*August 3rd--Sorry this may suck*
"Daddy, wake up, wake up! It's my birthday today! Wake up! I'm three today!" Melody exclaimed as she jumped on the bed beside Michael. He groaned and rolled to his side, "No you're not, you're still my baby girl." She sighed and sat down by him. "Daddy I'm big girl now! I'm three! Get up!" She exclaimed and shook his arm. He groaned once more, "Alright birthday girl, what do you want for breakfast?" She didn't even have to think, "Blueberry pancakes with apple juice.
*Time Skip*
Calum was the first to show up. "Hey birthday girl, how old are you now, 16?" He greeted Melody as he picked her up. She giggled and shook her head, "I'm three!" She said and held up three fingers. "Are you sure? I think you're lying." He smirked. She giggled and hid her face in his neck. "Happy birthday,"
*Michael's POV*
Her eyes grimmed as she saw the presents in front of her. "Okay baby girl, go pick one out." I said, motioning to the presents. She got a lot of toys, but really why not give a three year old toys, we all know they don't really care about clothing quite yet. When they do, God help us to pick out the right stuff. She seemed to get really excited when she opened up a big box and kits of LEGOS from her uncles. "Daddy look! It's the police station one!" She declared since that's the one she really wanted. "Say thank you to Uncle Ash and Ella." I said and she did as she was told. Calum, being the one that spoils Melody the most, got her a racecar track and Luke finished that off with a Hot Wheel car set. "Calum, can we play with this after cake?" She asked, holding up the gift. "Whenever you want to play with sweets." Calum replied happily.
What can I say, my little girl is a tomboy. My mom asked me repeatedly if I was positive about not giving her girly toys like Barbies and baby doll, and I repeatedly told her yes, she would run a toy monster truck over the Barbie and though the baby doll out the window. I couldn't help but smile on the inside.
Eventually she got to the gift that I deeply thought about. "Be careful with this one sweets." I softly said and put her in my lap and helped unwrap it. "Daddy, what is it?" She asked as she looked at the box. "Here, let me open it up." I said and opened the lid, revealing a music box. I saw my daughter's hazel eyes look at it with fascination with the object in my hands, never seeing one before. "Now watch this." I said and winded up the silver object. It soon played the acoustic version of "Wherever you are." I looked at her intensely listen to the song that came from her present. "Now when I'm gone, you can still listen to me and your uncles sing before you go to bed." I happily said and kissed her head. "Do you like it?" She looked up at me with a big smile, "I love it, Daddy! Thank you!" She exclaimed. I smiled, "You're welcome," I states and kissed her forehead. "Okay, not to be rude, but I'm hungry and I'm done with the cute stuff, can we eat already?!" Luke exclaimed. I chuckled, "Sure Luke, but you'll get the last slice." I teased, getting up and handed Melody to Calum.
I grabbed the birthday girl's Blue's Clues birthday cake from the fridge and three candles from a drawer. The boys, my parents, Ella and Shelby and Jaycee sang "Happy Birthday" to Melody as I lit the candles for her to blow out. "Don't spit on the cake please." Luke said as Melody prepared herself like it was the hardest challenge in the world. "Make a wish," I said and kissed her temple before she blew out every candle in one blow. We all ate after I cut it into equal pieces. My daughter still had one more present. I already had this planned out in my head, and it was falling in place. "Melody, I have another present for you." I smiled with pride. "Really?" She excitedly said. "Yeah, now let's go see it." I encouraged. "Okay," She said and followed me. I led her to the opened garage. "Daddy, why is my present out here?" She asked, looking up at me. "You'll see," I stated and walked to the opening of the garage door. There was a new red and yellow tricycle. Melody gasped as her eyes went wide in excitement. "Daddy, is it for me?" She exclaimed, almost jumping. "Of course it is! Now go try it out," I remarked. I got her a helmet, but I have faith in my child. Plus, it's a tricycle, it's idiot proof. Melody quickly got the three-wheeled bike correctly. "Now peddle." I told her, knowing someone was on the porch recording this milestone from the side. "Okay," Melody said a bit unsure. She obeyed me, easily getting the hang of it. "Daddy look! I'm doing it!" She cheered. "Yes you are baby girl, keep going!" I exclaimed as she sped up, making me walk faster to keep up with my little girl, not missing any of this. Neither of us could get the smiles to go away. We finally got to the end of the driveway, where she stopped. "Now turn around, Melody." I told her. She looked up at me with sad eyes, "How?" She asked disappointed in herself not knowing. I bent down and showed her how to turn the handles for the front wheel to turn. She took it from there back to the garage. "I did, I did it!" She cheered. I smiled brightly. "Yes you did Melody. You did it marvelously." I gushed while picking her up in my arms. "Now it's time for bath and then bed." I confirmed, knowing that most of the guests will be leaving soon. "Nooo, too early." She whined. "Yes you are. End of story." I stated and walked into the house. "But I'm not tired." She complained. "But you will be." I said.
