It took several days for me to learn just how horrible that first one was.
It was concerning at the beginning, of course, when dad didn't come home, but only time could show us just how serious the situation was. I woke up that Sunday morning expecting that dad had been found safe and sound while I slept. Though doubt and dark thoughts whispered the crueler truth to me, I wasn't prepared to find out that reality had only grown more dire. To be honest, it wasn't just the fact that dad went missing that made those days heartbreaking. The worst part was that he had been there for the majority of that Saturday. Dad had been right in front of me. We had talked as we always did, we goofed around like usual, and I took him for granted like I done each and every day of my life. I hadn't taken one second to say goodbye before he left. It had been a while since I had even hugged him or done anything to let him know I appreciated him. Dad had walked out the door, and in that moment he transformed from a person I knew into a mere memory of a person I had known.
I woke up early, and I left my bed eagerly. I wanted to see what dad had done that caused him to be so late. I wanted to joke around with him again, and I wanted to tease an extra ice cream cup out of him for making me worry. However, what I got instead was a series of unfamiliar voices quietly wafting up from downstairs. I could tell by the way they were talking that the discussion wasn't a cheerful one.
It was clear I wouldn't be hearing any good news. I nearly went back to my room, but I was well aware there was always going to be stuff the adults wouldn't tell me since I was still a child. I wondered if I actually preferred to be kept in the dark about some things, but I also wanted the truth. Taking a seat at the top of the stairs to make myself hidden, I only peeked around the banister once to confirm that it was police officers mom and Uncle Blaze were talking to.
"Is there anyone who might hold any ill will towards your family?" one of them asked.
I had to listen carefully. Even though the adults were relatively close, their somber tones had their voices soft and hard to catch.
"There's probably hundreds of people out there who hate our guts," mom answered bitterly, "You know my story. I don't think any of us here are deluded enough to think that all of the worst employees working for The Company were rounded up during the investigations. I can bet you there's plenty of them out there who hold a grudge against me and my family because we were involved with their downfall. There's most likely several who still have power enough to retaliate."
The fear began to sink in. I hadn't even thought of that. All of the struggles my parents had gone through, it felt like nothing more than ancient history. Their tale was a school lesson, in fact. My mom's picture had been in every history textbook I had used in my classes. The eighteen years that had passed since her fight with her captors seemed like a lifetime to someone as young as me. That repercussions of her fight were still around to be a danger to us had me shifting nervously.
My heart jolted forward and pounded furiously when a hand was suddenly placed on my shoulder. It was a miracle I didn't cry out and alert the adults to my presence. My head whipping around, I spotted Wisp crouching over me. He gave me a gentle smile and sat down next to me without saying a word. He wasn't normally one to eavesdrop, but even he couldn't resist in moments like this. I knew he was especially concerned about anything regarding the dangerous Company I had always been warned about. Mom had this fear that I think had been passed down to him that someone someday would come to try and take him away like he was supposed to have been taken away.
The voices grew too quiet for Wisp and I to hear for a moment, but there seemed to be some acknowledgment of my mom's words. Uncle Blaze said something, and that was when the talking became clear again.
"Yes, so far we've gathered enough evidence to mark his disappearance as the result of foul play and not through accidental means." the other officer spoke.
My chest tightened painfully, and I didn't mind when Wisp slipped his hand into mine.
"We talked to the cashier at Peppy's who rung him out. She confirmed his large purchase of ice cream and was adamant there was nothing suspicious about his behavior or the behavior of anyone else around them. The store does have video surveillance of the parking lot, but it is only one camera that does not cover the whole perimeter. Amaranth's car was parked just out of its line of sight due to the heavy traffic of customers at that time of the day. The video shows that he did arrive at the store, make his purchase, and began to make his return to his vehicle."
"The car was still at the store though. Eden discovered that last night when he went there looking for him." mom said.
"Yes. It appears that the car was not touched after it was parked. That led us to scope out the surrounding area for what had to have happened to prevent him from getting back inside it."
There was the sound of crinkling plastic, a small gasp from mom, and then utter silence. I took another quick peek down the stairs to see the brown and yellow officer holding a plastic bag with what looked like dad's wallet, keys, phone, and the other stuff from his pockets.
"There is a grove that nestles right up against Peppy's. These were found about fifty meters in along with the bags of melted ice cream cups. There...there was also some blood. Not much of it, but enough to show that there was a struggle. It's being analyzed to see if we can find out exactly who it belongs to. The surrounding area is also being thoroughly combed to see if there is more evidence nearby." the orange and blue officer explained with reluctance.
My heart was racing as fast as ever, but it felt like it had stopped instead. The world was silent to me, yet I swore I could hear the staggered breathing of those on the first floor. I wanted to make noise to break the quiet as it was turning me crazy in mere seconds. I almost forgot that the others weren't aware of my presence.
"Well, that you've found nothing else so far in your search might be a good thing, right?" mom broke the silence for me, speaking with gentle, desperate optimism, "There's still the chance that he's fine. We have room to hope whereas a...body or anything of that sort would have been a definitive answer we wouldn't have wanted."
"That is true," the other officer agreed, "Until we have evidence to suspect otherwise, we don't need to jump to the conclusion that taking his life is the goal of the culprits involved with his disappearance. We have already combed the grove and the area within a one mile radius with relative care. If this was just the work of a common thug, the body would have been most likely left where it was. Otherwise, they would have had to have carried it through all those trees where populated streets would have met them. The fact that all of your husband's money and items of value were left behind supports the idea that this wasn't the work of a mere thief either. I think it is safe to say that there is someone connected to the results of your past involved here, and perhaps that they only mean to keep him hostage until a ransom or other demand is met. If that's the case, then we should have an opportunity to retrieve him safely."
The way the little of mom I could see bent, I could tell that she had turned her attention to the third man who had been brought along. I had assumed it was Holly and Mimosa's grandpa Jac since I had only caught a glimpse of his purple outfit, but as soon as he spoke it was obvious it was some other man I had never met.
"We've been keeping a close eye on any potential resurgence of Company activity, and there has been nothing on the radar so far. It is possible a move like this could have been made under our noses if they used a small amount of people and resources though. No matter the case, we'll be looking into this thoroughly. We'll also add another two security officers to your family's watch for the time being until we can determine how much of a threat we're facing. One clearly wasn't enough."
Wisp and I looked at each other with wide eyes. I didn't have a clue who that guy was or what he did, but by the way he, mom, and Uncle Blaze then began to talk it sounded as if they knew him well. I just couldn't believe that there had been someone watching us this whole time though. Were we truly that much of a target? Wisp shrugged hopelessly as I motioned my awe. Apparently, we must have been seen as being quite at risk if they had kept even him out of the loop.
There was a bit more talking, but I had stopped paying attention. There was no more useful information to gather. Besides, I was in a state of shock. I truly had expected to find out something along the lines of dad's car had broken down, or maybe he had accidentally broken his leg and had been sent to the hospital. Not that he had been lured or dragged into the woods and attacked. Not that he was nowhere to be found, had been kidnapped, or was possibly even killed. Not that there was a good chance he was never coming home.
"Who do you think that guy was?" I asked Wisp in a whisper when the discussion stopped and the three men left.
"Probably some kind of government official. I actually think I recognize his voice. I've overheard it on calls mom has taken." he answered quietly.
"You really think they've had someone watching us?"
"I'm sure they have. I don't know why I was surprised. I remember- it used to be crazy. You should have seen all the paparazzi trying to sneak into the park for my fifth birthday. They had people watching us back out in the open then. I didn't realize at the time that that was something most families didn't deal with. Things have quieted down a lot, but I suppose that's when you need to be more wary. The point when everyone starts to forget and turn their gaze towards other matters is the better time to attack."
"You think someone from this Company everyone always mentions is behind dad being missing then?"
"I can't say for sure, but it is the safest bet to go with right now." Wisp shrugged.
"And what about dad? Do you think he's safe, or do you think..."
I couldn't finish the sentence.
"That's something we're just going to have to wait and see about. That police officer was right. If he was dead, his body couldn't have been taken far without someone seeing it. They would have at least had to walk out of the grove with him alive before they could take that more drastic step. I think if we don't hear anything about them finding anything like a body by tonight though, then we can probably breathe a little easier and assume he was merely captured instead of killed. That does give us some room to work with, and some hope like mom said."
