Chapter 1: It's My Fault
A/N: Here is a new fanfic, I got the idea for this story when I saw a longplay for a videogame, I hope you'll like this story.
Emily's Pov-
I woke up in my bed, I looked for my wife who would usually lay on her left side either spooning me or waiting for me to awake, but today she wasn't there.
I got out of bed and saw that there was a not on the table from my wife.
"Gone shopping, I'll pick up the kids from school at lunchtime and then I'll come home to get things ready for Julie's birthday party. Don't work too hard. Love you. Maya."
I put down the note and looked at the time, I saw that it was nine in the morning so I had plenty of time to get ready.
I was an architect and Maya was a writer, we would both spend time working at home so we could spend time with our two daughters Julie who is 10 years today and Heather who is 8, they were both from anonymous sperm donators, Maya was pregnant with Julie and I was pregnant with Heather. We both loved our children since they were the world to us. Maya and I got married a few years after Julie was born. We lived in a big two stories house with a huge yard.
I took a shower and got dressed, then I went to the stairs to get to my work room. On the way to the stairs I spotted our pet bird Peaty. He'd usually sing something but today he was just jumping around in his cage not making a sound. I checked his food and water but they were both full.
I ignored the bird and got downstairs to the kitchen where I made myself a bowl of milk and cereals and drank some orange juice. I could see the kids' toys all over the floor and I knew that I should be mad at them but I never could since they were just kids.
Once I had finished my breakfast went to my work room where my sketches and pens were. I started on a project my company had just gotten. I had to sketch the building's design and present it by next week but luckily for me I was great at my work so I'd usually be done in two hours so I could spend the rest of my days being with my kids.
I sketched for a good few hours and once I was finished I heard Maya's car coming up the driveway. I walked up and opened the door and my daughters ran in happy to see me.
"Mom, mom!" They shouted as they ran inside and hugged my legs.
"Easy or you're going to knock me over." I laughed and squatted so I could look right into their eyes.
I turned to Julie and say "So, this is your big day huh?"
"Am I grown up now?" She asked.
"Well, ten years isn't exactly grown up, but you're getting there…" I said.
"Now, can I drive your car?" Julie asked.
"I think you're gonna have to wait a few more years before you can do that." I award and stood up.
"Emily, can you please help me?" I hear Maya say as she walked in carrying three big bags of party supplies.
"Heavy lifting was never your thing huh?" I joked as I waked up to her and carried took her bags.
"That's why I married a high school joke." She answered.
I placed the bags on the table and Maya walked up next to me and kissed my cheek.
"The kids have been so exited this morning, I could hardly keep them in line at the supermarket. How's your day been?"
"I'm almost done with my work project, I just need to work on a few details and I'm done." I answered as I set the table and Maya started to decorate so we'd be ready for when Julie's friends would arrive for the party.
Once I opened living room cupboard where the plates were Maya said "That's the set my mother gave us. Please be careful."
"Don't worry. I don't want to be responsible for a diplomatic incident with your mother." I joked as I very carefully placed the plates on the table.
Once I was done with the plates I looked over to my wife and I thought "She is more beautiful with every passing day." As I walked up to her I spun her around and kissed her.
"Emily." Maya said and blushed.
"I don't know if I've already told you this today, but I find you very attractive Mrs. Fields." I said looking into her eyes.
"You're not so bad yourself, Mrs. Fields." She answered and moved in for another kiss that I granted her.
"I know what you're thinking, but I have to focus on the party now, why don't you go outside and play with the kids and we'll continue this conversation later." Maya said then she turned around and started to bake the cake.
"Did you get the present for Julie?" I asked.
"Yes, it's in the car, we were lucky it was the last one they had." Maya answered.
I walk to the back yard where Julie and Heather was playing.
I could hardly believe that today was my oldest child's birthday, it felt like it was only yesterday me and Maya were flirting in high school.
Once Julie and Heather saw me they ran up to me and said "Mommy are you going to play with us?"
"Yes." I answered "Who wants to go first?" I asked and both Julie and Heather jumped up and down while they shouted "Me, pick me mom."
