It's been a year since I last saw Tate. My Tate, not the one that's been creeping around here since my Mom died. It's also been a year since he last saw me properly, I know that he can still sense me sometimes, like that incident last week in the basement. He was with Constance and that thing that killed my Mom. I had promised Larry's girls the day before that I would help them set up their tea party before Michael came over. Obviously I had spent way longer than I had planned to with Beau. I loved Beau, he didn't have anything to worry about, he was happy enough listening to my problems just as long as I played ball with him afterwards. By the time I got to the top of the stairs I could hear the girls giggling away at whatever it was that had be going on. I slowly made my way down a few stairs, making sure I was keeping to the shadows, before I lowered myself down. Hayden was sat in the rocking chair in the corner rocking my brother, she and my Mom had decided long ago that it wouldn't be fair for us to live in the same house if they were arguing all the time, after all this was a permanent fixture now. She looked like the perfect Mom, even when Larry's girls and Michael demanded that she join in their tea party she smiled and said she'd be right there. In that moment I envied Hayden, she had everything she ever wanted and here I was sat on a cold, ugly flight of stairs that led to possibly the creepiest part of the house. I turned my head to the left and my eyes locked with Constance's. It creeped me out how she could do that, she looked at me for a moment before turning towards Tate again. I took this as my opportunity to move from my spot, I slowly and cautiously made my way down a few more steps, all the while thinking in my head 'Please don't let him see me, please don't' Of course he didn't he was too wrapped up in his precious son to care who else was in the room.
I don't know how long I stood there looking at Tate, it must have been quite a while because I didn't see Constance slip into the rocking chair behind me, when she spoke she nearly made me jump out of my skin.
"He's good with his son. I know that's what your wondering, well look at him, he's a natural. I have to say at first I had my doubts but he took to him like a fish in water. I love my boys more than life itself and I know we are a family but it still seems like there's something missing. We both know what that is, don't we?" I could tell Constance was waiting for a reply, she kept shifting in her seat every five seconds but I just couldn't seem to answer her right now. My eyes were fixed on the scene in front of me. Tate, Michael, the girls and Hayden, who still had the baby in her arms, were all crowded around the little table the girls used for their tea parties, having what seemed to be 'a family moment'. I knew that it was just Tate playing the doting father and Hayden just joined in because the girls wanted her too, but I couldn't help but feel jealous, they actually looked like a real family.
Constance cleared her throat from behind me and I turned towards her, my voice was barely a whisper.
" I don't see anything wrong with this little family of yours, it looks absolutely perfect to me." At that moment a roar of laughter erupted from the other side of the room and Constance and I turned to look, Tate had thrown Michael up into the air and caught him, sending the kid into a fit of hysterical laughter. Despite the fact that I wanted to rip Michael's throat out for what he did to my family, I smiled.
"I think we both know what's missing from this family. Tate knows it too, that's why he's started to spend less time with Michael, the fact that he will never have a perfect little family of his own hurts too much. It hurts you to doesn't it Violet? I can see it in your eyes." I turned away and started to stalk back up the stairs, if I could just keep it together until I reached the top then I would be fine. When I was about halfway up another round of laughter shot out from the room and I stopped. I turned slowly, making sure no one else knew I was there, not even Constance. I just wanted to watch Tate be with his son for a little while longer. Just as I sat down and edged closer to the wall were I knew I would be safe from anyone's vision Tate's head snapped up and his eyes quickly scanned the room, he looked at Constance who gave him a nod before he began scanning the room again. All of a sudden I felt like I couldn't breath, I knew this was a mistake. I needed to get out of the basement and fast. Quietly I picked myself up off the step and began to creep my way up them, never moving my eyes from Tate's figure, which was now spinning around like a maniac, searching for something. More importantly, searching for me.
As I reached the top stair I let out a sigh of relief. Tate whipped his head around to face me and his eyes locked on mine. It was like falling in love all over again, I could feel that pull that my Mom always spoke about. I tried to tear my eyes away from Tate's and make a hasty escape but I couldn't. I was mesmerized and he knew it, he had his trademark grin spread across his face and I was torn between throwing myself into his arms and throwing something at him. It felt like an eternity before Hayden spoke.
"Tate are you okay, you look…are you okay?" Tate turned to walk towards the table before he turned around again. Looking me right in the eye he said "I miss you Vi" before he made his way back to his son.