I glanced up weakly when Wisp wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"But, no matter what happens, we'll be fine, you know? Even if the worst come to pass, even if we have to be hurt, even if we lose something we shouldn't have to lose- we'll pull through at the end of the day. We've still all got each other, and dad has always only wanted for us to be happy. I have every intention of continuing to strive for that despite any hardships we have to endure."
I was able to work a tiny smile onto my face, and Wisp gave me a hug before he stood back up.
I went back to my room to lay down for a while longer, but I couldn't stand being still. The answers were out there somewhere. Dad was out there somewhere- alive or dead. I wanted to do something to help even if it wasn't much. The truth that there was next to nothing I could do bothered me greatly. I hadn't ever felt so useless before.
I made my way downstairs. Wisp remained in his room, and I wasn't sure if Prism and Desire had woken up yet. I didn't see a reason to get them up and spoil the same optimism I had had. Mom and Uncle Blaze were working on a breakfast of french toast when I found them in the kitchen. I figured Uncle Blaze had probably ended up staying the night, but that actually wasn't unusual in the slightest. He spent more nights in our house than he did his own place. He had even taken over the spare bedroom.
"Are you sure it's wise to be letting Uncle Blaze help you cook?" I asked teasingly after I faced the forced smile mom gave me.
"I think your son is definitely challenged in the head. He still calls me that despite knowing that he's going to be in a world of pain someday if he doesn't stop." Uncle Blaze warned, for he actually hated being referred to as uncle.
"I can't help it if he doesn't have any sense of self-preservation." mom joked back.
"Well, he's just lucky I'm not in the mood to get the newspaper all rolled up nice and good now. I need to concentrate on breaking these stupid eggs. Knowing my skill, I'll look away for a second and they'll turn into chickens."
Mom laughed a little for real at that.
However, as I made my way around the counter, her smile shifted back into that hesitant one. I saw fear and worry, much deeper than mine, dancing around behind the cheerful exterior she tried to present. She fidgeted nervously as she stared at me. I knew she was waiting for me to ask that important question, so I put her out of her misery right away.
"You don't need to explain about dad. I heard most everything. I was listening from the top of the stairs. Wisp was too." I admitted, not needing or desiring to hear the information a second time.
"I see," mom said, her smile sad now, "Are you alright?"
"I think so. I mean, that purple guy seemed really important. It looks like he'll be able to find dad no problem."
"That's Special Officer Noble. He's been helping your dad and I out for quite a long while now. He has promised to get all the right people working on bringing Am back home as soon as possible." mom explained.
"Of course, that's if the rascally brat doesn't make his way home on his own first," Uncle Blaze spoke almost boastfully, giving me a loving noogie after putting me in a soft headlock as way of a morning greeting, "Am can more than hold his own, thanks to all the training he's gotten from yours truly. He's probably taking so long to come back home because he's making sure those idiots who would dare to mess with us get the extra special beating they deserve."
"Can I get some of that training?" I requested with enthusiasm.
"Sure!"
"No."
Uncle Blaze's and mom's answers overlapped.
"Aww, c'mon mom. I only wanna learn how to beat Prism up." I whined, mostly sarcastic.
"No one is beating anyone up. Ever." she denied firmly.
I rolled my eyes and leaned forward eagerly when Uncle Blaze motioned for me to get closer. He whispered that I was always free to come to his place to get some practice in. If it was merely for self-defense, then mom couldn't complain. There was a long list of things he could teach me, most of which I'm sure he mentioned purely to tease mom. She was totally able to hear us, but we soon found out she wasn't paying attention.
"Ethereal?" Uncle Blaze said in alarm.
Mom had made a sudden dash for the sink. She clutched onto the handles with hands shaking, and her back trembled as a frighteningly deep heave rattled her body. Uncle Blaze rushed towards her. I covered my ears with my hands, closed my eyes, and took several subtle, sliding steps away from them. Blood I was excellent at handling. Vomit, not so much. I randomly started singing the ABCs in my head to distract myself from the gurgling noises mom made as she lost whatever she had munched on that morning. Thankfully for all of us, her burst of nausea did not last long. Uncle Blaze rubbed mom's back while he flushed the throw-up down the drain.
"I think you should sit down." he suggested, to which she nodded.
She stumbled a bit as we led her over to the dining table. I had thought she looked worn, but I assumed that because of the worrying situation with dad. However, her troubles with her body yesterday had obviously not cleared up completely.
"Is that medicine still making you feel ill?" I wondered.
Mom, who hung her head against her hands, shook her head slightly.
"Are you actually ill then?" Uncle Blaze questioned as he felt her forehead, "You should go lie down then if that's the case. You're stressed enough worrying about Am, and that's only going to make it worse. I'm sure the last thing you want right now is to end up back in the hospital again.
"No, I'm not sick," mom said quietly before a quiet, strange wryly amused tone of defeated exasperation took over her voice, "I was going to tell him last night when he came home..."
Uncle Blaze and I glanced at each other in mild confusion. Mom shook her head again. She took a moment to compose herself before she looked up to stare straight at the wall to speak with much more determination.
"I'm not sick. I'm pregnant. I was just lying about the medicine yesterday for a cover-up. "
My mouth dropped open. There was a seven year gap between Cerise and me. I hadn't thought mom would ever have another baby. It was news I was actually really excited to hear though. I liked being a big brother, and it was nice to have something good to look forward to amongst the bad we were currently dealing with. Mom glanced up to Uncle Blaze wearing a silly little smile, and he laughed.
"Again?" he teased lovingly, "Ethereal, you're already 36. Wisp is 17. This isn't another 'whoops' baby, is it?"
"No," mom chuckled, "The pregnancy was definitely planned. Am and I knew we were running out of reasonable time if we wanted to have another child, so we decided to take our chance while we had it. It was more me who really wanted another child though. Am was just willing to go along with the idea. I was hoping maybe this baby would take more after me, or, I suppose, I should say more like Meadow."
Uncle Blaze laughed even harder.
"I see. A little too much red in your life, huh? I guess I can see where you're coming from though. It is rather crazy that you and Am managed a white kid on your own, but that the only green you've been able to pass down is your eyes to Desi and Ceri."
"I'm not the 'whoops' baby, am I?" I jumped in, tugging on mom's sleeve and frowning.
That got Uncle Blaze laughing harder still and mom laughing a good laugh now as well.
"No, that was Prism and Desi." she revealed, holding her finger to her lip to reveal that it was a secret.
"They got two when they weren't even expecting one." Uncle Blaze pointed out humorously.
Mom's smile remained on her face for a few more good seconds, but it inevitably dropped as did her gaze when reality hit her once more. She let out the longest sigh I ever heard.
"Amaranth had better get home soon. It's painful to think that he doesn't know yet. That he might not ever know..."
Mom shook her head yet again, much more vigorously than before.
"Well, there is the chance he could know, if he figured out the clue I gave him."
"What clue was that?" Uncle Blaze asked.
"Do you remember the ice cream flavors I asked him to get me?"
"Oh. Uh...what was it? Butterscotch, apricot crunch...blue- no, blackberry swirl, and yellow fruit delight. That correct?" Uncle Blaze managed somehow.
"Yup. Now say them again."
"Oookay. Butterscotch, apricot crunch, blackberry swirl, yellow fruit delight. Yeah, I got nothing. Butterscotch, apricot crunch, black...berry swirl, yellow fruit delight. Butterscotch, apricot crunch, blackberry swirl..." he trailed off again, and then he smiled widely, "The first letters of each spell baby."
Mom nodded.
"Clever. I like that." Uncle Blaze said approvingly.
"There's no way he figured that out though." I scoffed in amusement.
I cringed when I received a very nasty, very hard glare from Uncle Blaze. I pouted at the sudden anger, and I turned to mom for support. However, she wasn't paying attention to us again.
"Yeah. Probably not." she said softly.
The last of the small smile she had been clinging onto faded as her voice did. A heartbroken glaze washed over her expression.
I wanted to slam my head into the table multiple times. Why was I such an idiot?
I wanted to say something to fix my stupid mistake, but mom had quickly become lost in her world of thought. Her head lifted up to focus on the picture mounted on the wall in front of her. It was one we had taken not that long ago, and it was one of our best family portraits as everyone looked pretty decent. Mom's stare fixated on dad's face, and when I glanced at her pained expression of longing it was as if I was reading her mind. That portrait was no longer complete. There was going to be a new member to have to add, and there was currently one person missing who should still be there. Mom was terrified that he would always be missing. That we would never again be able to stand together as a complete family.
