So Far Away

"Emma sweetie, what's wrong?" Zacky asked kneeling down to pick his niece up as she ran over to him. Her eyes were filled with tears as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Her body convulsed as she continued crying and didn't answer his question. He looked at her kindergarten teacher who smiled sympathetically

"Some of the kids were talking about their families today, and one of the boys in the class had made fun of her for not having a mother or father," Her teacher said causing green eyed man to tense up. "Don't worry, he's not getting away with it. I am planning to meet with his parents in a few minutes. I should get going." She said before turning on her heel to head back over to the group of kids.

It was coming close to the day Zacky had lost his best friend. Though it happened three years ago, he could still remember it as if it only happened yesterday.

"I'm telling you man, she's gonna love it." Brian boasted with a grin on his face. His daughter's birthday was coming up and he had gotten her a little guitar as well as a few stuffed animals.

"Brian, she's only two years old how do you know that she'll even use it or even want to learn once she's actually old enough?" Zacky laughed shaking his head a little.

"Emma is my daughter after all isn't she?" He responded as they halted at a red light.

"I know, I'm just saying that maybe she'd just-"

"Zacky! Look out!" Brian interrupted. The last thing Zacky could remember hearing was the sound of screeching tires.

--

When he had woken up, he was in a hospital and had been told that he had been in a car accident. He was in bad shape, but Brian was worse off than he was. All Zacky could do was hope that he was okay and that he'd make it out of the hospital alive. Especially for Emma's sake. Her mother Stephanie died during childbirth so he was really the only family she had left.

Days went by, and Brian had woken up. He seemed to be doing fine, but he was to be kept in the hospital just be sure. Zacky once he had been released, would visit and sit by the edge of his hospital bed and talk to him. One day however, something seemed wrong with Brian, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Zacky, I need you to promise me something." Brian spoke, a sense of urgency is his tone.

"Of course Bri, what is it?" Zacky asked meeting his chocolate brown eyes of his best friend. There was something different about his eyes. Almost as if there was life missing from them somehow.

"I need you to take care of Emma for me." He replied looking away.

"Brian, you'll be out soon, I mean I'm sure Matt could-"

"No Zacky, I mean I'm not gonna be here much longer. I need you to take care of Emma for me. She doesn't have anyone else to look after her."

"Don't talk like that Haner, you're going to get better, and you're gonna be just fine." Zacky's voice cracked as he fought back tears. He had already lost two friends before, and he didn't to lose another one.

"Promise me."

Hours after that conversation, he was gone. He had been left to take care of Emma. She was five years old now, and could hardly remember anything about her father.

"Uncle Zacky?" Her little voice filled his ears and felt her tug on his pant leg when they had returned home. He looked down to see her staring up at him with big brown eyes. Eyes that looked a lot like her late father's eyes. She held onto her purple stuffed bear that Brian had gotten her for her first birthday.

"What is it sweetie?" Zacky asked as he picked her up and carried her over to the living room couch.

"Why are you sad?" She asked sticking out her bottom lip as she pouted.

"I'm not sad kiddo." He lied thinking he could fool her. She just shook her head.

"You are cwying Uncle Zacky. Why?" She asked again hugging him tightly.

"I'm just thinking kiddo. Now, will you tell me what happened at school today?" He asked her trying to turn the focus on her.

"Alex made fun of me 'cause I don't have a mommy or daddy like he does. Everybody else has a mommy or daddy. Why don't I have a mommy or daddy?" She asked as tears welled up in her eyes and her lip quivered. He placed her in his lap and ran a hand through her hair as he tried to calm her down.

"It's hard to say Em, you still have them but you can't see them." He said biting his lip.

"W-Why not?"

"Well, they're angels now. We can't see them because they're invisible, but they can see us. They watch over us from heaven." He replied trying his best to keep it together. She looked up at him.

"Uncle Matty, said that Daddy and Mommy are with Uncle Jimmy. Does that mean Uncle Jimmy is an angel too?"

"Yeah, he is Em."

"Even if he chases the poor duckies and scares them?" Her eyes widened in shock. He chuckled and kisses the top of her head.

"Yes, even though he chases the poor ducks. I'm sure your daddy is making sure your Uncle Jimmy doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Why can't I 'member them?" She asked looking up at him with a mixture of confusion and sadness in her eyes.

"You were a baby when they passed away kiddo, but they both loved you very much. I'm sure they still do and that Uncle Jimmy would love you too." He said trying to keep his voice from cracking. That's when he had an idea. He wasn't quite sure how the five year old would react to such a place, but it was worth a shot.

--
After stopping by a flower shop, they had arrived at the cemetery. Zacky helped Emma out of the car before grabbing the flowers she had picked out and shutting the car door. As they walked down a path leading to where her parents were laid to rest, Emma looked around feeling confused. There were stones everywhere that had names on them. Some were big, others were small. Some were a gray color while others were a shiny black color and a lot of them had flowers in front of them. Zacky held her hand and as they moved closer to two stones.

"Where are we?" She asked looking up at her teary eyed uncle. As they had moved closer, he had become overwhelmed with emotions.

"This is where I come to talk to your daddy sometimes Princess." He answered blinking back tears. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"We can talk to Daddy?" She asked with a puzzled look on her face. He simply nodded and gave her a flower before placing a purple rose in front of Brian's grave. "How can we talk if we can't see him?"

"He'll hear you Em, I promise." He smiled softly before moving to place a yellow rose in front of Stephanie's grave. He watched as the five year old girl stared at the stone for a moment. She bit her lip and looked at her shoes, scuffing one of them against the ground before opening her mouth to speak.

"Hi Daddy. I wish you weren't invisdible and that I could talk to you like I talk to Uncle Matty and Uncle Zacky. I miss you Daddy. I can't 'member Mommy at all. Do you think she'd be mad at me 'cause of that?" She asked biting her lip. Zacky moved to stand beside her.

"Of course not. Mommy wouldn't be mad at you for that at all."

"Pwomise?" She looked up at him. He smiled a little and picked her up.

"I promise, let's go home. I can show you pictures of them." He said before noticing her stare at something behind him. He turned his head and saw nothing before shrugging it off and getting back into the car.

--

Upon returning home again, he had carried Emma over to the couch before placing her on it and moving to grab a photo album. Once he settled back on the couch, he opened it and pointed at a picture of him and Brian playing guitar.

"That's him sweetie." He said smiling watching the little girl's eyes light up.

"I saw him Uncle Zacky!" She exclaimed pointing at the picture and beaming up at him.

"Of course Em, he's in the picture silly." He chuckled.

"Nooo I mean I saw him when we were at the place talkin' to the angels." She said shaking her head. Zacky froze slightly. It couldn't be possible. Maybe she just had an overactive imagination or something.

---

"You do realize Zacky is probably going to go crazy over this right?"

"What? I didn't know she'd be able to see me." Brian shrugged scratching the back of his neck as he stared at his wife.

"I know you miss her, but we'll all be together some day." Stephanie smiled placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I wish I could tell Zacky how much I appreciate everything he's done for her. I wish I could tell her that I love her and that I always will." He sighed leaning against her.

"She knows how you feel Bri, just like I know Zacky will make sure she doesn't forget we will always love her."