Jack opened his eyes with a sleepy but sharp start. He stared up into the darkness of his bedroom, pitch black apart from the slither of light creeping through under his door. He'd been dreaming, nothing particular just flashes stood out in his mind - a plane trip and mangoes. Rubbish of course, as so many dreams were. Through the silence that engulfed him came the hollow tap of a piano ivory and he knew that he been the thing to wake him. Rolling over he flicked on the bedside lamp and looked at his watch which read the not so pleasing time of 3.30am.
Pushing himself up, he grabbed a sweatshirt from his chest of draws and pulled it over his head. As he left his room his eyes instinctively looked to the left to Mia's room. Her door stood open, the room lit up by a solitary bedside lamp but Mia didn't lay asleep in her bed where she should have been. Again the piano emitted noise and Jack headed down the stairs. He crossed the hallway and leaned against the lounge door frame.
Mia cut a lonely figure. She sat alone at the piano in her PJ's, her back turned away from the door. The lamp on top of the piano illuminated the small area, providing just enough light to highlight the keys and the photographs on top of the piano. Somewhat absent minded Mia tapped at one note, her eyes focused on one single photo, just off centre on the piano top.
" Hey kiddo," said Jack walking over and leaning against the piano. He took note of Mia's thousand yard stare, " Why aren't you in bed? You've got school in a couple of hours."
" Couldn't sleep." replied Mia, her tone of voice suggesting otherwise.
Jack moved himself to the comfy armchair which was placed next to the piano. He watched Mia for a few moments as she continued on in her dreamy yet evasive state. Only a short time passed before she turned on the stool to look at her dad.
" Daddy, do you really love Sarah?" she asked.
" Yes I do, sweetheart - very much." replied Jack, a little curious to where this conversation was heading.
" Oh, okay." said Mia quietly but after a few seconds she looked back up, " Do…but do you really have to marry her?"
Jack was worried, " You…you don't like Sarah?"
This had been the very nightmare Jack had been having for a week. He'd only told Mia that very morning that he was going to ask Sarah to marry him and he thought that she was okay with it but apparently not. And if Mia didn't like Sarah then he had a big problem. He loved Sarah dearly and he wanted her to be his wife but Mia was his first and foremost priority and he the only way he could go ahead and asked Sarah for her hand was if Mia was happy with the situation.
" No Sarah's great daddy. I just…I don't want you to marry her." shrugged Mia.
" Why not?"
" Cos, she might take you away from me." admitted Mia.
Jack smiled and joined Mia on the piano stool. He placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her tenderly on top of her head. Mia snuggled up to him. He understood her anxiety. For a long time it had been just the two of them and nobody had ever come into the little bubble. Jack guess Mia was worried about how having Sarah in the mix might change things.
" Now you listen to me. Just because I might become a husband doesn't mean I stop being your dad. If she says yes then things will change but not you and me, okay. We're a team and Sarah understands that. She wants to get to know you Kiddo, she wants to take you shopping and do all the girly things you girls do. She wants to be your friend."
Mia seemed to consider this for a second.
" I hope she says yes, daddy."
Mia smiled and hugged Jack around the middle. Jack peeked her head again and stood up. He turned towards he door frame and called to Mia.
" Now come on you, bed."
But Mia didn't move and when Jack turned to her he saw that she was again looking at the picture. It showed Mia's mother was she was about 18 and the resemblance between mother and daughter never failed to amaze Jack. It was placed on the piano because Mia's mother had been a great piano player.
" Daddy."
" Yes sweetheart."
" Do you still love mom?"
Jack himself looked at the picture. His eyes settled on the face of the his first love, the mother of his child. He smiled before looking down at Mia, his baby.
" Always."
-----------------------------------
Mia sat at the top of the staircase, her arms wrapped around her knees. She could hear every word being said downstairs between her dad and Sarah, and her eyes were swimming with tears. Things hadn't been right for a long time, Sarah was often out or making mysterious phone calls and Jack was nearly always at the hospital, and now it appeared that things had come to an end.
Maybe she shouldn't have been listening but it was difficult not to. She could hear crying on both parts and could tell the heartbreak in the downstairs of the house was more real then ever before. The conversation between Jack and Sarah didn't last long and when it was over Sarah headed to the front door. She turned and looked up the stairs at Mia and smiled, her eyes shimmering - her goodbye. Sarah would never replace her real mother but Mia was very fond of her and liked having her around. She never tried to get in between Mia and Jack if they argued and she liked to take her shopping but by the looks of things shopping was a thing of the past.
An uneasy silence fell over the house. Mia didn't want to move from her spot on the stairs, partly out of fear of seeing her dad upset. She simply listened as she heard cupboards slamming shut in the kitchen, the sound of a glass and liquid and then a heavy gulp. She could see the shadow of her father sit down in the arm chair and continue to drink. Mia decided to return to her room and let her father be alone but when a crash came from the lounge an hour or so later followed by the slamming of the front door and a car screeching away, Mia felt scared. Tentatively she crept down stairs and looked into the lounge. Several empty beer bottles, a large empty wine bottle and a half empty bottle of white pills scattered the table. The sofa was a mess of pillows and throws, and glass covered the floor by the piano were all of the photographs had been smashed.
Mia hurried over to the phone and dialled her grandfather's number. He picked up after a few seconds. Her voice shaking Mia explained what had happened and that Jack had left. He was over at the house within a few minutes accompanied by his wife. They observed the mess before Christian headed off to try and find Jack whilst Mia and her grandmother attempted to clean up the mess.
Mia picked up the photo frame which contained her mother's photo. It was a handmade frame and now completely ruined. The picture inside had been torn to piece with the splintered glass. She couldn't hold back the tears as she tried to piece it back together but it was no good. Her grandmother hugged her tightly and once the cleaning was done told Mia to go to bed but she had little chance of sleeping.
She heard the car pull up and then voices downstairs.
" If he starts to act like this, then we're taking Mia home with us until he can sort himself out." said Christian.
" He won't let us Christian, you know that as well as I do."
" I'm not leaving my granddaughter here with him if he can't take care of her properly. Look what he did tonight. He left here alone."
" Mia is strong enough to handle this."
" She's barely a teenager, she's not ready to handle anything."
Jack's mumbling echoed up the stairs so Mia shut her hands tight against her ears not wanting to hear him be so incoherent. Her grandfather was right, she wasn't ready to handle it, she was suppose to be the kid, not the adult. More talking followed, raised voices entering at some point but being hushed up seconds later. Mia just closed her eyes and tried her hardest not to listen.
Footsteps echoed on the stairs a little while later. Mia quickly pretended to be fast asleep and rolled onto her side so she couldn't see the door. A slither of light spread across the room and the burst a little brighter. A weight shifted on the edge of the bed and then a hand reached out and stroked her hair. It took a lot for Mia to remain ignorant. How long Jack sat there, Mia wasn't sure but eventually he got up and left the room. As the door closed a voice reached her in the darkness.
" I love you sweetheart."