Since it was Julie's birthday I started with her, I lifted her up in my arms and spun around over and over again while she laughed, then I slowed down so I could let her go so she wouldn't get hurt when her feet touched the ground.
"Now me mom." Heather said and I lifted her onto my shoulders and ran around while she reached out her hand pretending like she was flying.
The kids preferred when I played with them since Maya wasn't strong enough to carry them the way I did.
Once I put Heather down both ran up to me and wanted me to lift them both at the same time. I lowered my arms for both of them to grab onto and then I lifted the while they dangled from my arms, both were enjoying it. (Sometimes I'm worried that they'll start calling me dad.)
Once I put them down Maya said that there was lunch time and both girls ran indoor like two rockets.
I picked up a shoe one of the girls had dropped while I carried them, once I got indoors I saw that Heather wasn't at the table.
"She went upstairs, can you go and get her?" Maya asked and I went upstairs.
I saw her sitting in front of the birdcage crying. I walked up to her and placed my hands on her shoulders "Heather, what's wrong?"
"It's Peaty… He's dead. He's dead and it's my fault." She sobbed.
"Not it's not Heather, of course it's not your fault." I said.
"I'd give anything to get him back to life." Heather said.
"You know, Heather, there are some things which just have to happen even if you don't want them to." I said and hugged my daughter.
"It's not fair mom, it's not fair." She sobbed into my arms.
"I know… I know." I said.
Two weeks later:
It had been two weeks since Julie's birthday party, the party was a success even if Heather spent most time standing close to Maya and me. Today she was in a much better mood and as we went to the mall to buy some clothes for our daughters they ran around us playing tag, once we entered the mall Maya started to hold Heather's hand since it was very crowded and she could easily get lost among all the other people.
As we ride up the escalator Maya saw a shoe store and she asked me to stay with Julie while she and Heather got in to fins some shoes. I sat down on a nearby bench but one I looked to where I last saw Julie she wasn't there.
"Julie!" I shouted as I started to look for her, I didn't understood where she disappeared to she was just next to me. "Julie!" I shouted and then I saw her, she was standing by a mall clown who was holding some balloons. I walked up to her.
"Julie don't wonder off like that." I said.
"I'm sorry mom, can I please have a balloon?" She asked and made those big puppy dog eyes that made it impossible for me to say "No".
We walked up to the clown and Julie told him that she wanted a red balloon, the clown handed it to her.
"That'll be 2 dollars." He said and I started to check my pockets. "Maya had borrowed my wallet when we left the building but I always had some cash in my pockets, it took a while but I managed to dig up some dollar bills that I handed the clown.
"Ok, you got your balloon now can you…? Julie?" When I turned around she was gone again. Maya and Heather walked up to me.
"It's impossible to get some shoes for this one. Where's Julie?" Maya asked.
"She was right here." I answered.
"Did you lose her?" Maya almost shouted.
"I only turned away for a second." I said then I spotted a red balloon from the crowd I ran down the escalator to where I saw the balloon. "JULIE!" I shouted as I ran around among the people.
"JULIE!" I shouted as I walked around the crowd looking for my daughter. I shouldn't have taken my eyes off from her. "JULIE!" I kept pushing my way through people as I looked for Julie. Once I got outside the mall I saw her.
She was standing on the other side of the street looking through a widow.
"JULIE!" I shouted and she turned around. "Mom!" she said and started to run across the street towards me, but she didn't see the car that was coming towards her. "JULIE!" I shouted and ran towards her to get her to stop, but it was too late, the car hit Julie and she fell unconscious to the ground, her red balloon flew off in the air.
"JULIE, NOOOO!" Maya cried as she saw what had happened.
Two years later:
It had gone two Years since Julie's accident. She died before the ambulance had any time to arrive, Maya blamed me for the accident and I felt like it was all my fault. The last two years were terrible, Maya and I separated a few weeks after Julie's death and I started to have random blackouts where I didn't remember anything, one time I woke up at a bus top out of town.
I moved to a small house when Maya and I separated and then we got a divorce, be both got shared custom over Heather who was now the only reason I had to live.
Heather had gotten very sad over what had happened to our family, she would spend one week with me and one with Maya but it was very clear that she preferred to be with Maya than me and I couldn't really blame her.