It didn't surprise me when tears welled up in mom's eyes, but that didn't mean I was any better prepared to handle them. I had rarely seen mom cry over any real hurtful matter. I normally only saw her cry over happy or inconsequential stuff. Like when Uncle Al told too many jokes and made her laugh too hard, or when she watched some sappy, sad romance movie. The crying that most closely resembled her trembling tears now was her frequent crying back when Cerise was born. Dad had said it had been a mixture of her crazy hormones and overall exhaustion.
"Why did he have to disappear now?" mom sobbed despondently into her arms when her head sunk to the table, "Why couldn't he have waited until I told him? Not only is this baby never going to know its father, its father is never going to know it existed. It's too cruel. How I am going to be able to face that on my own?"
I was extremely glad Uncle Blaze was there with me. I just stared at mom blankly having no idea what to do. She had set a great example all my life as to how to comfort other people, but I had apparently not been paying attention to that example at all. I could only watch as Uncle Blaze began rubbing her back once more and spoke to her in a gentle voice he typically reserved for Cerise.
"Ethereal, you can't think like that. I know everything looks worrisome, but we still don't understand fully what's going on just yet. Amaranth could be walking through that door any minute now for all we know. Even if it does taken him a little longer than that before he gets back, you're not going to be alone in this in the slightest. You won't believe how many times I've already had to call Eden telling him to at least get his kids ready for the day first before he rushes over like he keeps texting me that he's going to do. You're going to be swarmed with so much help that you're not going to know what to do with it all," he comforted, and then there appeared a strange tone in his voice that made me quite certain I was missing a crucial piece of information as to what he was getting at, "And if you think I'm not going to talk to everyone I know to find Am and bring him home, then maybe you're not as much of a genius as we've supposed."
Slowly, mom slid back up. Something in his words had resonated with her, as she appeared more sure of herself. She fought back her tears, dried her face, and pulled me in for a hug. In typical Uncle Blaze fashion, he wrapped his arms around us too and hugged so tightly that mom couldn't help but to giggle.
Breakfast was kind of horrible. There hadn't been too much need for Wisp and I to eavesdrop. Mom and Uncle Blaze explained to Prism and Desire everything we had heard them say before, and mom repeated her baby announcement. She even fessed up to the fact that there had been someone secretly watching us our whole lives. We were also urged to be more conscious of our surroundings when we went out. There were a lot of promises made of always letting others know where we were going and that kind of stuff. Past that, there wasn't much talking. No one really wanted to talk, and trying to pretend like everything was alright when it wasn't didn't make anything better. There were six people at the table like there always since since Uncle Blaze was with us, but the absence of the person at the spot at the end left the table feeling empty.
Part of me wanted to do nothing other than mope about the house all day. How could I go about having fun when something awful could be happening to dad? However, my attempt at lying pitifully motionless on my bed went as well as it had before. Sitting still only amplified the feelings of uselessness and hopelessness in my chest. I made a quick call on the phone to figure out how my day was going to go about. Sunday always ended up being different as it was almost always just me and the girls. Both Midas and Azure went along with their families to visit their grandparents and stuff. Holly, Mimosa, and Rosemary would generally come over to my house since it had a million and one things to do, but the atmosphere was too depressing this time around. I dashed across the road to Holly and Mimosa's house instead. Since I passed Uncle Eden making his way inside ours, I wasn't surprised to find that he had dropped Rosemary off already. It having never been required for me to knock, I walked inside to find my three friends siting at the table talking. They fell silent the instant they saw me, and the tight hug Mimosa gave me when she leapt up was a lot more welcome this time around.
"Your dad?" Holly asked cautiously with concern.
I shook my head dismally.
"He didn't come back. The police said they think someone attacked him and took him hostage." I explained with reluctance.
I wondered how mom had had the strength to explain the situation to my siblings. Even just saying those words and watching my friends' expressions fall ripped a wrenching pain through my chest. Saying it aloud made the nightmare that much more real.
"Is that so?" an unexpected, worried voice said from behind me to give me a jolt.
It was Uncle Al walking out from his room.
"Yeah," I continued, having to really force the words out, "They found his stuff and the ice cream in the woods by Peppy's. They don't know where dad or the criminal or criminals went, but they don't believe they want to kill him or anything like that. They think it's more of that Company trying to take revenge by demanding a ransom."
"That's horrible." Rosemary said despondently.
"Mom knows some government officer who is on the case though. From what she and Uncle Blaze have said about him, he's good at getting things done."
"You're talking about Special Officer Noble, aren't you?" Uncle Al guessed correctly, "I've met him a few times too. If he is looking into this, Am is coming back home sooner than later."
"That's what Uncle Blaze kept saying. There is also some other good news. Well, it's only kinda good since it's sad dad's not around to hear it yet," I started, trying to quickly lead the conversation to a better topic, "Mom's gonna have another baby."
Holly, Mimosa, and Rosemary let out girlish squeals and coos of excitement while Uncle Al laughed.
"I swear your parents are trying to repopulate the world by themselves. I'm not too shocked though. Ethereal was saying recently that she did like the idea of one of her children coming out more green than red the next time around." he admitted.
"Isn't she just jinxing herself into having another all red kid like Coal?" Holly asked teasingly.
"You would think so, but she'll probably get her wish. I tried jinxing her when she was pregnant with Wisp about her having identical twin girls, and I was the one who ended up getting them instead."
"Something like that happened? That's hilarious." Holly remarked in amused awe.
"I know. What were the chances, right? Ah, maybe I should tease her about having another all red kid. Then the opposite can happen again." Uncle Al proposed sarcastically.
"And then we'll find out mom is having another another baby too, and it'll be all pink or all purple." Mimosa followed along.
"Don't you even dare." Uncle Al chastised so seriously we all laughed again.
"But it could be a boy this time." Mimosa pointed out.
"Doesn't change the fact that we would have nowhere to put him!" Uncle Al exclaimed humorously.
We didn't stay at Uncle Al's house for too long. There truly wasn't that much space to hang out there, and there was little to do besides swing on their swings in the backyard or chill out on the porch. Uncle Al decided to take us to the large activity center in the city instead. It was an unusual destination for a Sunday, but I had a feeling he was trying to distract us from the depressing reality dad's disappearance had brought on. I don't think he realized that taking us to the center didn't help me to forget though. That was because it the main place dad took me whenever it was time for our father-son bonding afternoons. We had created all sorts of ruckus there, and every inch of the building brought up memories of him. I tried not to let my somber reminiscing show. There were few places in the city dad and I hadn't been to, so it wasn't like Uncle Al could actually do much in helping me escape my own mind.
"You alright over there?" I asked Holly.
The skating rink had been empty. We thus had chosen to take it over. Holly, however, struggled immensely. She barely moved her feet and was more shuffling along than skating.
"Why didn't anyone else want to go bowling? I would have rather done that instead." she mumbled irritably.
"Why don't you like skating?"
"Because I obviously suck."
"That's because you always choose bowling or something else every time we come here."
"Because I obviously suck!" she repeated with increased anger, spurred on by fear as she stumbled and nearly fell.
I moved faster to catch up so I could grab her hand and steady her.
"That's exactly why choosing bowling is never going to help. You won't get better if you always avoid practicing." I pointed out.
"I hate falling." Holly pouted, puffing her cheeks.
I resisted the temptation to poke them, as Holly was the kind to reciprocate by trying to bite my finger off.
"Don't let go then." I instructed, holding her hand tighter and pulling her along with me.
That pout of hers was stuck on her face for a good while longer. She refused to believe that giving herself a bit more momentum would actually make things easier and safer for her. Stubbornness was one of Holly's most prominent traits. It could be as infuriating as Mimosa's clinginess sometimes, but it was something I was used to handling what with having grown up with her all my life. I had gained the knowledge on when to be pushy and when to be supportive when it came to situations like this. With the proper amount of sarcastic teasing and friendly encouragement, Holly was skating alongside me at an acceptable pace. She hadn't let go of my hand for a moment though. Her grip on it increased whenever I tried to loosen mine even though I knew she would do fine on her own. In the end, I decided to use her unbreakable clutch for my own amusement. Holly berated me but had to choice but to follow when I moved towards the center of the ring. She was eager to take my other hand, and soon I had her spinning in a circle with me. It was a trick Uncle Frost had shown me. He had been the one to teach me how to skate, as both my mom and dad had never been able to get the hang of it.
