This Is How I Disappear

“MAMA! MAMA!” Oliver’s small voice came yelling from outside my bedroom.

“Yes, my dear son.” I said opening the door, now dressed and ready to go.

“MATTIE’S HERE!!!!” He yelled running off back into the living room.

I looked over my appearance once more before going out to join them and give Matt the rules for both him and Oliver.

“Okay, Matt here are the rules.” I started before looking up. I looked over at Johnny who was standing by the door wearing a nice tuxedo. He looked so sexyhandsome.

“You look absolutely amazing, Delilah.” Johnny said, walking over and placing a kiss on my cheek. I looked over towards Oliver and saw a look of sadness which turned to happiness when he saw me and Johnny smile at each other. I couldn’t help but feel like a teenage girl about to go to her first prom.

“Thanks, you look great too.” I said with a smile.

“Yeah, Yeah. We’re all beautiful here.” Matt said giving me a grin.

“I’ll go get the car.” Johnny said, walking out the front door yelling his goodbye to Oliver.

“So, do you remember the rules I told you on the phone?” I asked Matt.

“No candy, caffeine or scary movies for Ollie and no alcohol or women for me.” He said giving me a dimpled smile.

“Right.” I said looking over to Oliver.

“It’s going to be so weird to see you with Johnny.” Matt confessed, with a nervous laugh. We never really discussed Zack, last time any of the guys other than Johnny mentioned Zack to me, I had a mental breakdown.

“I know right, it feels weird. But, Johnny is great with Oliver and he helps me so much. He makes the hole Zack left in me, not hurt so bad.”

“Yeah, if I had to choose anyone for you to be with it would be Johnny. I don’t want you to get hurt again. You and Oliver deserve to be happy.”

“Thank you.” I said, wrapping my arms around him.

“Alright, now go have some fun.” Matt said walking me to the door.

“Bye Mama, I love you!” I heard Oliver yell from the living room.

“I love you, too baby.”

“I had no idea.” Matt said with a hearty laugh.

I rolled my eyes and walked over getting into Johnny’s car.

I couldn’t even begin to control the butterfly’s that were raging war on my stomach.

Matt's Point of View

I watched Delilah and Johnny drive off towards the restaurant that he was taking her, I am really happy for them. But I can’t help but get this bad feeling that Oliver is going to bombard me with questions about Zacky.

None of us have really talked about what happened with Zacky’s suicide or Zack for that matter. From what Johnny has told me, Delilah shrugs off almost all of Oliver’s questions about his father.

I turned and walked back into Delilah’s living room. Oliver was sitting in the floor holding a DVD upside down. His little four year old eyebrows were furrowed together and he had the same concentrated face Zacky used to get. I walked over and sat down on the couch.
“Mattie?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah, what is it buddy?”

“What do this says?” He questioned.

“Well, that says. ‘The Strangers’.” I said, after taking the DVD from him.

“Can we watch it?”

“No, I don’t think your mom wants you to watch scary movies tonight, bud.”

“But, Mama’s not here.” He said, with a devious smile.

“Ah, I don’t know buddy.”

“Pwease!” Oliver pleaded, giving me the saddest face he could muster.

Don’t give in Matt! Delilah will kill you!

“Fine.” I said.

Damn it, I’m a dead man.

Four Hours Later

Empty ice cream containers and various other candy wrappers along with two empty pizza boxes lay scattered across the coffee table and floor. Oliver was sitting next to me on the couch hiding behind a pillow. Judging by the expression on his face, I was indeed a dead man when Delilah and Johnny got home.

Speaking of Delilah and Johnny they should have been home by now. I got up and was halfway to the bathroom when I heard Oliver’s little feet behind me.

I turned around to see what the little munchkin wanted, “What it is buddy?”

“Cars are outside!” he half yelled. I could tell that he was scared to death by the way he was looking at me and glancing all around.

“It’s probably just your mom and Johnny.”

“Or it was my Mama and Daddy and the mean people in da masks killed them and now they want us?”

“That is not going to happen. That was just a movie.” I replied making a mental note to ask Johnny why he calls him Daddy. I learned my fucking lesson about mentioning Zacky to Delilah

“But, Uncle Mattie, it said it was real! Will you please go check and see?” He asked, giving me the same pouty face that Zack used to use. The only difference is that it worked for Oliver.

“Alright lets go.” I said reaching down to pick him.

With Ollie resting on my hip, we walked over to the door. I opened the door and instantly wished I hadn’t. For standing there was a now smirking Johnny and one very embarrassed Delilah.

“MAMA! DADDY!” Oliver yelled, reaching out for Delilah.

—Delilah’s Point of View—

I reached out and took Oliver from Matt and as soon as he was in my arms he snuggled his little face into my hair like he does when he gets scared. I didn’t just give Matt rules because it was the motherly thing to do. The last time Oliver watched a scary movie with me and Johnny, Ollie forced him to stay a whole week with us. And the sweets and junk food was for obvious reasons.

“What’s wrong, Ollie?” I asked, giving Matt my best pissed off mother face.

“I thinked that the mean men in mask got you and Daddy.” He replied once he pulled his face out of my hair, with small tears running down his face. If I wasn’t a pissed off mom before I am now.