Fifteen
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Daniel could only let go of Lily when Aunt Miriam appeared in the scene.
"What have you brought, Daniel? Seems like a lot." She smiled at him as she approached them.
"Only some fruits and vegetables from the hill," he said as he carried the bags inside.
They sat in the living room and chatted for a while as Rachel made them tea. Lily asked him about his school and for a brief time, he saw the light of childlike excitement return in her eyes as she listened to him tell her all about it.
"Sometimes, even in the morning, the smell of their sweat from playing in the sun during the break just kills me." Daniel chuckled as he spoke. "They play anytime, any chance they get, and they laugh so loud..."
"I can't wait to see them." Lily beamed at him.
"You would really love them. They're all so dirty and adorable." He grinned at her, making her laugh.
After tea, Lily asked him to take her to the house. "I've never been home since the accident."
Daniel looked at her pale face and he recalled the time he went to the house alone. It had taken every ounce of strength in him to stop crying and leave the house. He wondered if he should give Lily some time to accept her loss first... But then he didn't think it would be right to deny her when she asked.
Shortly after, Lily slipped on a jersey and followed Daniel into his truck. He drove slowly and carefully down the blacktopped road and parked in front of the wrought iron gate. Daniel killed the engine and turned to Lily who was silently staring out the window on the locked gate.
"Do you wanna go in?" he asked her.
She answered with a faint nod and moved out of the truck. Daniel unlocked and pushed open the door section of the gate. He waited for Lily to pass through and followed suit. Lily remained quiet as she watched Daniel open the main door too and led her inside. Lily stopped at the threshold and turned from shoulder to shoulder, slowly scanning the area. The windows remained shut, and so did the curtains and Lily sensed the lifelessness of her house choking her up. The TV set and the furniture were covered with white linen. The only thing that seemed to move was the old, circular, white clock on the wall just above the television. Her father had told her he bought it the day she was born and it had been in the house ever since. The master of the house was gone but the clock remained faithful to the owners in its duty as if it had decided to honor them until the end of its hour.
"It's so empty," Lily whispered barely above her breath but Daniel heard her.
He stepped up and stood next to her.
"It won't always be," he said, putting an arm around her as he tried to cheer her up. "There will come a time when this house will be filled with people."
"I don't see it," she replied obstinately.
"I do. One day, you would live here with your family. Your kids and grandkids." He smiled at her and she scoffed at him, tears in her eyes although she was smiling.
"What a stupid idea," she laughed, trying her best to divert her mind from the people who'd left her. "I won't get married," she added jokingly but the tears kept coming and she wiped them off.
"Then what would Mothelshang do?" Daniel kept up the conversation although he saw that she was failing miserably at this act. Yet he tried.
"He'll get another girl," returned Lily with a shaky voice and she fell sobbing to her knees, burying her face in her hands.
Daniel caught her and rocked her in his arms as she cried into his chest.
"I don't want another family. I just want mummy and papa," she wept and wet his shirt.
Daniel held her in his embrace and sat with her on the floor for as long as she needed. Although he worried for her, he didn't tell her to stop. She needed to let it out. All these times and she hadn't properly mourned them.
"That's enough, Lily. You would only hurt yourself now. You need to be careful. Think of your health," consoled Daniel, rubbing her back and planting tender kisses on her head.
Lily rested her head on his chest, exhausted, and tried to breathe. At this point, spikes of pain shot up in her chest at every breath she took but the tears never stopped flowing. Having lost everything, her only comfort now was the securing grip of two strong arms enclosed around her. Her weak fingers clawed at his arms and clung to him like a lost child begging him to not abandon her.
"Take me to them," she said weakly as she lay in his arms.
"You're exhausted. We could go some other time."
"I'll be fine," she insisted. "I have to see them. I've waited for too long."
Reluctantly, Daniel looked at her with concern. "You can't be hard on yourself, Lily."
"I'll be fine. It's been too long."
Daniel opened the window, pulled the drapes aside, and let her rest on the couch as he made her something to drink.
"How are you eating?" Daniel asked as he settled by her feet, putting them on his lap. "You don't look fine."