The two of us were beginning to really enjoy ourselves when there came a ruckus from our right. It was Mimosa, and she was trying to be sneaky. It wasn't just other girls she got jealous of when they were around me. She couldn't even stand her own sister getting my attention for very long. Unlike Holly, Mimosa was an excellent skater. She had picked it up the fastest of any of us. However, all that skill seemed to have vanished out of nowhere. I tried not to roll my eyes when I spotted her making glances in our direction as she pretend to stumble and slip along. Holly did sigh a little when she soon zoomed over to our direction, forgetting only until the last second that she was now supposed to be terrible. Another fake tremble had her gently clutching onto us, and she was not subtle at all in how she attempted to have Holly's hand "fall" out of mine.
"I can't seem to get the hang of this. Coal, can you help me skate too?" Mimosa requested sweetly.
"Mimi, stop being such a pathetic liar. You know how to skate." Holly rebuked coldly, folding her arms.
I wasn't quite sure what to do. We weren't supposed to encourage Mimosa's delusions, especially when it included her blatantly lying, but we were told to let her down gently. To change the subject or distract her with something else, not call her out so roughly like Holly was doing.
"Maybe you're tired today. Why don't you skate with Mary? She looks like she's struggling somewhat too, but if you both help each other I think you should be fine." I proposed optimistically.
"Nooo, I want to skate with you!" she suddenly whined in a childish, high-pitched voice you were more likely to hear from someone like Cerise.
I had only just finished cringing when Uncle Al appeared behind me.
"I saw you guys were spinning. It looks like fun. Why don't you try it with me, Mimi?" he broke in with the idea.
"But-!" Mimosa was about to keep on protesting.
"You don't want to?" Uncle Al pouted now with subtle, mock hurt.
"I'll skate with you, daddy!" Mimosa instantly came around.
A big smile appeared on her face, and she eagerly placed her hands in his. Mimosa was attached to her father much like how she was attached to me. She loved being showered in his attention and was quick to reciprocate the love. A sad look from him was what it took to bring her under control, and the two would be inseparable for a while after that. Mimosa was a total daddy's girl, and Uncle Al was super cuddly with her. She began laughing nonstop like her typical self when the two began expertly spinning. Holly and I were free to go back to our own.
I lost interest in skating though. Mimosa was quick to follow me, leaving Uncle Al, Holly, and Rosemary playing around on the rink like it was their own personal playground. It was hard to watch, and that was because of Uncle Al. He played around with us kids too similar to how my dad played with us. I soon figured that being around him was what made temporarily trying to forget about my dad completely impossible to do. Hanging out with Mimosa was what made pushing him out of my mind easier. She truly did require that much attention. We had fun together though. After walking around for a bit, I pulled out some spare change and we hopped into the photo booth.
"These are the best silly pictures we've ever taken." she gushed proudly, peering over my shoulder to see them when they printed.
"You didn't have to stick your finger in my ear though. That really hurt."
"But that's the best picture of them all!" Mimosa laughed, "It's just sad that you're not smiling for real in any of them though."
She spoke that in a much softer voice, and I wasn't in a mood to try and pretend. Obviously, Mimosa was able to sense my actual state of mind.
"I don't think I can be cheerful for real today." I said hopelessly, pocketing the pictures.
Mimosa didn't say anything further. She merely wrapped her arms around my shoulders and rested her head against mine. I didn't react to her hold. My stare was set on the nearby window as I blankly stared at the outside world. I wasn't registering much...until something across the street caught my eye.
"Wait." I said practically inaudibly, my heart beginning to race.
Mimosa, I think, was left in a state of utter confusion when I unexpectedly bolted out of her hold and towards the activity center's door. I didn't care if she followed me or who I almost ran into as I ran into the sunlight, across the street, and into the very same park we had been at yesterday. The physical exertion was nothing to me, but when I slowed and looked around everywhere I breathed like I had run a mile.
"Coal, what are you doing?" Mimosa asked as she had followed me.
I continued to ignore her. I weaved all over the park. I was desperate to find what I swore I had seen.
Unfortunately, I would not find what I was looking for. The park was quiet and relatively empty. My furious darting about ceased, and a solemn chill washed over my chest to rebuke my still pounding heart for daring to get my hopes up. Mimosa walked up to me with that confusion and concern dancing in her eyes once more.
"I thought I saw my dad," I mumbled pitifully before she could question me again, "I guess I was being nothing other than stupid. If he was fine, he wouldn't bother coming here. He would be at home. I probably just saw some other red guy passing through, or maybe it was the tint of my reflection in the window because apparently I must be that idiotic to mistake that for him if I think I would be able to find him so easily."
"Coal, you're not stupid," Mimosa fought back determinedly, "You're just hurting, and there's nothing wrong with be excited at the prospect of being reunited with someone you care about."
"What if he doesn't actually come home? What if I go back to my place to find out that he has been killed? Everyone's trying to be positive, but what if we're all just feeding into a delusion?" I questioned desperately more to no one in particular than to Mimosa.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I can only wish that I could say that your dad is definitely coming back and believe it," she said softly, "But I do know that I'm going to be here for you no matter what. Even if I'm the one who is kinda stupid and I can really annoy you sometimes, I'm always going to help you in any way I can."
"You're not stupid either," I responded back instantly, "I know I can be impatient sometimes, but I am glad that you're my friend. Thanks, Mimosa."
Mimosa beamed brightly like she had yesterday, and I was given another quick hug.
"C'mon. Why we have the chance, why don't we pick up some snacks from the vendors?" she suggested to brighten the mood.
The two of us didn't have much pocket money on us, so we only had enough to get a cup of fries and a plate of funnel cake that we shared. Between Mimosa, who could eat as much as any guy I knew, and me, it didn't last long at all. We chatted after that. I did what I could to let go of my depressing thoughts as Mimosa was trying her darnedest to cheer me up, but it was difficult for me to figure out if I was actually feeling better or if some strange state of forced acceptance was taking root. In any case, just like in the activity center, it was hard to forget about dad being in the park. Us being here yesterday felt like a dream. Had it seriously not even been a full 24 hours yet? My life had changed so drastically in such a short amount of time.
"You two!" Uncle Al's loud and furious call made Mimosa and me jump in our streets.
He was striding over to us quickly with Holly and Rosemary in tow. The expression on his face was not pleasant.
"Why on earth are you over here? Why did you take off?" he demanded in a huff when he reached the table we were at.
"I..." I started but rapidly trailed off.
Even the thought of explaining what I thought I had seen was humiliating. I had run off like a goof at probably my own reflection.
"Coal thought he saw his dad." Mimosa blurted before I could make an excuse.
"It wasn't him, of course. Just hopeful wishing or something." I explained softly when Uncle Al's slightly more sympathetic stare returned to me.
"Even still, even if it had been him, you should have said something to me first. It's bad enough being nervous already about the situation and its unknowns, but how do you think I felt when I turned around and you two were no longer anywhere to be found? I swear I was about to have a heart attack thinking something might have happened." he said sternly.
"Sorry. We weren't thinking at all." I apologized.
The days of our parents giving us almost total freedom were gone. Mimosa and I going to the park would have barely been an issue even just yesterday.
Uncle Al took pity on us and only had us make another promise to not go off our own instead of giving us an endless lecture or anything of that sort. We returned to the activity center as Holly was determined to get some bowling time in. After that, we went all over the city. Uncle Al even took us to Palooza Place for lunch. It was around that point where I finally began to forget. For a blessed afternoon, I stopped thinking of dad incessantly. I focused on the others around me and the fun we were having.
However, that kind of relief was never going to last. The five of us had made our way to beach as our last destination for the day, and we were still there even when the sun started to sink towards the horizon. I was trying to concentrate on the sandcastle contest I started with Rosemary, but Uncle Al was the one who had my attention. He caught it by doing nothing other than standing and staring out at the water. It was his expression that got me. The pained reminiscing one full of longing that was so similar to the one mom had worn that morning. That was when I understood the battle I had been fighting all day was not a problem isolated only to me. Uncle Al and dad had known each other since they were babies. They had been best friends much longer than I had been alive. I bet there were fewer places, if any, Uncle Al could go to and not think of the time he and dad had spent there than I could.
I decided to be pessimistic when I was dropped off at home. It was less painful to hear bad news when you were expecting it than to dare to hope for good news and face a bigger blow. The weather mirrored my mood as a moderate rain started to fall a few minutes before I walked through the front door to spot Uncle Blaze. I understood the situation before he could say anything, for his expression said it all. Dad had not been found.
