We Never Got To Say Goodbye - Haim

Now I'm Dreaming Ch 13

"I still can't believe we won Dad," Danielle cries, "Did you see how much fun everybody was having? Today would have to be one of the best days of my life."

"You certainly blew the socks off everyone." Charles said, "I'm so proud of my baby girl, Daddy loves you so much."

"Aw Daaaad stop getting all mushy." Danielle laughs. She throws her arms around his neck and kisses him on the cheek. "I love you too Daddy."

"Your father is right Gabby, we both are very proud of you sweetheart." Maureen says a she enters Danielle's bedroom, "I made you some hot chocolate."

"Did you put marshmallows on top?" Danielle asks,

"Always sweetheart."

"Thanks Mom," Danielle smiles. "I have the best parents in the world."

"OK well drink your hot chocolate Gabby because it's getting late and you have school in the morning." Maureen tells her.

***************

"Este are you awake?" Alana asks standing in my doorway,

"Yeah, what's up Lonny lulu?" I reply as I switch on my lamp,

"C...can I sleep in here tonight?"

"Bad dream?" I ask, Alana nods her head, "Come on get over here."

I pull the covers back and wait for Alana to climb in, she immediately snuggles up against my side, I gently start playing with her hair.

"Want to talk about it?" I ask,

"No. Yes. I don't know. It was horrible, it was dark and all these red lights were flashing and loud sirens, but there was this big dark monster howling even louder and I...I could, I could see Danielle, she had her back to me and the monster was somehow pulling her closer to it." Alana tells me as she grabs my t-shirt tightly, "I kept calling her name and running after her but she just kept getting further and further away from me, but then she stopped suddenly and turned around and, and her face, there wasn't anything there it was just a black hole."

"Shhh it was just a bad dream Lonz, everything is going to be OK." I say trying to sound reassuring,

"I'm scared E."

"I know, me too,"

"What if...if.if it isn't Danielle?" Alana asks, "Or worse what if it is and she like doesn't want to know us?"

"I don't know sissy, but I guess for now try not to think about those kinds of things until we know for sure it's Danielle, it's no good worrying yourself until we hear more from the police." I tell her, "Just close your eyes and try to sleep."

I kiss the top of my baby sister's head and hum softly to her until I feel her breathing change and know she's finally fallen asleep. I laugh at myself because even though I told Alana not to worry, I'm wide awake now doing the exact same thing.

Honestly I've lost count of the amount of nights I've laid awake thinking about Danielle. Every time Mom was sure she had spotted Danielle in a crowd, at the grocery store, down the street would start me thinking about what she would look like now? Would she remember us? Would she even like us? Or want to know us? Then I'd start wondering where has she been all this time? Who has she been with? What has she been doing? Why didn't she look for us? Why has it taken so long to find her? Is it really Danielle? Could she really still be alive?

But it isn't just the wondering or longing to have my sister back, it's actually getting harder and harder to allow myself the hope of believing that Danielle is still alive. Each time is going to be the time she will finally be returned to us to only go through the heartache all over again of losing my sister when it turns out it isn't her. 

The worst though is all the long nights of hearing my Mom crying for weeks on end after she realised it wasn't Danielle she had seen. Hearing how much pain Mom is in and knowing there is nothing I can do to help her, to ease her pain because I know the only thing that's going to help stop it is Danielle.

********

"Manu I've got that footage you wanted." 

"OK thanks Joe. Jaxon how'd you go with the photo process?" Detective Bosquet asks,

"All done, here." He hands Detective Bosquet the photo of Danielle. "This is pretty close to what Danielle Haim would look like now, we're assuming she would still have long dark coloured hair."

"OK well lets see if this photo matches the video footage."

They watch through the news footage and Detective Manu pauses the video when a close up of a young girl playing the guitar comes on.

"Damn it actually looks like her." Detective Garcia mentions,

"Yes yes it does." Detective Bosquet says.

"So what's the plan now Manu?"

"Now we do what we do best, investigate." He replies. "We have to be two hundred percent positive that this young girl is Danielle Haim before we notify her family as I don't want to give them any false hopes if it turns out we are wrong."

flashback

"School is very different to home schooling but looking at your assessments I can see you're a bright young girl Gabrielle and I think you're going to enjoy school life." Principal Breslin explained. "I'll show you to your classroom now and if you ever need anything my door is always open for all my students."

knock knock

"Come in" The Teacher said,

Principal Breslin enters the classroom with a very timid Danielle standing next to her,

"Good morning class."

"Good morning Principal Breslin." The class replied.

"Today a new student has joined our school, please welcome Gabrielle Newman to your class."

"Good morning Gabrielle I'm Miss Jones, if you'd like to go take a seat next to Sophie, Sophie please raise your hand so Gabrielle knows who you are."

Danielle walked over to the girl who had her hand raised high,

"Hi I'm Sophie."

"I'm Gabby." Danielle said sitting down next to Sophie.

"We're  learning our ten and eleven times tables, what tables did you learn at your old school?" Sophie asked,

"I know all of my twelve times table, I didn't go to school, my parents taught me at home." Danielle replied.

"Wow you didn't have to go to school that must have been fun? So how come you're here now?"

"It was OK, my parents taught me lots of things and took me to visit different places but it was a little lonely, I never had any friends to play with. I kept asking them if I could go to school and eventually they said I could come to a real school."

"To make friends?"

"Yes."

"Well can I be your friend?" Sophie asked,

Danielle smiled and nodded her head.

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