I had just driven up to Heather's school to pick her up. I was late again and she hated to be the last one to leave and I knew it, but every time I was going to pick her up I always got late.
I walked out of my car and the rain was really pouring down. Heather walked up to me looking empty inside.
"Hi, Heather." I said sporting a fake smile.
"Hi, Mom." Heather said and walked past me into my car. I went inside my car and drove her to my home.
Once we got home she sat down in front of the TV and started to scroll through the channels until she found a kids show.
As she sat down I hanged up my jacket and checked my mail. Asides from commercials there was one letter I didn't recognized, it looked like it was sent from a person but it didn't have a name of a sender.
I opened that letter and it said "When the parents came home from church, all their children were gone. They searched and called for them, they cried and begged, but it was all to no avail. The children have never been seen again." I had no idea what kind of twisted joke that was. I ignored the letter and walked to the living room where Heather sat still watching TV.
"Heather it's time for your homework." I said.
"Please mom, can I just watch TV a little longer?" She asked.
"Come on, let's do the homework now and then you'll be done." I said and she got up and got her bag, then she went to the kitchen and started with her homework.
I heard her sensing from the kitchen as she did her home works.
"Are, you feeling ok?" I asked.
"I'm feeling a bit cold." She answered and sneezed again.
I walked up and felt her forehead. "Well you don't have a fever but you might start to get a cold." I said.
"I'll get some medicine from the bathroom you just continue with your homework." I said and Heather nodded.
I got some cold medicine and gave it to Heather and she swallowed it then she finished her homework and once I had checked it she could return to the TV and watch.
I sat down next to her.
"So how are things at school?" I asked.
"Nothing special." She answered.
"Ok, how do you feel now?" I asked.
"A little better, thank you mom." She said.
I got up and checked the freezer for something I could make for dinner.
All I could find was a frozen pizza that I defrosted and I cut up a few slices for Heather before I placed it on a plate for her.
"Your dinner is ready." I said and Heather walked in and sat down at the table and started to eat.
Once she had eaten everything on her plate she returned to the TV once again.
Maya was going to have Heather in a few days but it seemed like she couldn't wait to get there.
I looked at the clock and saw that it was late.
"Ok, Heather, it's time for bed." I said.
"Please, can't I stay up for a little longer?" Heather asked.
"That's now very reasonable, you've got school tomorrow. You get ready for bed and I'll come tuck you in later." I said.
"Ok mom." Heather said and turned off the TV and then she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth while I placed her plate in the dishwasher. I got upstairs to her room where she was in bed still awake.
I walked in and closed the drapes then I saw a painting she had done very recently, the painting was of Julie lying dead, I was worried that she was taking Julie's death worse than I did.
I walked up to her bed and sat down. "Goodnight Heather." I said and Heather sat up and said "My teddy! I haven't got my teddy mom! I can't sleep without it!" She said.
"Ok, where did you last see it?" I asked.
"In the laundry room." She answered.
"Ok, you say here and I'll get it." I said and got up and went down to the laundry room. I found her teddy, it was a teddy I had given her when she was 4 years and she had slept with it ever since. It was blue with a piano colored tie.
I walked back upstairs and gave her the bear, Heather smiled and said "Thank you mom." Then she laid down in her bed.
"Goodnight Heather." I said and started to walk out of her room.
"Mom?" Heather asked as I walked.
"Why do you look sad?" She asked.
I walked up to her and said "I think I just need some time to get back to the way things were." I answered while I tucked in Heather.
"You know, mom, what happened to Julie wasn't your fault." Heather said.
It felt good to hear that I smiled at her and said "Goodnight Heather"
She closed her eyes and held her teddy bear tight I stayed until I knew she was completely asleep, then I leaned down and kissed her forehead.
I slowly sneaked out of her room, when I closed the door I suddenly started to feel lightheaded and I leaned against a wall and closed my eyes while I took a long breath.
When I opened my eyes I was standing outdoors and the middle of a street. I must have gotten another blackout I felt that I was holding something in my hand, It was a small piece of paper shaped folded like a origami dog.
A/N2: I hope you guys liked it and will stay for more chapters