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Post by Tom Speare on Dec 29, 2007 3:26:06 GMT
Tom wandered up the path to his old home, running what he was planning on saying over in his head.
What makes you think she's even alive?
Eyes on the beaten path, he notices bits of the ground around the outskirt of the house looks singed, and burned.
He stops, taking in the house. This was not the house he left two years ago. It was bigger, grander if you will, more peaceful.
As if it was untouched by the war going on.
"Her dream house," Tom mumbles softly, looking over the house. As a child he had promised his daughter to build her a dream house. One painted white, with blue shutters.
It was the very house he was looking up at.
He bit down on his bottom lip, wondering what else had changed, but more important, had his baby girl changed?
He'd hope not. Was she the same tiny little blonde with big blue eyes? The one who stood up for what she believed in even if it meant standing alone? The little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve and wasn't scared to fight to prove her point? Swallowing the lump in his throat Tom makes his way to the door, lifting his hand to it.
Will she want to see me? He thinks, bringing his knuckles to the door, tapping on it lightly.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Dec 29, 2007 17:32:54 GMT
Getting up off the couch I drag myself to the door. Wasn't expecting anyone today. Ian was off with Alex somewhere, spending some 'father-son' time together. Or in their case, Alex trying to grab something and Ian getting smacked in the face. I laugh at the thought, pulling my hoodie closer around me.
It was a peaceful day for once, nothing bad had happened, Ian and I had stopped fighting, we were getting Alex to go to sleep without putting up a fight, and we were actually talking about the wedding.
Glancing down at the ring, I allow a small smile to tug at the corner of my lips as I open the door.
My smile drops however when I see who's on the other side of the door.
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Post by Tom Speare on Dec 29, 2007 20:07:10 GMT
Tom's heart drops into his chest as the door opens. His eyes dart over the young woman standing in front of him. Surely this couldn't be his daughter. His baby girl, all grown up. His throat was unusual dry.
Still thin and slender as he remembered, she looked more like her mother then she use to. He could see it all so well, the same chin, and high cheek bones as Abby, the same lips that curled into a playful pout, as her mother's often did. Her hair was still the same colours as it had been, only now it seemed a bit faded. His stomach tightens as he meets her eyes. Her eyes, the ones that had been passed down from every Speare's generation, the same blue and sliver ones that were identical to his own. They had changed however, much to his disappointment. They weren't as carefree and innocent as they had been when she was younger. He could see, that the war had hardened her eyes. He feared that perhaps she wasn't as trusting as she had once been, but forces the thought down, opening his mouth to speak.
"Hullo," He says, his Scottish accent still audible through the huskiness of his voice.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Dec 30, 2007 1:41:31 GMT
I feel as if someone was squeezing the breath out of me, and I'm tempted to rub my eyes, thinking they were playing a trick on me. They had to be, there was no way...
But there he was, standing right in front of me. Still tall and broad shouldered, with a mop of brown hair and..those eyes. My eyes. The ones everyone in my family had, the ones that always looked back at me in the mirror. My father's eyes.
I could feel my eyes start to sting as he speaks, the same accent. The one that use to sing me to sleep when I was a little girl, or whisper words of encouragement when I was scared.
"Da?" I ask softly, not sure if this was a dream or if it was real.
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Post by Tom Speare on Dec 30, 2007 3:52:03 GMT
A wave of relief washes over him as he steps forward slightly, getting a better look at her.
"Baby girl," He reaches out, touching her face lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, like he use to when she was younger. Back when her hair was neat, now it was a wild mess, the fire in his daughter had grown, he could see that.
"Look at you," He smiles, taking her face in his hands, eyes stinging slightly,"Your all grown up now."
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Post by Madeline Speare on Dec 30, 2007 4:03:57 GMT
I laugh softly as he pushes my hair back, just like he use too. My childhood floods back into my head he he takes my face in his hands.
"Daddy." I whisper quietly,"It's really you." I move forward, hugging him tight, not wanting to let go for fear that this is all a dream and he'll disappear if I stop hugging him.
Burying my head into his chest, I breathe in the scent that is, and always has been my father. My da.
I can feel my eyes start to sting and I bury my head deeper into his chest, feeling like a little girl.
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Post by Tom Speare on Dec 30, 2007 4:09:58 GMT
He laughs as she hugs him and he wraps his arms round her shoulders, holding her closer.
Burying his head into her hair, he can smell the faint scent of lilacs, just like her mother.
"Oh baby girl," He murmurs, stroking her hair,"I missed you so much."
He looks down at her, a big mess of blonde hair, the only one in the family. He smiles, recalling how she always stood out, but yet fit in at the same time. She was a Speare after all.
His daughter.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Dec 30, 2007 17:57:19 GMT
"I thought..you were..they said.." I mutter, knowing I wasn't making any sense. I didn't care too much at the moment. Who would after all, it's not everyday your 'dead' father comes back. It felt as if the room was spinning, and I hug him tigther scared I was going to fall if I let go.
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Post by Tom Speare on Dec 31, 2007 3:25:30 GMT
He laughs softly, she still rambled, just like she use to. He wonders what else about her had stayed the same. Did she still put up a fight when it came to getting up in the morning? When she needed to clear her head did she head up to the roof? Did she still count her steps when she walked? There was so much he wanted to know, hoping it had stayed the same. Sadly, Tom knew that probably wasn't the case. Nothing lasts forever.
