Damaged

Good News, Mixed Emotions

~Matt~

I walked in the front door, tired and stressed from my auditions today. I just wanted to slump down on the couch and pass out, and I was about to, when Clara appeared in front of me. Instead of bright, bubbly and happy with bouncing pig tails, she looks scared and sad.

"Daddy you have to help her!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

"What?" I asked in confusion, kneeling down in front of her.

"Help mummy! Her wrists are bleeding!" Clara was sobbing now. I panicked and let go of Clara's shoulders, running from her and into my bedroom with Jesselin. I could hear her sobbing in the bathroom and I ran inside to see blood on the countertop, her bloody hands gripping it and screaming at herself in the mirror.

I ran over and pulled her away, holding her against me.

"No!" she sobbed, "Don't touch me!"

"Shh, it's okay," I murmured.

"No!" Jess screamed. "It's not okay! Am I nothing to you!?"

"What?" I asked her, really confused.

"Daisy!" she screamed, "Daisy!"

"Oh my God," I whispered. My publicist thought it would be good for me to be seen with a "hot celebrity" so I could be known slightly better. Obviously that was twisted in the gossip magazines.

"You mean everything to me, you know that," I said quietly, wiping a tear off her cheek. I pulled her into my chest and held her tightly while she cried. "Would I have married you five years ago to leave you for a silly little underwear model? Models are boring."

"B-because she's normal!" Jesse stuttered, her tears and blood soaking the front of my shirt. I really didn't care though.

"But you're perfect for me," I reminded her.

"I hurt myself in front of our daughter," she whispered a few minutes later when she'd calmed down. "I'm a horrible person."

"No you're not. You just slipped. I'm proud of you though," I murmured.

"What are you talking about?" she whispered.

"You went almost a whole year without hurting yourself and that's something to be proud of," I said. She shrugged and I knew she was still upset. "Come on," I said, bringing her over to the big jacuzzi tub we had in our en suite and sitting her down on the edge. I turned on the water and held her hands gently, letting water run over the fresh cuts. I saw her squeezing her eyes shut and biting her lip and I knew it hurt. I pulled her onto my lap and continued rinsing her wrists under the water until they stopped bleeding. Then I carried her downstairs before looking for Clara. I found her somewhere Jesse would've hid- in the pantry on the floor in the corner. She had her knees bunched up against her chest and her hands over her ears, humming to herself.

"Hey love," I said softly. She looked up nervously at me.

"It's okay Clara," I said, reaching my hand towards her. She took my hand softly before coming out. I carried her into the sitting room where she saw Jesselin on the couch.

"Mummy!" she cried, reaching for her. I chuckled and set her down and watched as she ran to Jesselin. Jess picked up Clara and held her tightly to her chest.

"Oh I'm so so sorry," she whispered, stroking Clara's hair. Clara just pressed kisses all over her mother's face in a very protective manner.

"Mummy you scared me. Don't do that again!" Clara demanded. I laughed and Jess cracked a smile.