No One Ever Realized That They're Already Dead

♠ No One’s POV ♠

The older, but not too much older, gentleman quickly moved through the crowd and slapped his son in the back of his head, hard. Matt winced and quickly brought his hand up to cover it. Others around laughed while some looked on to see the why.

Before Matt could ask why, his dad leaned down close enough to his ear, to say in a harsh manner, “You idiot. Did if ever cross your mind that you have a daughter? Kids make their parents things. Homemade things.”

The words registered quickly, making Matt snap up and look around.

“What’s wrong?” Jimmy asked.

“Where’s Ivory?” Matt asked instead.

“Your mother went to find her,” his dad frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Jimmy asked again.

Matt sighed in I’m-a-jackass way. “Kids make their parents homemade gifts.”

The ones who got the meaning either winced, cursed (Zack & Syn), frowned, or something along those lines.

Matt’s mom ended up bursting into the backyard at this moment. “I can’t find her!”

Bodies quickly scattered. All who knew Ivory, or even heard tales, knew that kid could end up anywhere.

‘And here I was thinking I finally had a hold on this father stuff,’ Matt thought to himself as he quickly hoped into his car to drive around the block.

\ ♠ ♠ [[Fast Forward]] ♠ ♠ \

“Damien,” the little girl whispered out of the corner of her mouth to her older brother.

“What?” he whispered back.

“I think I know where Ivory is but we have to go by ourselves.”

Damien looked at her, “Why?”

“Shhh!” Ellamae glanced around then sighed in relief, none of the adults were paying attention to them.

“Because D, something’s wrong with Ivory. We have to help her.”

He only needed about 2 seconds to think it over. “You’re right. Ok. You have a plan?”

All the little girl did was nod to him. “Daddy?” she said out loud.

He looked away from some guy he was talking to, to look at her. “Yeah?”

“Can Damien and I wait in Ivory’s room till you find her? We’re bored.”

Jimmy thought about it for a moment. Ivory’s had been gone for nearly an hour now. All spots and places everyone could think of were no goes. All the phones call had come up empty handed. Matt wanted to call the cops but his parents gave that a firm no. Ivory was a smart girl and would go somewhere safe. Plus it had only been an hour and the sun was till shinning.

“Yeah,” Jimmy finally answered. “Go ahead.”

The two siblings wasted no time. But of course when they reached the foot of the stairs they quickly dashed the other way. No one noticed.

Damien followed his sister only to question. “Wait! Why are we going to your house?”

“Trust me,” she answered throwing open her front door.”

He did so he continued to follow, closing the door closed behind him. He followed her up the stairs and into the hallway only to stop at a door. Wasn’t this a bathroom? Before he could asks just that, Ellamae opened the door.

A ladder.

With his eyes, Damien, followed where the ladder led.

“An attic?” he questioned softly then looked down to his sister. “You two didn’t tell me.” All she did was smile. He sighed, “You stay here and keep guard. I’ll go up and check.”

Ivory had heard them, not their words but the noise.

Right when Damien’s head poked through, she spoke. “I worked so hard D. He’ll hate it.”

“Ivory,” he sighed with relief then looked back down to his littlest sister. “She’s fine. Keep guard.”

With that Damien pulled himself up into the little attic and crawled his way to Ivory. She sat with her back against a box. Legs drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped around them.

“I can’t do anything right,” she whispered once Damien took a seat beside her.

“You can,” he instantly said wrapping an arm around her.

“I can’t,” she repeated staying firmly in place and not turning into his embrace, which at any other time she would have. “You heard him. I spent hours—days—on his gift. Even spent some of my winnings but he’ll hate it anyway. Shitty homemade gifts,” she muttered the latter.

Damien opened his month to scold her not to curse but changed his mind. She was hurt and now wasn’t the time. “He was just joking,” Damien reassured but in a firm voice. “We do that with friends too, say something but not mean it.” When she didn’t say anything he pressed on, “Whatever you made he’ll love it. I know it.”

She bit her lip for just a second. “I guess… but… he’ll be mad at me. I ran again. He hates that. He’ll be mad at me D. Either way, I lose.”

“Well,” Damien drawled out. “He’ll probably be a little mad but you have to face him soon. You can’t hide in Jimmy’s attic forever.”

Ivory continued, as if she didn’t hear him. “I can’t stand for him to be mad at me… or disappointed. What if he gets rid of me? I’m nothing but trouble.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is!” she said loudly, her head snapping to look at him for the first time.

Her older brother saw the tears she wouldn’t let fall. “Ivory,” he sighed. “Matt loves you.”

“You don’t know that,” she mumbled, looking away from him again. “He can get rid of me just like that. And why wouldn’t he? I’m trouble D,” she repeated. “He was happy with his life. Him and Val. They were going to get married but I ruined it. I don’t even know why he keeps me around. He’ll probably send me off to Uncle TJ’s after this.”

“That’s not true.”

Both children’s heads snapped back to the attic entrance Matt. He had be listening from the time the his daughter muttered something about shitty homemade gifts, which made him wince again. Ellemae wasn’t to good of a look out.

The three continued not to say anything, just stare at each other.

Matt decided he should break it, “Ivory. I love you. You’re the greatest joy in my life. I’d never send you away. And even through you scare the hell out of me every time you runaway I’d never send you back to Uncle TJ. You’re my little girl.”

During the little speech, Ivory was trying her hardest not to start sobbing again but she couldn’t hold it in when he called her his little girl. How many times had she dreamed of her dad coming to her and take her away to his castle? Lock her up because he loved her so much he never wanted her to leave her side. It was hard for her to believe he loved her. She was trouble, she knew it with all her heart. But he didn’t care. He loved her because she was his little girl.