"Not even a body?" I was forced to ask.
Somehow, I was alright with the thought of being told dad was dead. It would devastate me if he was, but I would at least rather know so that I didn't have to go through another day like this. One full of silent questions and worthless optimism.
"There hasn't been the slightest change," Uncle Blaze explained, "The owner of Peppy's was kind enough to go through their records to see the customers that used their member cards around the time Amaranth was at the store. The police talked to them, but no one saw anything. Tomorrow they're going to check the stores on the streets that border the grove to see if any of them have surveillance cameras that caught anything."
"And if there's nothing?" I questioned dismally.
"After that, I don't know. I feel it's going to be very hard to truly investigate further when there's no leads to follow. Our best bet then lies in Special Officer Noble finding something in his search into any resurgence of Company action...provided Amaranth or his body continue to be missing." he admitted.
I could only nod. I sat on the floor and played with Cerise for a while when Uncle Blaze went to tend to mom, who sounded like she was having troubles with her stomach again. Besides that, I made my way up to my room and didn't leave it again for the rest of the night. If I stayed in one spot, it was easier to pretend dad was still walking about the house. I took my copy of the pictures Mimosa and I had taken and placed it on the wall. Even though I had been incredibly distracted today, I had made a lot of new memories. I had enjoyed taking pictures with my friend. Managing four strikes and beating Holly at bowling had been a blast. Chasing Rosemary around Palooza Place when she stole my last slice of pizza was something that was going to have me chuckling for a while. Watching Uncle Al getting all turned around in the old hedge maze had had us kids in stitches. It was all stuff I would have shared with dad. Heck, he probably would have come along with us for most of it. Unfortunately, the day now was nothing more than a memory. A day I, too, would allow to slip into the back of my mind before it became something I could barely recall. The happy things I would have told dad were now, like the baby mom was carrying, things he would never know.
"Well, that you've found nothing else so far in your search might be a good thing, right?" mom broke the silence for me, speaking with gentle, desperate optimism, "There's still the chance that he's fine. We have room to hope whereas a...body or anything of that sort would have been a definitive answer we wouldn't have wanted."
"That is true," the other officer agreed, "Until we have evidence to suspect otherwise, we don't need to jump to the conclusion that taking his life is the goal of the culprits involved with his disappearance. We have already combed the grove and the area within a one mile radius with relative care. If this was just the work of a common thug, the body would have been most likely left where it was. Otherwise, they would have had to have carried it through all those trees where populated streets would have met them. The fact that all of your husband's money and items of value were left behind supports the idea that this wasn't the work of a mere thief either. I think it is safe to say that there is someone connected to the results of your past involved here, and perhaps that they only mean to keep him hostage until a ransom or other demand is met. If that's the case, then we should have an opportunity to retrieve him safely."
The way the little of mom I could see bent, I could tell that she had turned her attention to the third man who had been brought along. I had assumed it was Holly and Mimosa's grandpa Jac since I had only caught a glimpse of his purple outfit, but as soon as he spoke it was obvious it was some other man I had never met.
"We've been keeping a close eye on any potential resurgence of Company activity, and there has been nothing on the radar so far. It is possible a move like this could have been made under our noses if they used a small amount of people and resources though. No matter the case, we'll be looking into this thoroughly. We'll also add another two security officers to your family's watch for the time being until we can determine how much of a threat we're facing. One clearly wasn't enough."
Wisp and I looked at each other with wide eyes. I didn't have a clue who that guy was or what he did, but by the way he, mom, and Uncle Blaze then began to talk it sounded as if they knew him well. I just couldn't believe that there had been someone watching us this whole time though. Were we truly that much of a target? Wisp shrugged hopelessly as I motioned my awe. Apparently, we must have been seen as being quite at risk if they had kept even him out of the loop.
There was a bit more talking, but I had stopped paying attention. There was no more useful information to gather. Besides, I was in a state of shock. I truly had expected to find out something along the lines of dad's car had broken down, or maybe he had accidentally broken his leg and had been sent to the hospital. Not that he had been lured or dragged into the woods and attacked. Not that he was nowhere to be found, had been kidnapped, or was possibly even killed. Not that there was a good chance he was never coming home.
"Who do you think that guy was?" I asked Wisp in a whisper when the discussion stopped and the three men left.
"Probably some kind of government official. I actually think I recognize his voice. I've overheard it on calls mom has taken." he answered quietly.
"You really think they've had someone watching us?"
"I'm sure they have. I don't know why I was surprised. I remember- it used to be crazy. You should have seen all the paparazzi trying to sneak into the park for my fifth birthday. They had people watching us back out in the open then. I didn't realize at the time that that was something most families didn't deal with. Things have quieted down a lot, but I suppose that's when you need to be more wary. The point when everyone starts to forget and turn their gaze towards other matters is the better time to attack."
"You think someone from this Company everyone always mentions is behind dad being missing then?"
"I can't say for sure, but it is the safest bet to go with right now." Wisp shrugged.
"And what about dad? Do you think he's safe, or do you think..."
I couldn't finish the sentence.
"That's something we're just going to have to wait and see about. That police officer was right. If he was dead, his body couldn't have been taken far without someone seeing it. They would have at least had to walk out of the grove with him alive before they could take that more drastic step. I think if we don't hear anything about them finding anything like a body by tonight though, then we can probably breathe a little easier and assume he was merely captured instead of killed. That does give us some room to work with, and some hope like mom said."
I glanced up weakly when Wisp wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"But, no matter what happens, we'll be fine, you know? Even if the worst come to pass, even if we have to be hurt, even if we lose something we shouldn't have to lose- we'll pull through at the end of the day. We've still all got each other, and dad has always only wanted for us to be happy. I have every intention of continuing to strive for that despite any hardships we have to endure."
I was able to work a tiny smile onto my face, and Wisp gave me a hug before he stood back up.
I went back to my room to lay down for a while longer, but I couldn't stand being still. The answers were out there somewhere. Dad was out there somewhere- alive or dead. I wanted to do something to help even if it wasn't much. The truth that there was next to nothing I could do bothered me greatly. I hadn't ever felt so useless before.
I made my way downstairs. Wisp remained in his room, and I wasn't sure if Prism and Desire had woken up yet. I didn't see a reason to get them up and spoil the same optimism I had had. Mom and Uncle Blaze were working on a breakfast of french toast when I found them in the kitchen. I figured Uncle Blaze had probably ended up staying the night, but that actually wasn't unusual in the slightest. He spent more nights in our house than he did his own place. He had even taken over the spare bedroom.
"Are you sure it's wise to be letting Uncle Blaze help you cook?" I asked teasingly after I faced the forced smile mom gave me.
"I think your son is definitely challenged in the head. He still calls me that despite knowing that he's going to be in a world of pain someday if he doesn't stop." Uncle Blaze warned, for he actually hated being referred to as uncle.
"I can't help it if he doesn't have any sense of self-preservation." mom joked back.
"Well, he's just lucky I'm not in the mood to get the newspaper all rolled up nice and good now. I need to concentrate on breaking these stupid eggs. Knowing my skill, I'll look away for a second and they'll turn into chickens."
Mom laughed a little for real at that.
However, as I made my way around the counter, her smile shifted back into that hesitant one. I saw fear and worry, much deeper than mine, dancing around behind the cheerful exterior she tried to present. She fidgeted nervously as she stared at me. I knew she was waiting for me to ask that important question, so I put her out of her misery right away.
"You don't need to explain about dad. I heard most everything. I was listening from the top of the stairs. Wisp was too." I admitted, not needing or desiring to hear the information a second time.
"I see," mom said, her smile sad now, "Are you alright?"
"I think so. I mean, that purple guy seemed really important. It looks like he'll be able to find dad no problem."
"That's Special Officer Noble. He's been helping your dad and I out for quite a long while now. He has promised to get all the right people working on bringing Am back home as soon as possible." mom explained.
"Of course, that's if the rascally brat doesn't make his way home on his own first," Uncle Blaze spoke almost boastfully, giving me a loving noogie after putting me in a soft headlock as way of a morning greeting, "Am can more than hold his own, thanks to all the training he's gotten from yours truly. He's probably taking so long to come back home because he's making sure those idiots who would dare to mess with us get the extra special beating they deserve."
"Can I get some of that training?" I requested with enthusiasm.
"Sure!"
