Come Back To Me

25

I watched as father and daughter took their embrace. The two of them looked at peace, relieved almost. It made my heart soar to be there to witness it.

After a while, Jamie pulled out of his grasp and smiled shyly. "Sorry.. Um... The-the food is getting cold." she stuttered, then noticed the mess of eggs on the floor that she had dropped. "Crap." she muttered under her breath.

"Dont worry, I will clean it up." I assured her, wanting to allow her and Bucky to spend more time together.

"No, mom. Seriously. Its my mess." Jamie smiled sweetly up at me as she took a seat at the table. Her blue eyes slowly closed as she relaxed and Bucky tensed, stepping closer to me as he watched curiously. I smiled and grabbed his hand, comforting him. I knew what she was doing and it fascinated me every time. Jamie sat unmoving, and then three little gray mice scurried out of hiding someplace in the kitchen and swarmed the spilled eggs on the floor.

I glanced up to Bucky to see his eyes widen in shock as he stared at them while they ate and collect every crumb, taking it with them back into hiding. Jamie's eyes opened momentarily and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut again, shaking her head slightly. "Ouch." she groaned in pain.

"Hey, are you alright? You've never tried more than one animal before, have you?" I moved away from Bucky and cradled her head in my hands, taking a seat beside her.

"No, but they're just mice. I've been practicing. My powers are getting stronger. Im okay, mom, really." she said, opening her eyes and smiling. Her blue eyes shifted to behind me to look up at her bewildered father. I stood up and turned to face him.

"That was... You? You did that?" His brows furrowed together as he looked down at Jamie. Jamie's cheeks flushed and she slowly nodded. Bucky swallowed and furrowed his brows as if he was trying to think of something to say. He looked pained, almost as if he had no voice.

I frowned just slightly and moved to stand in front of him, gently caressing each of his cheeks in my hands. "Its okay." I whispered softly, his tense body relaxing under my touch. His blue eyes held storms as he stared into mine, the pain temporarily drifting away. I ran my thumb over his cheekbone and examined his face, taking in every part of it. It was just like I remembered it, only now it held a small bit of stubble. The creases in his face still remained, and the ridges and curves of his features were unchanged. His soft skin had a small amount of dirt and grime smudged into it, and his shoulder-length dark hair was matted and oily. Dark bags hung beneath his steel colored eyes, and I wondered what his living conditions had been like. My poor Bucky looked like he had been through hell. "Why dont you go take a shower, okay? There's plenty of soap for you to use. I will go find a pair of clothes for you to borrow." I spoke quietly and I held a small smile, too small to even notice.

Bucky paused, then nodded. I let out a small breath and pulled my hands away from his face. Bucky's eyes cast downward again, and fell upon the locket around my neck. His brow furrowed and I held back a frown. After a moment, he blinked a few times before moving away and walking toward the bathroom. I let out a breath and ran a hand through my hair that was still messy from the party the night before. I looked down at myself and frowned, realizing I had fallen asleep in my dress, but I was now in a pair of sweats and a tshirt. How did I get changed? My hair was still messy, and I was sure my makeup was smeared across my face. It didnt matter much, and I turned to face Jamie.

She stared up at me from her seat and swallowed. "Are you okay?" she asked me. My brows drew together in questioning. I should have been asking her that question. "I mean... He's back. He was all you ever talked about, thought about, you know? And he appeared so suddenly. Are you feeling fine?" she asked after a moment of me staying silent.