When A Smile Hurts

The sun was rising, the clouds were moving in a peaceful flow amongst themselves, and small raindrops slid off of damp leaves. The air was settling, the winds paced to a calm and quiet movement, while puddled water seeped into the moist ground.

Inside the treehouse it was just as quiet and peaceful. Two warm bodies slept closely together underneath a single bed sheet.

Seth lay on his back, one arm holding Jamie close to his side, who willingly,in her sleep, cuddled closer to his warmth. "Mmmm," she groaned in her sleep and re-positioned herself so that her head now lay on his chest. The new heat on her cheek made her stir from her deep sleep.

Blinking a few times and having her eyes adjust to the small sunlight, Jamie slowly woke up. She yawned and then turned her face into the heat she was wrapped up in.

Opening her eyes fully, she realized it was Seth, and her mind began to run through the events of yesterday, which was talking and sleeping. Making sure not to wake him , she made her movements slow as she moved back a bit to get a look at his face. He looked rather boyish, with his hair ruffled from sleep, and soft in the minimum sunlight that came in from a crack in the treehouse.

Jamie couldn't help but watch him sleep, and smile while doing so. His peaceful state seemed so innocent to her.

Smiling once more, she began carefully detangling herself from him, removing his arm from around her waist, pulling her leg out from underneath his, and then moving slowly off of the bed, placing the sheet they covered up with over him.

She made her movments carefully, making sure to not let the floorboards creak, and when they did, she cringed and froze. She looked back at him, and silently watched as he grumbled and turned onto his side, his hands pillowing his head. He was back to sleep.

Eyeing her shoes and bag across the treehouse, she made her way over to them. Jamie slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag, then turned back to look at Seth.

He was still silently asleep, and hugging a pillow tightly to his chest. Jamie blushed as it reminded her of the way he hugged her to his chest when they slept.

She smiled once more, and left him for the day.

Thirty minutes later, Jamie arrived home, and as she pulled up to the house, she noticed a shiny,black car she didn't recognize. She raised her a brow and glanced at the clock displayed on the car radio.

"It's eight thirty.. Everyone's at work. Or at least they should be." she said to herself. She parked behind the unrecognizable car, jumped out, and locked her car.

Prepared to unlock the front the door, she realized there was no need as it was already unlocked.

"Hello?" Jamie called out, and stood in the doorway as she listened for a response.

"Hello? Is anyone here-" she called out once more, but stopped when sh heard a noise come from her dad's office.

She froze, and listened hard again.
Nothing.

She quickly but quietly shut the door and made her way to the office, her heart racing the entire time.

Jamie approached the two doors that belonged to the room, and pressed her ear to a door.

Laughter. Whispers.

Again, her brow raised, and her skin crawled.

"Come on Jamie, get it together." she whispered to herself, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply.

She turned the knob slowly, and heard a womans giggle. That made her freeze in her place.

"Oh, Dallas stop that!" the woman said, followed by another giggle. Jamie blinked, and pressed her forehead against the closed the door.

"Dad..." she whispered with her eyes shut. She knew what was going on, as it has happened many times before. Her father wasn't alone in the office, and that woman's laughter was not her mother's.

With a beaten sigh, she pushed herself away from the door, turned her back, and walked away.

A man and womans laughter filled the house, and as it did, a single tear drop rolled down Jamie's cheek...