Your Father Loves You
We padded slowly down the hallway towards Danny's room, our hands brushing against each others' as we walked. As we passed Levi's room Danny slowed and I came to a stop, turning around and giving Danny a curious look. He was looking into Levi's room, where his father was talking to Levi. I could hear Reb Saunders' speaking about benign things to his youngest son; asking how he felt, how was school, how were his friends. Danny rested his head against the door frame quietly and listened, after a moment I realized he was crying. Quickly I walked over and took his hard, he looked up at me blankly and he seemed aloof, and almost unresponsive. I started to pull him gingerly down the hallway and into his room, his feet a few steps behind mine. Just as I closed the door behind us, Danny looked down at our entwined hands and muttered, "Does he even love me?" I tried to look into his eyes, but his gaze was still solidly down, looking at our hands.
"The absence of words isn't the absence of love, Danny," I whispered to him. He looked up suddenly, his face was stricken and you could see the hurt in his blue eyes. The silence was thick until Danny split it with a painful sob.
"Danny," I purred soothingly as he fell into my arms. I could feel his body trembling against mine. He had pulled himself flush against my chest, and I had let him, while I slowly pulled my hand up and down his back in a soothing rhythm. I pulled away a little and raised my other hand to wipe a tear from Danny's cheek, before he pressed that cheek against my chest. Curling himself into my shoulder, I continued to speak to Danny as his body shook against mine.
"Danny, shh, it's okay Danny, your father loves you, more than anything in the world, Danny, shh shh shh," I whispered into his hair. Slowly he raised his head and only then could I see how truly hurt he was. I had never seen him more upset, it looked as if his the levee had broken and all his pain was rushing out and filling his lungs, making it hard to breathe. He was drowning in it. I panicked slightly, I needed to help him, and I started crying too before leaning over and kissing him softly on the cheek. Instead of pulling away entirely I left my face near his and he wrapped his arms around me. He sniffled, and I saw another tear roll slowly down his cheek. I press my lips against his cheek again, and murmur soft and hot into his ear: "He loves you Danny, I promise." I kissed his cheek one last time. "And I do too."