"I eat," she said, "I don't eat much but I do."
"I brought apples and oranges, and grapes and bananas. They're all in the bag. Eat everything, as many as you can. Now, you have to focus on getting your strength back. We have to move forward no matter what," he told her as he gently massaged her feet.
She nodded with her eyes closed.
"And are you sleeping well?" he asked, looking at her pale eyelids. They always used to be painted and colored in soft shades.
"I can't sleep at all. Sometimes, when I do, I get nightmares... Then, I'd wake up. I think I haven't slept a wink in two days."
"Try to get some sleep now, while I'm here."
She nodded, shifted her position to keep her head on his lap, and closed her eyes. Daniel played with her hair and stroked her scalp with his fingertips, slowly putting her to sleep. Hugging his arm to her chest and curled up on the couch, she slept through the afternoon like a kitten, seemingly floating through a sweet, sweet dream, but at sunset, she woke up with a start.
"Mummy!" she jumped up.
In the spur of the moment, Daniel too jolted awake from his slumber and caught her in his arms. She stared at him wide-eyed in panic, her breathing short and rapid.
"Easy. Easy. It's okay. You've been dreaming. It's only a dream," he said, smoothing her hair away from her face and caressing her cheeks.
The terrified girl stared at him, then at the ceiling, and slowly quiet down. She buried her face against his stomach, saying, "It wasn't just a dream."
He felt her put her arms around his waist, grasping at his shirt behind him and fighting back her tears. Daniel rubbed his back and held her tight. No matter how badly he wanted her to get over the misery and feel better, there was nothing he could say or do to make her feel better now.
Moments later, she looked up at him and asked, "Were you sleeping too?"
"Yeah. Don't know how I nodded off," he said as he wiped his face and brushed his fingers through his hair.
Lily turned to the clock on the wall and sat up. "It's getting late. We should go now before it's too late."
"Do you still wanna go to the cemetery."
"Yes. Let's go now."
They closed the windows, drew the curtains close, covered the furniture with white linen again, and with one sad look at it, Lily turned her back and Daniel locked the house.
"I should come back here as soon as possible," she said as she followed him down the steps.
For that to be possible soon, promise me you'll eat well and that you'll be strong." He stopped near the gate and turned to face her directly. He held her shoulders and looked at her intently. She suddenly appeared very small and childlike in his eyes as she met his eyes and waited for him to speak. He took one deep breath and planted a deep kiss on her forehead.
"I truly wanna take you with me, Lily. I wish I could right now. I wish I could do so many things to ease your pain. I wish I was more capable. Forgive me that I'm unable to do much for you."
Lily welled up with tears immediately and threw her arms around him. "There's nothing to forgive, Mocha. I just keep thinking... If I'm on my own now."
He kissed her hard on the top of her head and pulled her petite frame into his embrace. "You will always have me, Lily. I promise. No matter what, I'll always be there for you. You'll never be alone. Not while I'm alive."
"Don't leave me," she said against his chest. "I'd die without you."
"We'll always be together, Lily. You don't have to worry about anything." He gently cupped her face in his palms and made her look at him. "Forever, I swear. I care about you more than anyone or anything in this world."
She nodded, tears gleaming in her eyes.
"I love you," he told her softly, and it stirred her heart differently.
Daniel met her eyes in the little space between their faces and something clicked inside both hearts. He had always kept reminding her that he loved and cared about her. It was only natural he told her again but at this moment, Lily felt something strange and entirely new shimmy down her back, tying up the little strings in her stomach into a knot. Daniel swallowed as he gazed at her sweet face, the tenderness in her eyes, and the urge to hold her forever, and even closer, overwhelmed him.
But he braced into his self-restraint and stopped himself by kissing her forehead one last time. Lily blushed and turned her face to the ground. Suddenly, the air between them felt so new and she could hardly look at him.
"I love you too," she returned as always, but it came out like she had a secret in her heart, and it surprised and amused Daniel altogether.
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Yes. I'm still writing. My family's just been getting sick one after the other. Hope you enjoyed this update.
Thanks a lot for coming this far ❤️
Love, Hermyne
Also, what do you think of the new cover?