"No."
Uncle Blaze's and mom's answers overlapped.
"Aww, c'mon mom. I only wanna learn how to beat Prism up." I whined, mostly sarcastic.
"No one is beating anyone up. Ever." she denied firmly.
I rolled my eyes and leaned forward eagerly when Uncle Blaze motioned for me to get closer. He whispered that I was always free to come to his place to get some practice in. If it was merely for self-defense, then mom couldn't complain. There was a long list of things he could teach me, most of which I'm sure he mentioned purely to tease mom. She was totally able to hear us, but we soon found out she wasn't paying attention.
"Ethereal?" Uncle Blaze said in alarm.
Mom had made a sudden dash for the sink. She clutched onto the handles with hands shaking, and her back trembled as a frighteningly deep heave rattled her body. Uncle Blaze rushed towards her. I covered my ears with my hands, closed my eyes, and took several subtle, sliding steps away from them. Blood I was excellent at handling. Vomit, not so much. I randomly started singing the ABCs in my head to distract myself from the gurgling noises mom made as she lost whatever she had munched on that morning. Thankfully for all of us, her burst of nausea did not last long. Uncle Blaze rubbed mom's back while he flushed the throw-up down the drain.
"I think you should sit down." he suggested, to which she nodded.
She stumbled a bit as we led her over to the dining table. I had thought she looked worn, but I assumed that because of the worrying situation with dad. However, her troubles with her body yesterday had obviously not cleared up completely.
"Is that medicine still making you feel ill?" I wondered.
Mom, who hung her head against her hands, shook her head slightly.
"Are you actually ill then?" Uncle Blaze questioned as he felt her forehead, "You should go lie down then if that's the case. You're stressed enough worrying about Am, and that's only going to make it worse. I'm sure the last thing you want right now is to end up back in the hospital again.
"No, I'm not sick," mom said quietly before a quiet, strange wryly amused tone of defeated exasperation took over her voice, "I was going to tell him last night when he came home..."
Uncle Blaze and I glanced at each other in mild confusion. Mom shook her head again. She took a moment to compose herself before she looked up to stare straight at the wall to speak with much more determination.
"I'm not sick. I'm pregnant. I was just lying about the medicine yesterday for a cover-up. "
My mouth dropped open. There was a seven year gap between Cerise and me. I hadn't thought mom would ever have another baby. It was news I was actually really excited to hear though. I liked being a big brother, and it was nice to have something good to look forward to amongst the bad we were currently dealing with. Mom glanced up to Uncle Blaze wearing a silly little smile, and he laughed.
"Again?" he teased lovingly, "Ethereal, you're already 36. Wisp is 17. This isn't another 'whoops' baby, is it?"
"No," mom chuckled, "The pregnancy was definitely planned. Am and I knew we were running out of reasonable time if we wanted to have another child, so we decided to take our chance while we had it. It was more me who really wanted another child though. Am was just willing to go along with the idea. I was hoping maybe this baby would take more after me, or, I suppose, I should say more like Meadow."
Uncle Blaze laughed even harder.
"I see. A little too much red in your life, huh? I guess I can see where you're coming from though. It is rather crazy that you and Am managed a white kid on your own, but that the only green you've been able to pass down is your eyes to Desi and Ceri."
"I'm not the 'whoops' baby, am I?" I jumped in, tugging on mom's sleeve and frowning.
That got Uncle Blaze laughing harder still and mom laughing a good laugh now as well.
"No, that was Prism and Desi." she revealed, holding her finger to her lip to reveal that it was a secret.
"They got two when they weren't even expecting one." Uncle Blaze pointed out humorously.
Mom's smile remained on her face for a few more good seconds, but it inevitably dropped as did her gaze when reality hit her once more. She let out the longest sigh I ever heard.
"Amaranth had better get home soon. It's painful to think that he doesn't know yet. That he might not ever know..."
Mom shook her head yet again, much more vigorously than before.
"Well, there is the chance he could know, if he figured out the clue I gave him."
"What clue was that?" Uncle Blaze asked.
"Do you remember the ice cream flavors I asked him to get me?"
"Oh. Uh...what was it? Butterscotch, apricot crunch...blue- no, blackberry swirl, and yellow fruit delight. That correct?" Uncle Blaze managed somehow.
"Yup. Now say them again."
"Oookay. Butterscotch, apricot crunch, blackberry swirl, yellow fruit delight. Yeah, I got nothing. Butterscotch, apricot crunch, black...berry swirl, yellow fruit delight. Butterscotch, apricot crunch, blackberry swirl..." he trailed off again, and then he smiled widely, "The first letters of each spell baby."
Mom nodded.
"Clever. I like that." Uncle Blaze said approvingly.
"There's no way he figured that out though." I scoffed in amusement.
I cringed when I received a very nasty, very hard glare from Uncle Blaze. I pouted at the sudden anger, and I turned to mom for support. However, she wasn't paying attention to us again.
"Yeah. Probably not." she said softly.
The last of the small smile she had been clinging onto faded as her voice did. A heartbroken glaze washed over her expression.
I wanted to slam my head into the table multiple times. Why was I such an idiot?
I wanted to say something to fix my stupid mistake, but mom had quickly become lost in her world of thought. Her head lifted up to focus on the picture mounted on the wall in front of her. It was one we had taken not that long ago, and it was one of our best family portraits as everyone looked pretty decent. Mom's stare fixated on dad's face, and when I glanced at her pained expression of longing it was as if I was reading her mind. That portrait was no longer complete. There was going to be a new member to have to add, and there was currently one person missing who should still be there. Mom was terrified that he would always be missing. That we would never again be able to stand together as a complete family.
It didn't surprise me when tears welled up in mom's eyes, but that didn't mean I was any better prepared to handle them. I had rarely seen mom cry over any real hurtful matter. I normally only saw her cry over happy or inconsequential stuff. Like when Uncle Al told too many jokes and made her laugh too hard, or when she watched some sappy, sad romance movie. The crying that most closely resembled her trembling tears now was her frequent crying back when Cerise was born. Dad had said it had been a mixture of her crazy hormones and overall exhaustion.
"Why did he have to disappear now?" mom sobbed despondently into her arms when her head sunk to the table, "Why couldn't he have waited until I told him? Not only is this baby never going to know its father, its father is never going to know it existed. It's too cruel. How I am going to be able to face that on my own?"
I was extremely glad Uncle Blaze was there with me. I just stared at mom blankly having no idea what to do. She had set a great example all my life as to how to comfort other people, but I had apparently not been paying attention to that example at all. I could only watch as Uncle Blaze began rubbing her back once more and spoke to her in a gentle voice he typically reserved for Cerise.
"Ethereal, you can't think like that. I know everything looks worrisome, but we still don't understand fully what's going on just yet. Amaranth could be walking through that door any minute now for all we know. Even if it does taken him a little longer than that before he gets back, you're not going to be alone in this in the slightest. You won't believe how many times I've already had to call Eden telling him to at least get his kids ready for the day first before he rushes over like he keeps texting me that he's going to do. You're going to be swarmed with so much help that you're not going to know what to do with it all," he comforted, and then there appeared a strange tone in his voice that made me quite certain I was missing a crucial piece of information as to what he was getting at, "And if you think I'm not going to talk to everyone I know to find Am and bring him home, then maybe you're not as much of a genius as we've supposed."
Slowly, mom slid back up. Something in his words had resonated with her, as she appeared more sure of herself. She fought back her tears, dried her face, and pulled me in for a hug. In typical Uncle Blaze fashion, he wrapped his arms around us too and hugged so tightly that mom couldn't help but to giggle.
Breakfast was kind of horrible. There hadn't been too much need for Wisp and I to eavesdrop. Mom and Uncle Blaze explained to Prism and Desire everything we had heard them say before, and mom repeated her baby announcement. She even fessed up to the fact that there had been someone secretly watching us our whole lives. We were also urged to be more conscious of our surroundings when we went out. There were a lot of promises made of always letting others know where we were going and that kind of stuff. Past that, there wasn't much talking. No one really wanted to talk, and trying to pretend like everything was alright when it wasn't didn't make anything better. There were six people at the table like there always since since Uncle Blaze was with us, but the absence of the person at the spot at the end left the table feeling empty.
