Die Young
"I'll be forever young in your memories."
"When you are thinking about me, you will always remember me as how I look now and how I looked in the past as a child. There will be no recollection of me growing old in your mind. I'll be forever young in your memories."
Her smile after she said those words chills him.
"I guess that is one of the benefits of dying young. People usually will appreciate things that are ephemeral and beautiful"
True enough, every time he closed his eyes to think about her, all he could remember was her hunting smile on her youthful face with her voice ringing in his ears.
Sighing, he began to pick up Lacie's scattered knick-knacks. Gathered up the blue blanket that was thrown beside the sofa, he started to fold it neatly before he placed it at the foot of the bed. Her numerous toys that lay strewed on the floor ends up at the head of the bed. He stopped when he saw her favorite bunny doll. The doll looks threadbare and dirty. Smiling, he picked up the doll.
Her very first doll.
Suddenly a memory of her flashed in his mind. A memory that he had nearly forgotten, buried deep in his memory box, concealed behind the other recollection of hers.
Her shaky voice somehow resound in his ears again, "This child will never get to know me as the mother"
He clinched shut his eyes, raking through his brain, trying to remember her expression when she said those words only to met a void space in his memory box. Giving up, he put down the doll. Lost in his thought, he end up standing in front the gate of Abyss and it seems that it's not just him there.
Approaching Glen, he wondered what made the man stood at the gate transfixed.
In front him, he saw a small girl sat on the floor, biting on a black rabbit doll.
Almost mechanically, he forced out a smile when he realized that the girl looked just like a young Lacie.
"I'll be forever young in your memories."
She look a bit too real to be just a memory. Noticing her violet eyes, he didn't need to be a genius to know that she's his daughter.
"He woke up!" the young girl yelled almost excitedly, gripping the doll by its ears
Flabbergast, he repeat after her, "…. He woke up?" before his eyes moved on the doll.
Silent
"Oh I see"
Smiling at him, she introduce herself, "My name is Alice"
Looking at Glen who now already facing away from the child, he decided to take the lead, "Uhm… Well… First of all let me welcome you Alice. My name is Levi" slowly, almost hesitantly he extended his hand to her direction.
Like how her mother used to do years ago, she gripped her small hand around his fingers, following him without a question as he led her towards Lacie's old room.
Softly Alice said, "She looks a lot like you Levi. The other me"
Before he could stopped himself, he chuckled before it turns to a heartily laughter. "Is that so?"
Completely at ease, the child smiled, nodding her head. "Yes. She has your hair and eyes"
For a reason that he cannot comprehend, warmth spread inside him.
That night, he tucked that child to sleep.
This child will know about her mother. He'll make sure of it; though, she won't learn about her from him. Jack after all, have his use. And he's sure that she'll never learn that he's her father. At least not from Jack.
But it's alright with him. At least he knows that she is his daughter.