Destiny

Chapter 22: Daddy's obsession

Flashback: 14th May 97'

"I m home." He says while returning after a long moment on the road but nobody answers. He put his suitcases in the hallway and took off his coat, looked in the living room and in the kitchen to see if his wife and children were there. Small footsteps are heard and small arms wrap around Mark's long legs .

"Dad !!" Cried the twins, hugging their daddy's legs.

Mark takes the twins in his arms, gives them a huge hug, he misses his children too much. When his twins came into the world, it was the greatest gift his wife could give him. Lona and Calvin. He remembers when he found out they were expecting twins, he wanted boys and his wife wanted girls. But life decided otherwise, she gave birth to a girl and then a boy.

Jessie and Mark met where she worked, at a men's clothing store. Mark came almost every day just to see her until the day he asked Jessie if he could have dinner with her one evening. They got along very well so that they formalized their relationship a few weeks later. They got married a year after they met, and Jessie got pregnant a few months after they got married.

"Hello my love, how was the road?"

She asked her husband before placing a kiss on his lips. Mark puts the twins on the ground before taking his pretty wife in his arms.

"Tiring but good now that you're all here." He said looking at her lovingly, Mark missed her so much too.

"I'll get the donuts I ordered from the store, I won't be long." Said she has her husband putting on his coat and keys.

"Oh if you want I can go honey." He said putting his coat back on but Jessie insisted because she could see that her husband was tired from the road. Jessie kissed him again before opening the front door.

"Mom !"

Calvin runs to his mother, she takes him in her arms asking him if he wants to come get the donuts with her. Calvin nodded. Mark gave Jessie and Calvin one last kiss before leaving.

30 minutes, 1 hour have passed, Mark hasn't heard from Jessie, he calls her several times without getting an answer. His heart stopped, his world stopped when he saw on TV, a murder and 2 serious injuries at the Donuts store. When he knew that the two injured were a baby and a woman, he immediately understood, Mark took Lona in his arms who was half asleep before putting her in the car and driving her to the hospital. When he arrived, he took Lona in his arms who was sleeping peacefully and walked towards the door of the hospital, his world was about to collapse, his steps were of a slowness preparing for the worst. Mark went to see the secretary, who may be able to inform him, but he was questioned by a doctor who surely took care of his wife and son.

"You are Jessie Calaway's husband and the boy's father?" Said the doctor, who looked sad and full of compassion.

"Yes... How... how are they?" Asked-Mark wanting to hear that his wife and son are fine but the doctor is going to tell him the terrible news that no one should have.

"I'm sorry Mr. Calaway, we did what we could."

Mark's world collapsed at that exact moment, he was shocked to learn that his son and his wife could not be saved. The doctor allowed Mark to see the bodies, he opened the door, handing Lona to the doctor before going back into the room. He slowly walks over to the bed where Jessie is resting, she has scratches on her face, a lump on her head. Mark lays his hand on his wife's cold hand looking at her with tears in his eyes, his heart is broken to see his wife dead wanting this nightmare to end. But alas for him, it's not a dream, he looks at the bed next door and sees his son Calvin also dead. He takes the small body of his son in his arms when he sits on the bed crying. "Why..." he wondered.

When he leaves the room, empty inside him, take his still sleeping daughter from the doctor's arms, still shocked to be a widower from now on, unable to realize what just happened then that he still has his one and only daughter in his sleeping arms, not knowing that she would no longer see her mother and brother.

~!~

"Dad?"

Lona tries to wake her father who has fallen asleep on the kitchen table, a bottle of whiskey is rolled up by Taker's hand. He must have been thinking all night, the newspaper scraps from 97' that talk about the case are still on the table, under his dad's arm there is a picture frame but Lone could clearly see her mum on it . Lona shook her daddy as hard as she could to wake him up and Taker started to move, he rubbed his face with his hand trying to wake him up.

"Dad, are you okay?"

Taker looks at his daughter who is standing next to him, dressed with her satchel on her back.

"I'm fine, what are you doing with your bag? There's no school today." Said he not understanding why she is ready as if she is going to school.

"It's Friday dad, there's still school."

Taker gets up, throws his bottle in the trash before cleaning his face in the sink. He had this dream again... for two years several times a month, he still has this nightmare, the last time he saw his son and his wife and then the announcement of their death.

"Can you drive me to school dad?"

Taker takes the next towel to wipe his face, his daughter is all he has left of Jessie. He became very distant with everyone, his heart turned black, his soul died, he tried to be a good father to Lona but couldn't. It won't happen until he finds the one who killed his reason for living.

Lona seeing that her father didn't answer, she takes his silence for a no, she's used to it now with her father, she's disappointed and goes to see Mideon if he could take her to school.