House of Straw and Sticks

Alyss

Daddy

Alyss never be the close one to her daddy. It's always her mummy with her. Every time she had nightmare, the first person who she will sought for was her mummy. Always mummy, rarely daddy. Alice however, is the perfect example of daddy little girl. And she is no fool not to realize that daddy always favor Alice more than her. It's not jealousy that came from her part, just a small wonder. Perhaps it's because of Alice's strong resemblance to mummy?

Mummy always told her that she love Alice's eyes that remind her of Uncle Oswald's and how she love her eyes too since it's remind her of daddy. She remembered how mummy always said that the eyes of her two beloved men are in her own daughters eyes.

The only fond recollection of daddy that she secretly cherishes was when daddy taught them how to dance. She will step on daddy's feet and then daddy will lead the dance. She loves how daddy will laughed as he tripped down when his foot tangled with the other. Of course after that daddy tried to cover his mistake by saying that the floor was slippery as he was dancing barefoot. She knows how skillful daddy can dance. She saw how daddy dance with mummy and she always wonder if she can dance that well.

Before she realized it, she made it a habit to practice dancing before she went to bed. So, she will always remember the steps and in turn remember her daddy. Once, Uncle Oswald caught her dancing till late at night. Instead of leading her back to her bed, he smiled, stating that she dance just like how Lacie used to.

Uncle Oswald has the air of a father around him but somehow, she yearned for her daddy. Perhaps her daddy's smiling face is what she sought. Her steps faltered, her thought wondered towards her daddy. She really wants to see mummy and daddy again. It had been a year, but she still misses them. A sob escaped from her tightly closed lips. Before she knows it, she fell to the ground sobbing. The empty study filled with the sound of her crying.

That's how that man with hair like daddy and eyes like mummy found her. That man didn't say a word. He just stayed there beside her, munching on a sweet smelling candy. When she finally stopped crying, he hand her his handkerchief. She wiped her tears and snot away, blowing her nose on the hankie, smiling lightly when she saw him grimace.

"Who are you?" she asked the man with eyes like mummy.

That man smiled, "I'm your uncle's friend. Do you know where he is?"

Alyss shook her head, her eyes fixed on that man's eyes.

"Daddy?" Come Alice's voice from behind them.

Alyss turned around and see her sister already crying as she walked towards the white haired man. Alyss stood up from the ground, dusting her skirt before she approached her sister, grabbing her by her hand to stop her.

Alice stared, eyes wide when that man turned around, his face breaking all the hope in her heart. "You are not daddy" was all she said before her crying that stopped earlier started up again, this time louder.

Alyss pulled her sister away, towards their room.

Of course that man is not daddy. Daddy and mummy are no longer here. How many times must Uncle Oswald tell Alice that they are not coming back anymore?

Alice is so stubborn.

She pushed Alice down on the bed before she grabbed the chocolate that she kept on the drawer beside her bed. She broke the chocolate into two, handing one to Alice. They both munched the chocolate in silent, just like how they used to after they fought. Just like how daddy always made them do after they fought, cried and said their apologies.

"Daddy is not coming back Alice. So is mummy."

Alice chocked on her tears before she nodded her head. "I miss him Alyss. I miss mummy too."

Just like how mummy would do when they cry, she hugged her sister. "Me too."

"They really are not coming back anymore Alyss?"

Alyss nodded, continued eating her chocolate. Her own tears fell down silently, mixed with the chocolate making the chocolate tasted slightly salty nevertheless, she continued eating it. If not, she's afraid that she will cry even louder than Alice.

She wiped her tears away when she finished her share of chocolate, the remaining chocolate on her fingers smeared on her wet face. "Uncle Oswald told me that they are still here with us. It just that we can no longer see them with our bare eyes." She continue to reassure her sister when she saw her look as if she's ready to go for another round of bawling her eyes out.

Alice's scrunched out face changed, her violet eyes widen. "Really?" she asked almost excitedly, her last piece of chocolate vanished with a bite. She licked her fingers clean, her face still stained with tears.

"Yeah. Uncle Oswald said in our body, there's this thing called DNA. Half of mummy's and daddy's DNA is in us. Uncle Oswald said that's why we have mummy's face, I have daddy' hair and eyes and you has mummy's hair."

At that Alice smiled. "Uncle Oswald sure knows a lot."

Alyss smiled back at her sister. "Yeah"

She knows if her daddy could see them right now, he would probably laugh at them. Daddy always liked to laugh at their misery.

"My cry babies daughters"

A soft knocked on the door startled both of the twins. "Alyss? Alice? May I come in?" called Oswald from the other side of the door.

Alice quickly shambled towards the door, greeting her uncle with a smile.

Oswald stepped in the room, grimacing when he took in the condition of the room. The twin's room was a mass. His violet eyes swept towards the obviously just cried Alice and Alyss. He gave a slight smile when he saw Alyss's face that smeared with chocolate.

He then placed the bucket of water with ice on the dressing table before he dipped in a towel that he brought with him. Squeezing the towel dry, he hand the towel to Alice. "Dabbed your eyes with it. It will reduce the swelling" He did the same with the other towel before he handed it to Alyss. "Now you do the same too."

Alyss took the towel, dabbed it over her eyes. "Uncle Oswald, who was that man at the study just now? He must be the one who told you that we were crying just now." She asked him curios.

"He's a friend of mine Alyss. Why did you ask?"

She then blushed under her uncle heavy gaze. "It just that he have eyes like mummy and hair like daddy"

That night as she was getting ready to bed, the only thing that kept on replying on her mind was how that man reminds her of both daddy and mummy.

Just before she fell to sleep, a small thought cross her mind.

"He smile just like daddy"

A/N: For my friend that lost her father. Be strong.