Part of me wanted to do nothing other than mope about the house all day. How could I go about having fun when something awful could be happening to dad? However, my attempt at lying pitifully motionless on my bed went as well as it had before. Sitting still only amplified the feelings of uselessness and hopelessness in my chest. I made a quick call on the phone to figure out how my day was going to go about. Sunday always ended up being different as it was almost always just me and the girls. Both Midas and Azure went along with their families to visit their grandparents and stuff. Holly, Mimosa, and Rosemary would generally come over to my house since it had a million and one things to do, but the atmosphere was too depressing this time around. I dashed across the road to Holly and Mimosa's house instead. Since I passed Uncle Eden making his way inside ours, I wasn't surprised to find that he had dropped Rosemary off already. It having never been required for me to knock, I walked inside to find my three friends siting at the table talking. They fell silent the instant they saw me, and the tight hug Mimosa gave me when she leapt up was a lot more welcome this time around.
"Your dad?" Holly asked cautiously with concern.
I shook my head dismally.
"He didn't come back. The police said they think someone attacked him and took him hostage." I explained with reluctance.
I wondered how mom had had the strength to explain the situation to my siblings. Even just saying those words and watching my friends' expressions fall ripped a wrenching pain through my chest. Saying it aloud made the nightmare that much more real.
"Is that so?" an unexpected, worried voice said from behind me to give me a jolt.
It was Uncle Al walking out from his room.
"Yeah," I continued, having to really force the words out, "They found his stuff and the ice cream in the woods by Peppy's. They don't know where dad or the criminal or criminals went, but they don't believe they want to kill him or anything like that. They think it's more of that Company trying to take revenge by demanding a ransom."
"That's horrible." Rosemary said despondently.
"Mom knows some government officer who is on the case though. From what she and Uncle Blaze have said about him, he's good at getting things done."
"You're talking about Special Officer Noble, aren't you?" Uncle Al guessed correctly, "I've met him a few times too. If he is looking into this, Am is coming back home sooner than later."
"That's what Uncle Blaze kept saying. There is also some other good news. Well, it's only kinda good since it's sad dad's not around to hear it yet," I started, trying to quickly lead the conversation to a better topic, "Mom's gonna have another baby."
Holly, Mimosa, and Rosemary let out girlish squeals and coos of excitement while Uncle Al laughed.
"I swear your parents are trying to repopulate the world by themselves. I'm not too shocked though. Ethereal was saying recently that she did like the idea of one of her children coming out more green than red the next time around." he admitted.
"Isn't she just jinxing herself into having another all red kid like Coal?" Holly asked teasingly.
"You would think so, but she'll probably get her wish. I tried jinxing her when she was pregnant with Wisp about her having identical twin girls, and I was the one who ended up getting them instead."
"Something like that happened? That's hilarious." Holly remarked in amused awe.
"I know. What were the chances, right? Ah, maybe I should tease her about having another all red kid. Then the opposite can happen again." Uncle Al proposed sarcastically.
"And then we'll find out mom is having another another baby too, and it'll be all pink or all purple." Mimosa followed along.
"Don't you even dare." Uncle Al chastised so seriously we all laughed again.
"But it could be a boy this time." Mimosa pointed out.
"Doesn't change the fact that we would have nowhere to put him!" Uncle Al exclaimed humorously.
We didn't stay at Uncle Al's house for too long. There truly wasn't that much space to hang out there, and there was little to do besides swing on their swings in the backyard or chill out on the porch. Uncle Al decided to take us to the large activity center in the city instead. It was an unusual destination for a Sunday, but I had a feeling he was trying to distract us from the depressing reality dad's disappearance had brought on. I don't think he realized that taking us to the center didn't help me to forget though. That was because it the main place dad took me whenever it was time for our father-son bonding afternoons. We had created all sorts of ruckus there, and every inch of the building brought up memories of him. I tried not to let my somber reminiscing show. There were few places in the city dad and I hadn't been to, so it wasn't like Uncle Al could actually do much in helping me escape my own mind.
"You alright over there?" I asked Holly.
The skating rink had been empty. We thus had chosen to take it over. Holly, however, struggled immensely. She barely moved her feet and was more shuffling along than skating.
"Why didn't anyone else want to go bowling? I would have rather done that instead." she mumbled irritably.
"Why don't you like skating?"
"Because I obviously suck."
"That's because you always choose bowling or something else every time we come here."
"Because I obviously suck!" she repeated with increased anger, spurred on by fear as she stumbled and nearly fell.
I moved faster to catch up so I could grab her hand and steady her.
"That's exactly why choosing bowling is never going to help. You won't get better if you always avoid practicing." I pointed out.
"I hate falling." Holly pouted, puffing her cheeks.
I resisted the temptation to poke them, as Holly was the kind to reciprocate by trying to bite my finger off.
"Don't let go then." I instructed, holding her hand tighter and pulling her along with me.
That pout of hers was stuck on her face for a good while longer. She refused to believe that giving herself a bit more momentum would actually make things easier and safer for her. Stubbornness was one of Holly's most prominent traits. It could be as infuriating as Mimosa's clinginess sometimes, but it was something I was used to handling what with having grown up with her all my life. I had gained the knowledge on when to be pushy and when to be supportive when it came to situations like this. With the proper amount of sarcastic teasing and friendly encouragement, Holly was skating alongside me at an acceptable pace. She hadn't let go of my hand for a moment though. Her grip on it increased whenever I tried to loosen mine even though I knew she would do fine on her own. In the end, I decided to use her unbreakable clutch for my own amusement. Holly berated me but had to choice but to follow when I moved towards the center of the ring. She was eager to take my other hand, and soon I had her spinning in a circle with me. It was a trick Uncle Frost had shown me. He had been the one to teach me how to skate, as both my mom and dad had never been able to get the hang of it.
The two of us were beginning to really enjoy ourselves when there came a ruckus from our right. It was Mimosa, and she was trying to be sneaky. It wasn't just other girls she got jealous of when they were around me. She couldn't even stand her own sister getting my attention for very long. Unlike Holly, Mimosa was an excellent skater. She had picked it up the fastest of any of us. However, all that skill seemed to have vanished out of nowhere. I tried not to roll my eyes when I spotted her making glances in our direction as she pretend to stumble and slip along. Holly did sigh a little when she soon zoomed over to our direction, forgetting only until the last second that she was now supposed to be terrible. Another fake tremble had her gently clutching onto us, and she was not subtle at all in how she attempted to have Holly's hand "fall" out of mine.
"I can't seem to get the hang of this. Coal, can you help me skate too?" Mimosa requested sweetly.
"Mimi, stop being such a pathetic liar. You know how to skate." Holly rebuked coldly, folding her arms.
I wasn't quite sure what to do. We weren't supposed to encourage Mimosa's delusions, especially when it included her blatantly lying, but we were told to let her down gently. To change the subject or distract her with something else, not call her out so roughly like Holly was doing.
"Maybe you're tired today. Why don't you skate with Mary? She looks like she's struggling somewhat too, but if you both help each other I think you should be fine." I proposed optimistically.
"Nooo, I want to skate with you!" she suddenly whined in a childish, high-pitched voice you were more likely to hear from someone like Cerise.
I had only just finished cringing when Uncle Al appeared behind me.
"I saw you guys were spinning. It looks like fun. Why don't you try it with me, Mimi?" he broke in with the idea.
"But-!" Mimosa was about to keep on protesting.
"You don't want to?" Uncle Al pouted now with subtle, mock hurt.
"I'll skate with you, daddy!" Mimosa instantly came around.
A big smile appeared on her face, and she eagerly placed her hands in his. Mimosa was attached to her father much like how she was attached to me. She loved being showered in his attention and was quick to reciprocate the love. A sad look from him was what it took to bring her under control, and the two would be inseparable for a while after that. Mimosa was a total daddy's girl, and Uncle Al was super cuddly with her. She began laughing nonstop like her typical self when the two began expertly spinning. Holly and I were free to go back to our own.
I lost interest in skating though. Mimosa was quick to follow me, leaving Uncle Al, Holly, and Rosemary playing around on the rink like it was their own personal playground. It was hard to watch, and that was because of Uncle Al. He played around with us kids too similar to how my dad played with us. I soon figured that being around him was what made temporarily trying to forget about my dad completely impossible to do. Hanging out with Mimosa was what made pushing him out of my mind easier. She truly did require that much attention. We had fun together though. After walking around for a bit, I pulled out some spare change and we hopped into the photo booth.
"These are the best silly pictures we've ever taken." she gushed proudly, peering over my shoulder to see them when they printed.
"You didn't have to stick your finger in my ear though. That really hurt."
