Chris was stood still holding his twin God-daughters (Mia and Emily). He was thinking about how a couple of nine-year-olds were going to deal with the loss of their parents. He didn't know what he was going to do with them. He decided that he couldn't send them to school tomorrow. Their lives had been completely turned upside down in a matter of hours.
"It's ok. Everything is going to be ok." Chris reassured these two vulnerable girls.
"Are we coming with you?" Mia asked through her sobs.
"Yeah. Yeah you are." Chris told her.
Sergeant Smith came into the room that they were in and said it was fine for them to go home. PC Olivia Keane (the female officer who was looking after Mia and Emily) drove them to Sam's house. Chris let them in, the girls went upstairs with Olivia to pack some clothes. Chris walked into the living room and looked at the pictures on fire place and the walls. They all looked so happy and now it is just gone. Emily came downstairs and wrapped her arms around Chris.
"I don't understand." Emily said.
"What don't you understand, Em." Chris said confused.
"Why this has happened. Why would someone let this happen?" Emily said tearfully.
"Some people are just idiots and don't car for other people on the road. The person driving the car that killed your mum and dad was probably doing it to show off. What you need to remember is that I won't let that happen to you. Now that you are coming to live with me and Nicole, we will live you just as much as your mum and dad loved you and Mia. Me and Nicole will not treat you any different to how we would treat Megan, Lydia or Alice." Chris said softly to Emily and Chris felt her hug him tighter.
"Ready?" Olivia said as she came downstairs with Mia.
Chris picked up Emily and Mia's bags and carried them out to the car. He went back to the house to make sure everything was ok. He saw a family picture that he picked up for Emily and Mia. Then he saw a picture of himself and Sam on his wedding night that he forgot had been taken and he took that for himself to remember his best friend. He locked the doors and looked back to the house.
Olivia dropped Chris, Mia and Emily back at the house. Chris thanked her for everything that she'd done in the last few hours. Chris let the girls into the house. Chris led them through to the dining room where Nicole was sat with bowls of leftover pasta that they had for dinner earlier. Chris went upstairs with the girls bags and put them in the spare room where their beds had been set up. Chris placed the picture of the girls with their parents so they had something to remember them, so they didn't feel completely lonely. Chris felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck.
"I know how it feels to lose someone so close to you." Megan said to him.
"Yeah. Yeah you do." Chris stood up and hugged his eldest daughter properly. He felt a tear run down the side of his check. He had to be strong not only for himself, Mia and Emily but his family as well.
Mia and Emily came into the spare bedroom where they usually stayed if they were staying the night. Chris left them to get changed and he went to check on Alice to see if she was sleeping ok. He could see a smile on her face. Chris went back downstairs and sat in the living room, he dialled a number on his phone.
"Hello." A Scottish voice said.
"Hello Michael. Its Chris." Chris replied.
"Ah Chris how can I help you?" Michael said.
"Due to events which have occurred in the last couple of hours I won't be able to make it into work for the rest of the week." Chris said plainly.
"Do you mind if I ask why?" Michal asked in a confused manner. He knew that Chris wouldn't take time off for no reason.
"My best friend and his wife were involved in a car crash earlier today which killed them both instantly. I'm now responsible for looking after their twins as they are my God-daughters and I don't think they are ready to go to school tomorrow or possibly the rest of the week. I'm sorry if that's caused any problems for you. I just feel that I need to be the ones there to look after them." Chris said he could hear Michael take in a sharp breath when he told him what had happened.
"That is no problem at all I totally understand what's gone on. You take as much time as you need. Sian will sort out your work for you so you don't need to worry about it. You just worry about your God-daughters." Michael said with sorrow in his voice.
"Thank you Michael." Chris said just before he hung up.
"Out like lights. They must have been exhausted," Nicole said as she sat down next to Chris. "How you doing?"
"I'm just so confused it's all happened so fast. I took a photo of me and Sam at his wedding. I forgot that it was even taken. That was the happiest night of his life and I don't think I'd even seen home so happy until Mia and Emily were born." Chris said.
Alice started to cry upstairs. Chris went up to distract himself from the night's events.
"Hey, its ok. What's all this crying about?" Chris said as he sat on the edge of Alice's bed. Alice climbed into his lap and Chris sat and stroked her hair.
"I had a dream about mummy again but this time it was about her being killed in her car. It wasn't just her in the car. You and Megan were as well and you both died. I was just left all by myself and I got really scared." Alice said rather frightened.
"Well you're not all by yourself because me and Megan are still here aren't we." Chris reassured Alice.
"Why are Mia and Emily here. I saw them come upstairs earlier." Alice asked changing the subject.
"Because Sam and Jess have had an accident so we need to look after them for a little while." Chris said with tears in his eyes.
"Your crying, daddy" Alice said as she looked up at her dad.
"I'm fine. I'm just tired. We'll talk about it properly in the morning. You've got school and I've got work so we both need to go to sleep." Chris said wiping his eyes.
"Ok. See you in the morning daddy." Alice said lying back down.
Chris went to bed and lay dreaming about the night's events. The most unimaginable thing had happened to him. Chris fell asleep and slept right through to the next morning. He woke up and went downstairs to see Alice sat watching the TV.
"Daddy." Alice said running up and hugging him.
"Good Morning. Did you sleep ok after I came in a saw you." Chris asked.
"Yeah. I did. Last night you said Sam and Jessica had an accident and that was why Mia and Emily are here. What did you mean?" Alice asked sweetly.
"You mustn't go up to people and tell them and don't talk Mia and Emily about it because it will make them upset. Last night Sam and Jessica had a car accident like mummy did and they both died. Mia and Emily will be living with us from now because they have no-where else to go. I'm not going to work today to stay at home with Mia and Emily." Chris told Alice who just sat and looked at him.
"Ok daddy. I won't tell anyone." Alice said hugging her dad.
Nicole took Alice, Megan and Lydia to school before she went to work so Chris could stay at home with Mia and Emily. Chris remembered that he needed to phone their school to tell them that they wouldn't be in school today. Chris found the phone number for their school and phoned them up and explained their situation and the school receptionist fully understood what their situation was. Mia and Emily both came into the kitchen and some breakfast.
After they had all got dressed, Chris took them back to their house to finish picking up some more clothes as last night they only packed enough for one night. Mia and Emily packed their clothes in silence which was very unlike them they were usually full of life but they still devastated by the fact that they had lost both of their parents they didn't feel like talking much. Chris went and stood in the living room again. He had some many happy memories in this house.
"Are you ok?" Mia's meek voice asked.
"Yeah. Just thinking all the times we've spent Christmas and New Year and all them times just sat around in this room and won't get to do it again. But we can do it our house in memory of your mum and dad. It will get easier; I promise you that. I love you and will love just as much as your mum and dad loved you. I promised your parents when you were born to look after you and that's what I'm going to do for you and your sister." Chris said.
Mia hugged Chris. "Thank you. You didn't have to look after us."
"Yes I do." Chris replied.
Chris took the girls home to sort out and put their things away. The put up some of the pictures that had to remember their family by. Chris wanted the girls to feel comfortable.
"At some point, we can paint this room to however you want." Chris said to make them feel comfortable here.
"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." Emily said.
"So would I." Mia said agreeing with Emily.
Chris smiled this was the happiest he'd seen the girls in the past day.
