Sad Machine ♡ Phan

2053

2053-Dan:
there was a knock on the door. you got out of your recliner and fixed your hair in the mirror before opening it, frowning as bella stood in front of you holding a familiar bag. it was the bag that lila always brought over over to our house for the weekends.

"bella?"

"I.. I was cleaning out my closets and found some things I think are rightfully yours."

you took the bag from her hand and almost dropped it with the amount of weight hidden inside.

"oh sorry, I should've warned you.."

you said nothing but looked at the bag with tears in your eyes. the same bag that held her belongings and personal items. the same bag that you'd see every time she walked through the doors with a smile on her face, ready to have a weekend with her father.

"thank you."

you looked back up to bella. she had tear streaks down her face.

"I still can't believe she's gone."

"I know.. me too..."

and then bella was sobbing and walking back to her car, pulling away from the house she used to come home too everyday. and then she was gone.

∘ ∘ ∘

you opened the bag and pulled out a big box wrapped in red christmas wrapping paper with the words "to daddy, from lila xo"

there was another smaller gift inside with white snowflake wrapping paper, the words "to dan, from lila xo"

"they're christmas gifts, dan..."

"open them!"

you opened the smaller gift addressed to me and pulled out a small dog made of metal and a ribbon leash, a note taped to its head.

dan,
I know you love to watch phil walk pepsi, so I thought I'd make you a little dog that you can attach to the little loop on your back side. His name is cola. I thought that'd be cute to match.
merry christmas love!
love, lila
p.s-I love you!

I didn't know whether to be happy or sad. it was the first we'd gotten from lila after her death.

"phil open the next one!"

you laughed through your happy tears and grabbed the heavy gift addressed to you, opening it and pulling out a metal, human shaped robot with a circular speaker for a face and a few colored buttons on the torso. again, there was a note stuck to the robot.

daddy,
if I forgot to tell you, I'm going to be a mechanical engineer! you and dan really inspired me and I want to go far with creations of my own. thank you for being my role model and teaching me so many things that I can't wait to use when I get older.
merry christmas daddy!
love, lila xo
p.s-I love you!

you cried and laughed, a smile on your face.

"I miss her so much, dan. she was so beautiful. why did she have to die? I loved her so much."

"phil, love dies hard."

"I know dan, but that's not what I meant..."

we both went silent, but you grabbed my little dog and tied the red ribbon around the metal loop, wiping away the tears from your perfect face.

"spin!"

and I did. I spun in circles and trekked around the coffee table with the petite metal dog rolling behind me.

"you're so cute."

"thank you phil."

you smiled at me and picked up your robot, hitting a button and immediately bursting into happy tears at the sound coming through the speaker of the robot.

"hi daddy!"

you pressed the second button.

"I love you!"

you couldn't stop hitting the two buttons, listening to her soft voice that you hadn't heard in years.

∘ ∘ ∘