Dancing in the Rain

Prologue

He could feel his cheeks draining its colour as he stared below him with wide fearful eyes, suddenly coming to a stop on the ladder. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His sweaty, clammy hands started shaking, and he felt certain he would fall at any given moment. The mere thought made his head spin. He gripped onto the sides of the ladder so tightly, his knuckles faded into a bright shade of white, in fear of losing his balance. His heart slammed against his fluttering chest rapidly like a hammer. There was no way he could do this...

"Ok down there, Jess?" a voice called.

Jesse Miller looked up to see his father, David, peering down from the roof with a worried look. He shook his head.

"I-I'm sorry!" he said shakily, his voice raising an octave higher. "It's... it's too high."

David sighed. "I know. You don't have to come up, then."

"But... don't you need any help?"

"I'm fine up here on my own, son," he responded with a lopsided grin, revealing his crooked white teeth. "I'm not gonna make you do something you don't want to do."

Jesse weakly smiled. "Thanks... Dad."

Slowly and carefully, he lowered himself down the ladder, his tense shoulders easing slowly and steadily with each step he took as he went closer to the sweet ground. His racing heart slowed to its normal pace, making the fear that inconspicuously crawled inside his stomach disappear. Once his feet pressed down on the freshly cut grass, he lifted his head back up to see his father looking down at him with a distant expression.

"Dad?" he said in puzzlement. "You ok? You sure you don't need my help?"

Their home had a leaky roof. It had rained the other night, and they had used several buckets to prevent the water from spilling to the floor. Now, the very next day, they decided to attempt to fix the slight problem.

"Oh, no," David replied with a shake of his head. He smiled brightly at his sixteen-year-old son. "It's not that. Just..." He sighed deeply and stared lovingly at the concerned Jesse. "You look a bit like your mother when I look at you from up here."

Jesse sucked on his lower lip, preventing the grin that began to curl upon his mouth, the corners of his lips twitching in the process. Then, he stopped and breathed out a sad sigh. "I miss her," he said so quietly, he thought David didn't hear him.

But somehow, he did. "I do too," he said softly. "Your mom was the prettiest girl I've ever seen." He sighed with a solemn smile. "She was so proud of you, Jess. I am too. I'm very proud of you."

"Why?" Jesse inquired. "What did I do that was so great?"

"You're a good person, Jess," David said. "You've done so much good in Whitwick. You volunteer at the hospital, you donate to charity... Jesse, I couldn't be more proud."

Jesse gazed up at David, awestruck. It never occurred to him just how much his father cherished him. He suddenly never felt closer to him.

"Man... Just talking about all that makes me miss her more," he sniffed. "I hope she's happy where she is..."

David sighed heavily through his nose, swiping a hand across his forehead to mop up the streak of sweat. "Stay there, Jess. I'm coming down. Where the hell did I put that godforsaken hammer...?"

Jesse watched him stand up from his uncomfortable sitting position and steady himself. "Dad... Dad, be careful!" he called nervously.

"I'm fine, sonny, I'm-"

David's foot suddenly made harsh contact with the tool box that sat innocently in place next to the leaky part of the roof. His balance lost its place, and he toppled off the roof and plummeted to the ground at a rapid pace.

"DAD!" Jesse screamed as he watched his beloved father fall to the ground with a sickening thud in horror.

Jesse stood there, staring at the still body of his father, suddenly feeling very lightheaded and sick. Then, regaining his composure, he sprinted to his side and collapsed next to him. With his hands on his shoulders, he began to shake him frantically.

"Dad... Wake up! Dad!" he choked out breathlessly.

Blood dribbled down the man's head as well as from the corners of his mouth. Jesse shook his head and proceeded to tap David's cheeks in attempt to wake him up.

"Please wake up... Please!" he cried. "You can't leave like Mom! Y-you can't leave me!"

A sob left his trembling lips. He crushed his face against David's unmoving chest and cried into his shirt, soaking it lightly with his grieving tears.

"Don't leave me here alone..."