All the dark places

Chapter 4: Surprise!

8 weeks earlier

"Now, when I come back. I want this home to be as clean as it is now."  She chuckles.

"How many days are you going away for? I don't think I can manage to stay alive without you." I whine as she fixes her peal earrings which matches her necklace. She looks so glamorous.

"You are such a drama queen. I'm only going away for a week,"

"But..."

"What will I say to my sister? Oh I am sorry I couldn't make it. My husband is an infant who can't live without me." She winks at me as she brushes her hair. I can't help but smile goofily.

I met Carla at my best friend's wedding. I found her gobbling down some cake when they were giving boring speeches. I couldn't help but laugh. We laughed together. Her laugh was so contagious that I laughed even more. We talked more after the wedding and then started going out.

"Remember how we met?" She said as if she could read my mind.

"What do you think? I can still taste the cake."

We both laugh and then she gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you so much."
"I love you too."

We stare into each other's eyes. God, I love her so much.

"Mom, I am ready." My daughter, Grace, says as she walks in wearing long black dress. Her curly hair falling on her shoulders and her brown eyes popping out.

"WOW." We both gasp at the same time.
"We are already getting late."

Carla and Grace dash towards the car.

"Listen meat head. IF YOU SAY ANYTHING TO MY BEST FRIEND. I WILL KILL YOU. I KNOW YOU HAVE GOT A THING FOR HER." Grace screams at my son, William.
"OH SHUT THE F UP. THEN ASK HER NOT TO STALK ME." William screams back.
"BOTH OF YOU. KEEP QUIET NOW!" Carla shuts them up.
"William, honey, please study for your SATs. If you wanna be a writer and want to get into a good college, you gotta work hard, you know?"
"Yeah yeah mom."
"Well, I am going. Please let the house be in one piece when I return. Bye honey. Love you both. Will call when I reach there." Carla hugs William and then me.
"BYE. LOVE YOU." I scream as they get into the car.

                                          ***

7 weeks earlier

"Ta da~" I scream as I put the 13th candle on the cake. The cake is the exact copy of the cake we both ate when we first met. I'm a hopeless romantic. Not my fault, though.
"Dad, do we really need to have a surprise party? I mean, you can just take her to a date like normal people." William complains.
"Nah. This is much more exciting. Can't you feel the adrenaline course through your veins?"
"Dad, it is a surprise party."

I back up and take a deep breath as I stare at our living room. There are banners everywhere. They all read "Happy Wedding Anniversary". The grand staircase is filled with red and white balloons. She loves that color combination. I'm  really excited for her to come and see this.

"Alright. They must be on their way," I say while staring at the clock.

William and I hide behind the big couch in the middle of the room. I hush William and snicker. I feel like a small child right now.

Hot shot adrenaline courses through my veins.

"Any moment now."

The phone rings all of a sudden scaring the living daylights out of me and William.

William runs to pick up the Landline.

"Hello. William speaking."

His face expression changes all of a sudden.

"What?!" He screams at the top of his lungs. He starts crying.

"What is it?!"

He doesn't reply. He stops breathing for a while. I dash to grab his inhaler. He is an Asthama patient. I try to put it in his mouth but he throws it down and hugs me. He is just crying and screaming. My heart is beating rapidly. Panic is rushing through my blood. William then takes out a handgun and shoots me.

"Mom and Grace.....they are gone. They died in a car crash." He cries.

I lose my breath too. I lose balance of myself. I can't walk. I fall on my knees. I slap William.

"Stop joking around. This isn't funny." I don't want to belive him. I grab the phone.
"Hello." I manage to choke out a voice.
"Are you Mr. Mike?"
"Yeah." I can feel the huge lump in my throat.
"We regret to inform you but your wife and daughter have met their demise."

The sentence keeps replaying in my head.

We regret to inform you but your wife and daughter have met their demise.

I hug William as hard as I can. We both are crying and screaming.

Carla and Grace, gone for ever.

                                          ***
4 weeks earlier

"Are you ready to find out your results?" I force a smile on my face.
William doesn't reply. He has dark bags under his eyes.

He logs into the computer and his face enlightens with joy.

He logs into his email which will be having his SAT results.

2305.

He hugs me and kisses me on my forehead. I hug him back.

"Congratulations! This calls for pizza night." I scream and William smiles.

We dress up and go to Pizza Hut. There, we order the grilled chicken with cheese crust and one cheese pizza along with cheese fries and garlic bread.

"I sent my application to Lancaster University. Man, I hope they accept it." He says with enthusiasm. I haven't seen him this happy since the incident.

"Dad, Do you miss mom and Grace?" He says all of a sudden.
I almost choke on my fries.
"Just know this. They were a huge part of my life and I lost it. It was the best part too."
"It is that I miss them a lot. I can't sleep at night. I have been taking meds but they don't seem to work."
"What? You're taking meds? Did you consult a doctor?"
"Yeah, I secretly did behind your back. Dad, I love you a lot and I fear that one day I'll lose you one day."
"I love you too and I will always be here for you." I say as I fight back tears.
"Come on. Let's go home. You know, I am always here to talk to you. You can't fight this all alone. You need someone to stay with you."
"Thanks Dad."
He gets up and hugs me.

All this time I always worried about myself. I had forgotten that William lost him mom and sister and if I am not here with him, then what kind of a dad am I?

I ruin his hair and pat on his back.

"Come on up champ. Let's go." I say as we leave the store and walk into the stormy outside.