Matt winced a little when she started crying again. He’d pull himself into the attic but he was so tall he’d have to go on his knees. He decided against it, Damien looked to be doing a good job in getting Ivory to calm down again.

“You… you d-don’t hate me?” Ivory managed to get out with a sob every now and then.

“Never,” he answered in a firm voice.

She sniffled a couple times. “Even though I’m trouble?”

“I love you and your little devil horns.”

That got a little strangled laugh from her but she continued to ask questions. “Even though I make homemade gifts?”

Matt was able to hold of a curse and wince at that. “Of course. I’m sorry Ivory, really I am. I was just joking. I know I’ll love your gift because you made it for me. It’s more personal and special.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Now come on down, kiddo. Everything’s ok. I’m not mad, I don’t hate you or your gift, and I’ll never send you away.”

The little girl seemed to think it over for a second but a little nudge and smile from her older brother got her moving. The two children moved and climbed down from the attic. Once Iehsa had her feet planted firmly on the tile, she looked down at it; not wanting to meet her dad’s eyes. No one said anything.

Brian, the only other adult cleared his throat. “So let’s go tell everyone we found Ivory.”

He directed the question to Damien and Ellemae. The two nodded and followed him, leaving father and daughter alone. They just stood there, not saying anything. Matt looking down on Ivory and Ivory looked down at her shoes and the tile. Finally, acting on impulse, the little blonde girl threw her arms around Matt’s waist. She hugged him tightly, hiding her face in his solid stomach. Matt wrapped his arms around his little girl.

Even though the two had been getting closer, proof with Ivory calling him dad, they had never really hugged or anything like that. Ivory thought it might have been awkward. But… it was perfect. He was so strong and there. He wasn’t a dream and wasn’t going to disappear if she opened her eyes. His arms were so protective and tight, like he would never let anything hurt her. To Matt, the hug made his heart burst. He was holding his little girl. After all the trouble and canyons he had to cross, it was all worth it in this moment.

The moment was finally broken when Ivory couldn’t hold in a yawn. Crying always made her very sleepy. Matt leaned down and kissed the crown of her golden hair.

“Come on,” he murmured. “Let’s get home.”

Ivory nodded and pulled back from the hug. “Ok.”

\ ♠ ♠ [[Fast Forward]] ♠ ♠ \

It was late at night, around 10. Well past Ivory’s bed time but she wasn’t too sleepy. When her dad and she got back from Jimmy’s, she went up to her room and just fell asleep. The party was a little ruined but more of the closer people stayed and continued to celebrate Matt’s 27th birthday.

Ivory, climbing on a little stool of hers, reach up to one of the top selves in her closet. She found the thing she was looking for, the square item wrapped in shiny silver paper with little cakes cover it. Matt’s gift. She hadn’t given it to him yet since she fell asleep when the two got back.

Climbing off her stool she went and placed the gift on her bed then returned to her closet. Pulling open one of the plastic drawer organizers, she grabbed what she needed. She went over to her little desk and went to work on making a birthday/sorry card for her dad.

When she finished she grabbed both items and very quietly left her room and headed down the hall way to her dad’s and Val’s room. The door was open a crack, and luckily the door didn’t creak or anything when Ivory pushed the door open slowly. Tip toeing into the room, she headed over to her dad’s side of the bed where he laid sleeping. She placed the wrapped scrap =book on his nightstand and then placed the card on top so it was holding its self up. After that, she tiptoed back out of the room and back to hers.

Mission complete.

[[August 2, 2008]] \Saturday\

♠ Matt’s POV ♠

I woke like mostly every other day but when I turned over and opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a very colorful handmade card. It read: Happy Birthday Dad! Smiling, I sat up and grabbed the card. It was simple, telling me happy birthday and that I’m getting old, which made me smile, but it also had an added sorry for running away and ruining the party. Ruining was spelt wrong but whatever.

Still smiling, I placed the card beside me and grabbed the shiny silver wrapped gift. Opening it showed a large black leather book. I opened it and my eyes widened just slightly. It was a scarp book and there on the first page was me. As a little baby. On top of the page was Newborn & 1 Year. The next page, 2 years, and so on. All pages were covered in pictures and colorful decorations. It was fantastic. It must have taken days and lots of work. It was the best gift I had ever gotten. When I reached my 27th year, the page had one very large picture (Only one pic because he’s only been 27 for 2 days now), it was Val, me, and Ivory taken the night of my birthday when we and my parents all went out to eat. We were in the booth, my arm around Val as she sat to my right and my other arm around Ivory as she sat on my other side. We were all smiling, mine and Ivory’s matching dimples showing, and we looked… we looked like a family.

“I like that picture.

I jumped and turned my head to my left, Val was awake and sitting up. Looking at the picture. I didn’t even notice her wake up and sit up.

“Me too,” I said in agreement to the picture.

“We’ll have to get the copy from mom to hang up in the hall way,” she said, mom meaning my mom of course.

I nodded in agree and turned to last page, it couldn’t be another year and I had a feeling Ivory wouldn’t have left it blank.

A little girl needs Daddy
For many, many things:
Like holding her high off the ground
Where the sunlight sings!

Like being the deep music
That tells her all is right
When she awakens frantic with
The terrors of the night.

Like being the great mountain
That rises in her heart
And shows her how she might get home
When all else falls apart.

Like giving her the love
That is her sea and air,
So diving deep or soaring high
She’ll always find him there.

I took a deep breath to hold back the tears. I knew she didn’t write it but she wouldn’t have put it in there if she didn’t mean it. I looked over the color last page and then in the very corner read: To my dad. I love you. Ivory☺

‘I love you too baby,’ I think finally closing the book.

Best gift ever.