"I'm here, I'll explain everything," He murmurs softly.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 1, 2008 5:11:50 GMT
I nod, letting him go, half expecting him to fade away. He doesn't. He was still there, right infront of me.
Smiling weakly, I nod to the door,"Guess you'll want to come in, huh da?"
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Post by Tom Speare on Jan 2, 2008 2:39:15 GMT
"Aye," He nods, taking her hand in his,"You got your dream house, eh baby girl?" He grins, heading into the house, closing the door behind them. He stops a moment, looking around taking in how large and grand the house had become,"Very nice there MJ." He grins, stepping into the hall.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 2, 2008 19:54:04 GMT
"Yeah, just like you said da," I smile, keeping hold of his hand,"A lot's changed in two years daddy." I grin, hauling him into the living room."I can't wait to tell you about it."
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Post by Tom Speare on Jan 5, 2008 0:57:20 GMT
His smile falter slightly as she talks about changed.
Tom didn't want change, he wanted things to be as they always had been. He winces slightly, knowing that couldn't be. His wife was dead after all.
Forcing a weak smile onto his lips, he follows his daughter into the living room, gettinga better look at the house. Into his daughter's life.
The walls didn't have as many pictures as they use to. He recalls all the family photos he and Abby had placed up on the walls. Now, they just seemed bare.
"Can't wait to hear about it, baby girl," He grins slightly, sitting down on the couch.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 5, 2008 22:57:29 GMT
I watch my father's eyes wander the house and walls. Making a mental note to put up more pictures when I found some, my eyes rest on the picture of Alex and Ian. Finally had gotten both of them to sit still and take one of them.
"Want to see my boys da?" I ask softly.
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Post by Tom Speare on Jan 7, 2008 1:48:21 GMT
Tom pauses momentarily, not sure he had heard his daughter right.
Her boys?
Perhaps she was talking about one of her male cousins. Merlin knows how close she was with Charlie.
"Boys baby girl?" He asks after a moment."Finally gotten some pets so you have someone to talk to?" He jokes.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 8, 2008 22:52:56 GMT
I falter slightly, not so suure I could tell him now.
"No, daddy, they're not pets." I rise to my feet, grabbing the picture in my hands. This was harder then I thought it'd be. How were you suppose to tell your own father you were all grown up with a family after two years of not seeing him.
"These are my boys da," I whisper softly, handing him the photo.
"Surprise."
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Post by Tom Speare on Jan 12, 2008 1:11:57 GMT
Tom falters slightly, taking the picture from her hands.
Her boys? It still hadn't clicked, but Tom had a sneaking suspicious about what she was talking about.
In the picture was a young man, tall, thin, brown eyes and dark brown messy hair. In his arms, he was holding a baby. The baby didn't seem to be that old. Couple of weeks at least.
The baby looked just liked the young man holding him. Same facial features and same dark brown hair..but his eyes..they weren't like the young man's.
"Jane Marie," Tom's voice is coarse, as he speaks."Why does this baby have our eyes?" He asks softly.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 12, 2008 12:48:13 GMT
My eyes, of their own accord, follow his own as he scans the picture.
He wasn't saying anything, but he didn't have to. I knew everything he was thinking. Who were they? Why did I have a picture of them? My guess was that he just didn't want to accept the truth yet.
I couldn't waste time not telling him, it was like keeping a secret from him.
I was never good at keeping secrets from my father.
"He's got our eyes..'cos he's mine daddy." I whisper softly, biting down gently on my bottom lip."He's my son."
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Post by Tom Speare on Jan 16, 2008 23:44:34 GMT
Tom felt his jaw drop slightly but he caught himself before it dropped all the way.
Now he was sure he hadn't heard her correctly. Son?
There was no way.
That was a lie, there was a way. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She hadn't been a little girl for a while.
Tom just didn't want to admit that she had grown up and he had missed it all.
She had a son, the young man in the picture must have been the baby's father.
Tom's eyes flick over to her hand. No wedding ring.
Tom frowns slightly.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 17, 2008 22:35:04 GMT
I bite my lip as he keeps quiet.
Was he going to yell at me?
No, da never yelled at me before.
You never had a son before.
My eyes drop for a moment, feeling overwhelmed with shame, like I had down something to disappoint my own father.
My own flesh and blood.
Lifting my gaze back up I catch sight of what he's looking at.
My hand.
I swallow the lump that had lodged itself into my throat. I realized I wasn't wearing my engagement ring.
Then again, I'm not so sure if I wanted to tell my father I wasn't getting married quite yet.
One surprise at a time.
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Post by Tom Speare on Jan 19, 2008 19:14:48 GMT
He frowns again as he keeps his gaze on her hand.
He sets the picture face down on the table between them.
Clasping his hands in his lap he straightens up, stiffly he nods.
"So..you have a son." He says finally.
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 19, 2008 20:03:13 GMT
I nod weakly, watching him carefully.
"Yeah, I do." I say softly,"His name's Alex daddy."
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Post by Tom Speare on Jan 21, 2008 13:26:04 GMT
Tom's frown deepens.
"Huh." He says lamely.
Sighing softly, Tom raises his hands to his head, rubbing his temples. He couldn't be mad at her. No matter how much he tried.
Smiling weakly, he glances back up at his daughter,"He's a handsome little boy baby girl,"
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Post by Madeline Speare on Jan 26, 2008 4:22:21 GMT
I can't stop the smile tugging at the corner of my lips as I let of a soft sigh of relief."Thank you daddy." I smile,"He's only a couple weeks old, really tiny."
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