Chapter Two
She quickly stood up, trying to collect herself. 'No, I will never think about it again. It's over. It's done with. He's gone and there's nothing to think about.' She tried to finish up the dishes in a hurry, but had to stop and wipe away occasional tears that insisted on coming down. Once she'd finished, she walked upstairs and changed into pajama pants and one of Leo's old t-shirts. Piper laid down on her bed, hugging the shirt around herself. Sniffling, she looked up towards 'them'. The Elders. She hated them so much. They didn't bring them back. They could have, but no. They didn't bring him back because he disobeyed them. And she was the reason he'd disobeyed them. 'They didn't bring him back because of me', she thought.
Just then she heard the door open and the voices of her younger sister and her daughter ring through the halls. Footsteps echoed from the stairs, through the hallway and to her door.
"Mommy?" She heard a voice ask. "Can I come in?" Melinda's voice. It sounded so young, so innocent. It was.
"Of course you can," Piper said as she sat up on the bed. "Did you have fun with Aunt Phoebe?" Melinda smiled as her mother spoke, happy that her mother didn't seem as upset as she'd expected.
"Yeah, I ate ALL of my ice cream," Melinda said as she sat down next to Piper.
"All of it? That's a lot of ice cream for a little girl," Piper said as she raised her eyebrows. Melinda pouted at the comment, obviously showing disgust at being called a 'little girl'. "I'm sorry, a medium girl." They both smiled at that.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Melinda asked hopefully.
"As long as you get into your pajamas and brush your teeth."
"Okay!" Melinda hopped up, leaving Piper alone in the room. She let her thoughts drift back to Leo. He'd love to see Melinda now. She'd become more mature on the inside as well as the outside. She appeared to be a mini-replica of Piper more than ever, but with Leo's eyes and chin. After a few minutes, Melinda came back into the room and crawled into bed with her mother. Piper lay on her back and Melinda rested her head on her mother's shoulder. She could smell the aftershave from the shirt and it reminded her of her father. He always smelled that way, no matter what. It was like the scent he came with. Everyone had one. Her mother always smelled of lavender, the perfume she'd used ever since Melinda could remember. They were both comforting smells. When they mixed together, she felt as if she were right where she was supposed to be. Like her parents were both there in the room somehow, holding onto her and keeping her safe.
"Mommy?" Melinda asked.
"Yeah?"
"You smell like Daddy." And those were the last words spoken between them that night. They both knew what the other was thinking because they shared the same thoughts, almost. Piper's were different because, unlike Melinda, she felt that Leo was gone forever. That he'd left without a trace and would never come back. Melinda knew otherwise. And so she fell asleep that night pondering a way to make her mother believe that Leo was still watching over them. And that he always would be.
She quickly stood up, trying to collect herself. 'No, I will never think about it again. It's over. It's done with. He's gone and there's nothing to think about.' She tried to finish up the dishes in a hurry, but had to stop and wipe away occasional tears that insisted on coming down. Once she'd finished, she walked upstairs and changed into pajama pants and one of Leo's old t-shirts. Piper laid down on her bed, hugging the shirt around herself. Sniffling, she looked up towards 'them'. The Elders. She hated them so much. They didn't bring them back. They could have, but no. They didn't bring him back because he disobeyed them. And she was the reason he'd disobeyed them. 'They didn't bring him back because of me', she thought.
Just then she heard the door open and the voices of her younger sister and her daughter ring through the halls. Footsteps echoed from the stairs, through the hallway and to her door.
"Mommy?" She heard a voice ask. "Can I come in?" Melinda's voice. It sounded so young, so innocent. It was.
"Of course you can," Piper said as she sat up on the bed. "Did you have fun with Aunt Phoebe?" Melinda smiled as her mother spoke, happy that her mother didn't seem as upset as she'd expected.
"Yeah, I ate ALL of my ice cream," Melinda said as she sat down next to Piper.
"All of it? That's a lot of ice cream for a little girl," Piper said as she raised her eyebrows. Melinda pouted at the comment, obviously showing disgust at being called a 'little girl'. "I'm sorry, a medium girl." They both smiled at that.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Melinda asked hopefully.
"As long as you get into your pajamas and brush your teeth."
"Okay!" Melinda hopped up, leaving Piper alone in the room. She let her thoughts drift back to Leo. He'd love to see Melinda now. She'd become more mature on the inside as well as the outside. She appeared to be a mini-replica of Piper more than ever, but with Leo's eyes and chin. After a few minutes, Melinda came back into the room and crawled into bed with her mother. Piper lay on her back and Melinda rested her head on her mother's shoulder. She could smell the aftershave from the shirt and it reminded her of her father. He always smelled that way, no matter what. It was like the scent he came with. Everyone had one. Her mother always smelled of lavender, the perfume she'd used ever since Melinda could remember. They were both comforting smells. When they mixed together, she felt as if she were right where she was supposed to be. Like her parents were both there in the room somehow, holding onto her and keeping her safe.
"Mommy?" Melinda asked.
"Yeah?"
"You smell like Daddy." And those were the last words spoken between them that night. They both knew what the other was thinking because they shared the same thoughts, almost. Piper's were different because, unlike Melinda, she felt that Leo was gone forever. That he'd left without a trace and would never come back. Melinda knew otherwise. And so she fell asleep that night pondering a way to make her mother believe that Leo was still watching over them. And that he always would be.