Façade

Chapter 9

Emily awoke to an officious array of colour and light. The room was bathed in the morning's warm glow, and, for a wonderful, albeit brief minute, she couldn't recall anything about the last few months. She couldn't remember Charlotte dying, or losing the baby. Ah yes, for those few sweet moments after her awakening, and indeed after anyone's, she could scarcely remember who she was.

There was an ongoing criminal investigation into who their shooter had been. It had been, without a doubt, one of the worst days of her life. The police said they had leads, and a few suspects, but nothing solid. Daniel had gone crazy when he found out that they hadn't found the shooter. So he had hired a private investigator, because he had gotten so impatient. His name was Fred Merchant.

Emily stared at the ceiling. Thinking. Imagining. Taking in her surroundings.

Once she had regained some semblance of an idea of who she was, her mind immediately rushed to Daniel. She remembered him saying 'It's okay' and, that one memory opened the flood gates. Every painful moment of their latest hospital related frenzy came rushing back to her mind. She wondered what it would've been like to have had a baby. To have her own proper, real family. From her perspective, it seemed like that dream would never come to fruition. It hurt her to think about, so she thought better of it, and made her way downstairs.

The kitchen, as their bedroom had been, was awash with freckles of the sun's rays. There was a calm atmosphere, and Emily couldn't deny an overwhelming feeling of... peace, of sorts. 'Daniel?' she called out, going onto her toes, and looking around the living room. Daniel poked his head out of the bathroom and replied 'Ems? You're on bed rest! Why are you up?' there was noticeable worry in his voice. 'I'm sorry, I just can't stay still, I feel like I need to run somewhere, do something. Anything' she pleaded. 'Ems, it's only for another two days. Please. Two days. It's your health. I worry about you, Emily. You're the love of my life' he walked over to her, took her hands, looked into her eyes, and pleaded once more 'please?' She relented 'Okay, but I'm taking a shower first.' She headed back upstairs.

Daniel retuned to the downstairs bathroom, to the sink full of wet tissues, sat back down on the toilet seat, and began to cry again.

In the shower, Emily began to think again. About her dream. About Victoria. About turning into her. She thought about the bright side of things, she thought that, at the very least, it put her farther away from Victoria. She couldn't become her. She wouldn't. She had decided a long time ago that she'd do anything and everything not to let that happen.

The landline rang downstairs, and Daniel looked up from the wet tissue in his hand, made his way out of the bathroom, and went to answer the phone 'Hello? Mr. Grayson?' Fred Merchant's voice echoed down the phone. 'There's been a dramatic development in my investigation of you and your wife's shooting...'

Daniel Grayson couldn't believe his ears.

© Sarah Egan 2013 - 2014 This story is subject to copyright and may not be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the author.