"But that's the best picture of them all!" Mimosa laughed, "It's just sad that you're not smiling for real in any of them though."
She spoke that in a much softer voice, and I wasn't in a mood to try and pretend. Obviously, Mimosa was able to sense my actual state of mind.
"I don't think I can be cheerful for real today." I said hopelessly, pocketing the pictures.
Mimosa didn't say anything further. She merely wrapped her arms around my shoulders and rested her head against mine. I didn't react to her hold. My stare was set on the nearby window as I blankly stared at the outside world. I wasn't registering much...until something across the street caught my eye.
"Wait." I said practically inaudibly, my heart beginning to race.
Mimosa, I think, was left in a state of utter confusion when I unexpectedly bolted out of her hold and towards the activity center's door. I didn't care if she followed me or who I almost ran into as I ran into the sunlight, across the street, and into the very same park we had been at yesterday. The physical exertion was nothing to me, but when I slowed and looked around everywhere I breathed like I had run a mile.
"Coal, what are you doing?" Mimosa asked as she had followed me.
I continued to ignore her. I weaved all over the park. I was desperate to find what I swore I had seen.
Unfortunately, I would not find what I was looking for. The park was quiet and relatively empty. My furious darting about ceased, and a solemn chill washed over my chest to rebuke my still pounding heart for daring to get my hopes up. Mimosa walked up to me with that confusion and concern dancing in her eyes once more.
"I thought I saw my dad," I mumbled pitifully before she could question me again, "I guess I was being nothing other than stupid. If he was fine, he wouldn't bother coming here. He would be at home. I probably just saw some other red guy passing through, or maybe it was the tint of my reflection in the window because apparently I must be that idiotic to mistake that for him if I think I would be able to find him so easily."
"Coal, you're not stupid," Mimosa fought back determinedly, "You're just hurting, and there's nothing wrong with be excited at the prospect of being reunited with someone you care about."
"What if he doesn't actually come home? What if I go back to my place to find out that he has been killed? Everyone's trying to be positive, but what if we're all just feeding into a delusion?" I questioned desperately more to no one in particular than to Mimosa.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I can only wish that I could say that your dad is definitely coming back and believe it," she said softly, "But I do know that I'm going to be here for you no matter what. Even if I'm the one who is kinda stupid and I can really annoy you sometimes, I'm always going to help you in any way I can."
"You're not stupid either," I responded back instantly, "I know I can be impatient sometimes, but I am glad that you're my friend. Thanks, Mimosa."
Mimosa beamed brightly like she had yesterday, and I was given another quick hug.
"C'mon. Why we have the chance, why don't we pick up some snacks from the vendors?" she suggested to brighten the mood.
The two of us didn't have much pocket money on us, so we only had enough to get a cup of fries and a plate of funnel cake that we shared. Between Mimosa, who could eat as much as any guy I knew, and me, it didn't last long at all. We chatted after that. I did what I could to let go of my depressing thoughts as Mimosa was trying her darnedest to cheer me up, but it was difficult for me to figure out if I was actually feeling better or if some strange state of forced acceptance was taking root. In any case, just like in the activity center, it was hard to forget about dad being in the park. Us being here yesterday felt like a dream. Had it seriously not even been a full 24 hours yet? My life had changed so drastically in such a short amount of time.
"You two!" Uncle Al's loud and furious call made Mimosa and me jump in our streets.
He was striding over to us quickly with Holly and Rosemary in tow. The expression on his face was not pleasant.
"Why on earth are you over here? Why did you take off?" he demanded in a huff when he reached the table we were at.
"I..." I started but rapidly trailed off.
Even the thought of explaining what I thought I had seen was humiliating. I had run off like a goof at probably my own reflection.
"Coal thought he saw his dad." Mimosa blurted before I could make an excuse.
"It wasn't him, of course. Just hopeful wishing or something." I explained softly when Uncle Al's slightly more sympathetic stare returned to me.
"Even still, even if it had been him, you should have said something to me first. It's bad enough being nervous already about the situation and its unknowns, but how do you think I felt when I turned around and you two were no longer anywhere to be found? I swear I was about to have a heart attack thinking something might have happened." he said sternly.
"Sorry. We weren't thinking at all." I apologized.
The days of our parents giving us almost total freedom were gone. Mimosa and I going to the park would have barely been an issue even just yesterday.
Uncle Al took pity on us and only had us make another promise to not go off our own instead of giving us an endless lecture or anything of that sort. We returned to the activity center as Holly was determined to get some bowling time in. After that, we went all over the city. Uncle Al even took us to Palooza Place for lunch. It was around that point where I finally began to forget. For a blessed afternoon, I stopped thinking of dad incessantly. I focused on the others around me and the fun we were having.
However, that kind of relief was never going to last. The five of us had made our way to beach as our last destination for the day, and we were still there even when the sun started to sink towards the horizon. I was trying to concentrate on the sandcastle contest I started with Rosemary, but Uncle Al was the one who had my attention. He caught it by doing nothing other than standing and staring out at the water. It was his expression that got me. The pained reminiscing one full of longing that was so similar to the one mom had worn that morning. That was when I understood the battle I had been fighting all day was not a problem isolated only to me. Uncle Al and dad had known each other since they were babies. They had been best friends much longer than I had been alive. I bet there were fewer places, if any, Uncle Al could go to and not think of the time he and dad had spent there than I could.
I decided to be pessimistic when I was dropped off at home. It was less painful to hear bad news when you were expecting it than to dare to hope for good news and face a bigger blow. The weather mirrored my mood as a moderate rain started to fall a few minutes before I walked through the front door to spot Uncle Blaze. I understood the situation before he could say anything, for his expression said it all. Dad had not been found.
"Not even a body?" I was forced to ask.
Somehow, I was alright with the thought of being told dad was dead. It would devastate me if he was, but I would at least rather know so that I didn't have to go through another day like this. One full of silent questions and worthless optimism.
"There hasn't been the slightest change," Uncle Blaze explained, "The owner of Peppy's was kind enough to go through their records to see the customers that used their member cards around the time Amaranth was at the store. The police talked to them, but no one saw anything. Tomorrow they're going to check the stores on the streets that border the grove to see if any of them have surveillance cameras that caught anything."
"And if there's nothing?" I questioned dismally.
"After that, I don't know. I feel it's going to be very hard to truly investigate further when there's no leads to follow. Our best bet then lies in Special Officer Noble finding something in his search into any resurgence of Company action...provided Amaranth or his body continue to be missing." he admitted.
I could only nod. I sat on the floor and played with Cerise for a while when Uncle Blaze went to tend to mom, who sounded like she was having troubles with her stomach again. Besides that, I made my way up to my room and didn't leave it again for the rest of the night. If I stayed in one spot, it was easier to pretend dad was still walking about the house. I took my copy of the pictures Mimosa and I had taken and placed it on the wall. Even though I had been incredibly distracted today, I had made a lot of new memories. I had enjoyed taking pictures with my friend. Managing four strikes and beating Holly at bowling had been a blast. Chasing Rosemary around Palooza Place when she stole my last slice of pizza was something that was going to have me chuckling for a while. Watching Uncle Al getting all turned around in the old hedge maze had had us kids in stitches. It was all stuff I would have shared with dad. Heck, he probably would have come along with us for most of it. Unfortunately, the day now was nothing more than a memory. A day I, too, would allow to slip into the back of my mind before it became something I could barely recall. The happy things I would have told dad were now, like the baby mom was carrying, things he would never know.
Holy shit that was depressing as hell.
ReplyDeleteI mean. Wow. I'm actually kind of in shock.
I wonder if they'll ever know what happened to Am. : ( And I wonder how Ethereal will handle having another child and raising him/her/them without Am to know them, or have them know their father.
Haha, if you think this was bad, just wait for one of the upcoming chapters. It took me forever to finish because I kept tearing up as I tried to write it XD
ReplyDeleteThe situation definitely doesn't look good, huh?
Kelsey, you're scaring me..."If you think this is bad, just wait for one of the upcoming chapters. it took me forever to finish because I kept tearing up as I tried to write it"
ReplyDeleteOh wow
ReplyDeleteI love that Am's disappearance is connected to the company, it adds tension and makes it interesting instead of... you know... just depressing. I can't wait to find out how Coal will be intertwined with the company in the future and how it will affect his life (I'm thinking revenge mission? LOL)!
And another baby! I hope it will be green this time!