Picture Perfect

Chapter 44: Missed Mother

          A couple of hours pass, Deagan, and Chase on the couch still, the blanket still around them. They lay there lightly kissing each other.

          "Daddy?" Deagan and Chase hear, hand still on Chase's chest, palm down.

          "Shit," Chase whispers kissing Deagan's forehead. After awkwardly pulling his jeans back on and wrapping the blanket back around Deagan he stands up.

          "Hey, buddy what's wrong?" as he carries Taylor upstairs.

           "I had a bad dream," Taylor says softly. Deagan hears them go upstairs. She moves the covers over her chest, fixing her braid as she waits for Chase to come back downstairs.

          "Sorry he had a nightmare," Chase smiles walking down the stairs a few minutes later.

          "It's okay," Deagan says leaning back on the couch.

          "Daddy!" The pair hear Myah next. Deagan resting her forehead against Chase's.

          "Maybe I should get going, Deagan says.

          "What? Not used to having me getting called away?" Chase winks at her. "Stay here, there's plenty of room," kissing her then getting up and going into Myah's room.

          "Hey honey," Chase says walking in and seeing her sitting up in her princess bed.

           Rubbing her eyes, "Where's mommy?" Chase always getting that question from his little girl.

          "Well," picking her up and placing her on his lap, "honey remember when I told you that mommy is up in heaven?" Myah nods. "Well, she's up there watching you and Taylor all the time, but she's here too. She's always with you."

          "When is she coming back?" Myah asks leaning back against Chase.

          Softly kissing her head, as he closes his eyes, "She isn't coming back honey, but she will always be here," pointing to her heart.

          "I don't have a mommy?" Myah asks, kissing her dads cheek.

         "Of course you have a mommy she just had to go away because God needed her," Chase says sadly.

           "I love you daddy."

           "I love you too honey," Chase says, her being the spitting image of her mother. "Now why don't we get some sleep so we can go to the park again tomorrow okay?"

          "Okay," she smiles big, tucking her in.

          "Hey sorry about that," Chase says coming back downstairs ten minutes later.

          "It's okay, is she alright?" Deagan asks sitting up more wearing Chase's shirt and her underwear.

          "She doesn't entirely understand what happened still."

          "What'd she say?"

           "She doesn't think she has a mom," Chase says quietly.

          "Have you ever really talked to anyone about what happened?"

          "Not really it just doesn't seem like there's much to say."

          "Do you have a picture of her?" Deagan asks softly.

          Nodding his head, Chase stands up and walks over to the bookcase and picking up a picture frame. Walking back over and handing the frame to Deagan, a family photo of the four at a park. Sliding her legs on Chase's lap when he sits down she looks at the picture, running a finger over it.

          "You look happy in this," Deagan says still looking at the frame.

           "I was," sliding his hands on her legs.

          "I couldn't even imagine," Deagan says, showing passion for a woman she never knew.

          "It's okay," Chase says rubbing her shin a little.

          Looking back down at the picture, Chase reaches over and takes the frame out of her hand and set it down on the table.

          "I'm sorry," Deagan says lifting her shirt up a little, exposing her stomach to wipe her eyes.

           "Thank you," Chase says kissing her stomach softly then resting his head on it, sliding his arms around her waist.

          Deagan smiles a little sliding her hand in Chase's hair, leaning her head back. Comforting Chase kills her, really killing her that he went through that.

          Chase looks up after hearing her sniffle as he softly kisses her. Standing up, he picks her up carries her out to the screened in porch. Laying her down and then laying down with her on the daybed, he pulls the blankets over them. The faint noise of crickets and other night noises in the background.

          "No more crying today," Chase says sliding his arms around her.

          "I'm sorry I can't help it," leaning against Chase.

          "It's okay," softly kissing her forehead. "That was the first time I've had sex in a very long time," Chase confesses.

           "Really?" looking back at Chase. "Like since your wife passed away?"

           "Yeah and then some."

           "How come?" sliding her hand in Chase's hair.

          "I don't know. I didn't want to have sex with anyone else, and I've been kinda busy," smiling at her a little. "Let's get some sleep," kissing her a few times, both falling asleep immediately.