My parents said their goodbyes and went home, leaving me with the rest of the gang after I tucked a sleeping Melody into bed. "Michael we're going out clubbing tonight, you wanna come?" Calum asked. I scrunched my nose and shook my head like a child not wanting to try a vegetable. "Michael when was the last time you got any, you know?" Calum thrusted his hips a few times. I swallowed and looked down at the floor. "Oh my God," Shelby gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, already knowing. "Michael, you know she would want to you get some right?" Luke spoke. I stayed silent. "I can't believe you've been practically a virgin after all this time! Have you even thought about it?" Calum asked. "NO! I HAVEN'T AND I DON'T WANT TO!" I yelled, kind of forgetting about my baby girl. "Mikey," Ella started and I glared at her. "Don't. Call. Me. That." I angrily spoke. She came up and gripped my shoulder hard. She was a head shorter than me, but she had a strong grip. "Michael Gordon Clifford, you only have one excuse not to go out and party tonight with the guys. Jaycee will watch over Melody, you haven't got any for a long time, you barely drink anymore, and I don't even remember you going out over these last three years and nine months. Michael, I know this. SHE knows this. I BET SHE WANTS you to do this! You gotta get over her Michael. If she was here, she'd probably go too-" "BUT SHE ISN'T HERE! I DON'T WANT TO GO!" I announced mad. She did what none of us, not even Ashton seen, Ella slapped me. She grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me on the couch angrily. "Michael, you are the least party goer now. Before you were the king. Just because you have a child doesn't mean you have to stop. I'm not saying you have to be the king again, but get your head out of your @$$. You're not cheating on her for crying out loud! It's just one night out with the guys at some clubs. That's it Michael, and if you say no I'm going to drag you by your balls to the club with them." She got stern at the end. "Daddy?" A soft whimpered came at the hallway entry. Ella turned to the boys with astonished looks on their faces. "Calum, go help Melody." She softly said. He nodded and picked up Melody, "But I want Daddy." She whimpered. "Please, let me help her." Ella shook her head. I just felt guilty not helping my sweet, little girl.
*3rd Person*
"Now what are you doing up at this hour?" Calum asked as he tucked her in bed. It must have been about nine o'clock, which was two hours past her bedtime. "I had a nightmare." Melody confused in a whimper. "It's okay. What happened?" He asked, giving more time for Ella to pursue Michael to go out with them for the first time in a long time. "A bunch of bad ninjas came in and attacked and took Daddy away. I-I was left alone. Daddy didn't come back, no one did. Then there was a funeral and I was burried a-alive in the ground. N-no one saved me." She spoke, recalling what happened in her dream. "Then, I woke up and there was yelling." She whimpered and brought the Spider-man bear closer to her. Calum made a small smile and brought back some of her hair behind her ear. "It's okay. Everything and everyone is fine. Now go back to sleep." He said, standing up before Melody grabbed his finger. "Wait," She breathed. He sat back down on the twin bed. "Can you sing to me. I won't sleep. I get nightmare." She whispered. "Alright..." He thought about a song to sing.
"Back in high school we used to take it slow. Red lipstick on and high heel stilettos. Had a job downtown working the servo. Had me waiting in line couldn't even let go. 'Cause I never wanna be that guy. Who doesn't even get a taste. No more having to chase to win that prize. You're just a little bit out of my limit. It's been two years now you haven't even seen the best of me. And in my mind now I've been over this a thousand times.But it's almost over. Let's start over
'Cause I never wanna be that guy
Who doesn't even get a taste. No more having to chase. To win that prize
You're just a little bit out of my limit
It's been two years now you haven't even seen the best of me and in my mind now I've been over this a thousand times.But it's almost over
Let's start over.You're just a little bit out of my limit. It's been two years now you haven't even seen the best of me.And in my mind now I've been over this a thousand times.But it's almost over.Let's start over
You're just a little bit out of my limit
it's been two years now you haven't even seen the best of me
And in my mind now I've been over this a thousand times but it's almost over.Let's start over." He softly sang her back to sleep before waiting a minute to make sure it was okay to go back to the living room, and it was.
"I- a-alright... but I still," Michael started, but Ella put her index finger on his lips and hushed him. "We know Michael, but she would want you to." She said. The poor boy nodded, not saying anything. He then spot Calum coming in the room. "What happened?" He admittedly asked. "Just a nightmare, she's fine." He answered, ignoring the part were Melody said she heard yelling. "Come on if we're not going now, we're not going to be f_cked." Cal exclaimed and got up. They all piled into the car and drove off, leaving Melody with her nanny at home.
As the boys were out getting drunk and what else they do *I'll mention that in the next chapter* a friendly spirit entered the house. She took in the warmth of the house. "I miss this," She whispered in a breath-like voice. The spirit walked into the living room, noticing the left over wrapping paper scattered throughout the room. She remembered that today was the third year of not only life, but her own death. She had a sad smile on and went to her child's bedroom. The sight of her own daughter filled her still heart with love and happiness. The spirit walked over to the bedside and knelt down to see her sleeping daughter's face as she slept on her side. "My little Melody," She smiled brightly at the words leaving her mouth. "Happy birthday my little girl. Mummy misses you and Daddy." She said gently and as softly as she ever could, brought back the hair that was on the sleeping child's face. The spirit lightly kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you Melody Anastasia-Lyric." She whispered. She stood up and started to walk away from her sleeping daughter. "Mummy?" That little voice stopped her. She turned around and walked back to her sleepy daughter. "What are you doing awake?" She asked. "Nightmare," Melody quietly asked as she sat up. "Can you sing to me, please?" Melody added. Her mummy sat beside her, having the little girl lay down again. "I'm not as could as your father or uncles okay," She said, warning her daughter.
"Hello there,
The angel from my nightmare,
The shadow in the background of the morgue.
The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley.
We can live like Jack and Sally
If we want.Where you can always find meAnd we'll have Halloween on Christmas.And in the night we'll wish this never ends,We'll wish this never ends.(I miss you, miss you, I miss you, miss you)Where are you?And I'm so sorry. I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight. I need somebody and always
This sick strange darkness Comes creeping on so haunting every time. And as I stared I counted.The webs from all the spiders.Catching things and eating their insides. Like indecision to call you,And hear your voice of treason.Will you come home and stop this pain tonight? Stop this pain tonight."
Haylie quietly sang to her daughter. Even though she was asleep half way through, she couldn't leave that easily. She stood up and tucked her daughter in before hearing a door open from the front of the house.