Later that night, I was finishing math homework when father received a phone call from the police. We both got excited as we thought they had found mother. They said they had found footprints of what they thought had been mother, but no sign of her.
My father and I were terribly upset but I don't think Haylee really understood, earlier that day I asked her if she knew what was going on and she replied with 'Mothers just playing a game of grown up hide and seek, except she's hiding very well'
I kind of understood how she was thinking, she thought it was a game, someone had better explain what was really happening and it wasn't gonna be me.
I didn't have a clue how to tell this to a seven year old, without them bursting into tears.
The next morning father had a message on the family phone, it was from the police saying to come down right away. I thought that this was it, they had found mother!
We drove down straight away, the car trip was silent as I had deleted all Haylee's One Direction music on her iPod.
We got to reception and they sent us straight through to an officer, they told us they found two bodies sitting at the doorstep covered in plastic wrap with a note attached that said:
Found These,
Thought you might need them.
From,
Anonymous
We searched it for fingerprints and there's no footage of anyone dropping it off so we are assuming they went around the back and deleted the footage. We are incredibly sorry but your wife Mrs Rachel Middleton and Miss Amanda Pinton have passed.
My father started slowly crying as he walked away, I was in shock I wanted to cry but it just wouldn't come out I was in too much shock.
I never thought that could happen, at least not that early, I still need her! 'Avary, why is father crying?' Haylee asked.
I smiled at her as I cried over her shoulder. 'They found mother in hide and seek.'
'That's a good thing, isn't it?'
We drove home in silence, all I could hear was father sniffling trying to hold in his cry.
My father was a very formal man, he had his own business, helping people with finances. It was the first time I had seen him cry. We arrived home and Haylee was still confused about what had happened so father explained it to her and then he went to bed.
I went into Haylee's bedroom to see how she was coping.
'Mother wasn't playing hide and seek' Haylee said crying into my arms.
She then understood what had happened and she wasn't going well, I slowly walked out of her bedroom as I needed alone time myself, it was all so new to me too.
I walked into my bedroom and fell onto my bed and thought. How could this happen? Why couldn't they find who dropped them off? Why right before Christmas?
There were so many questions popping up into my head that I didn't know the answer to, nor did anyone else.
This Christmas is going to be horrible. Mother was the one who wrapped the presents, prepared the lunch, sent out all the Christmas cards and made us all feel warm inside.
It wouldn't be Christmas without her, father doesn't know how to cook or do anything like mother does. I mean, I loved him but he doesn't know how to cook he is just good at sorting out finances.
I fell asleep on my bed until along came Mr. Fluffletoes (My Persian cat) climbing across my face.
'Really?!' I said pulling cat hair off my face. I picked him up and carried him to his cat playground. 'Ava!' Father called. Ugh, I hated being called Ava and he knew it!
I walked out into the kitchen and looked at him. 'I'm going to get your mothers bags, coming?' He said. I shook my head no.
Anyway the past was over and the future is yet to come.
