she repeated before sitting down across from him. "It's because I've seen it before, I've dealt with it before. And still am."

He stilled when he noticed how she emphasized herself in all this. "You? Not your father or your mother?"

Her hands became clasped tightly together while her brow furrowed slightly. "My mother had always been devoted to work, from the moment we were born to now; I never saw a change in her, like she never cared about us. But my father broke down, he cried, he was angry and worried constantly for me since I was all he had left. But for me... I retreated, I ran internally. I wanted to forget the feelings I had, the emotions, the images that still to this day replay in my mind like an old home movie stuck on loop. But I know I can't forget, won't forget. It stays even if I don't want it too just like my emotions, so I lock them away."

"But how is that similar to me?"

She glanced up at him. "You devoted yourself to your work when your wife died; your daughter devoted herself to keeping the house clean. My father devoted himself to me and I devoted myself school work to then best of my abilities while acting like I wasn't there. High school and a job aren't so different when you think about it. It was your way of coping with loss, I didn't mean to sound like I was judging you it's just..." she paused when noticing Nina on the stairs but continued anyhow. "I know what it's like to come back to an empty house with no one to greet you when before there was always someone there to be happy to see you home. You and I share something in common with loss but it's the same with Nina too."

He smiled slightly. "I suppose your right, but even if it is true I'm still a cop, and I can't stop my job because of how I feel."

"But that's not what..." she shook her head. "No never mind, I'm going to go check in Nina and ask what she'd like for dinner." She said as she got up from the dinner table and headed to the stairs. Nina was no longer there.

Going up the remainder of the stairs Charla went to Nina's room and knocked on the door. "Nina? Can I come in?"

The door opened up and Nina looked at Charla with those grey eyes of her's. The little girl looked almost as if she was going to cry. But Charla wasn't fully sure as to why.

"Are you okay?"

Nina nodded. "Dad told me, what happened to your brother. I'm sorry I didn't remember."

Charla knelt down to her and smiled. "It's okay Nina; you were really little at the time, besides a lot of time has passed since then so you shouldn't be sad for what happened to me."

"But it's not fair."

No, no it's not. Charla thought.

"But are you going to be okay?" Nina asked her suddenly. "You always look worried when the news comes on about your town."

"Well, my Dad is there, that gives me enough reason to worry don't you think?"

"Yeah I guess so. I worry a lot when Dad goes to work." Nina then grasped her hand. "But I'll greet you, whenever you come home okay?"

Charla looked at the girl with a slight surprised expression but then slowly smiled at her; she had a good indicator as to why Nina would say that. "Okay..." she gave her hand a slight squeeze. "Now let's go see what your Dad brought home for dinner, here's hoping it's not frozen meals or something like that."

Nina laughed. "Yeah!" the little girl headed down the stairs first and Charla glanced at her hand that Nina had just grasped.

"You really are a strong little girl. Stronger then me even... I wish I was like that at her age. Too bad I can't rewind time."

"Charla!" Nina called out to her. "What are you doing? Come down quickly before our dinners get cold!"

With her smile that grew slightly Charla headed down the stairs for dinner. "I'm coming, I'm coming."