Where's Daddy?

Nixon

As we reached the top of the mountain, Nixon reached for my hand. I could feel the moisture of his hand. They were normally sweaty, but not like this. We were the only ones up there. It was romantic. I looked at the beautiful scenery surrounding us. Green in the north, red in the east. The sun was blinding my eyes as I looked around. I turned to get my sunglasses out of my backpack and I dropped Nixon's camera. "Hey!" he chirped. "Don't break it now." His smile overwhelmed me and all I could do was chuckle.

"Well, it's not like you can't afford another." I replied sticking my tongue out.

"What do mean by that? It was cheap?"

"You always buy cheap, Nix. Cheapskate."

"Watch it, runt!" Nixon gently shoved me and I stumbled backwards.

"Who you callin' runt?" I replied jokingly. I shoved him back, though, harder than he did to me, but I figured he could balance better than I could. I guess I was wrong. He stumbled backwards and tripped on a rock. His left foot slipped off the edge and I watched as he disappeared down the cliff. I ran towards where he fell and dropped to my knees. He was holding onto a branch the grew out of the cliff. His right hand slipped off the branch, leaving him only holding onto the branch with his left hand. I reached for his right hand that dangled. He looked up and I saw horror in his brown eyes. My eyes filled with tears as the love of my life was hanging off a mountain. He threw his hand up and grabbed mine. I gripped it with all my might and tried to tug his body upwards. His weight was too much for me and I grabbed his hand with my right hand also. "Push!" I yelled. The tears rapidly fell down my face. Nixon grunted trying to find a place for his foot as he pushed his body up. I started to lose my balance and put my right hand back on the edge. "Ashlyn!" Nixon yelled up to me.

"Yes?"

"Do you love me?" How could he ask such a dumb question?

"Why would you ask that now?"

"Do you, Ashlyn? Tell me!"

"Did I not give birth to your daughter?"

"Say it, Ashlyn! Do you?"

"I do!" I heard Nixon sniffle as he looked up at me. His eyes were also filled with tears. But more than mine. Mine were streaming down my face, while his were pouring. He normally never cried. The only time I saw him cry was when Dalilah was born. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was sobbing. He looked down the mountain to see the ground 15,000 feet away. I saw my tear fall down, but never hit the bottom. He looked back up at me. His mouth trembling. "How could you?" He whispered. I looked at him with a confused look. He then let go of my hand. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I watched my love fall down the mountain. I pounded the edge of the cliff with my fist. "No!" I cried. I collapsed and sobbed. I could feel the dirt sticking to my hand. The last thing of him that I had was his sweat on my hand. It was being soiled by the earth. I sat back up and looked down the mountain. "Why! Why!" I just didn't understand. Why would he let go of my hand? As I lay on the cliff, I thought of all the things Nixon would miss. Dalilah's first tooth. Her first steps. Her first word. I just didn't understand any of it. He had so much to live for. Only nineteen years old and he let go! How could he! We didn't even have a house yet! He left me alone with a baby only one month old! How could he be so selfish? After a minute of sobbing on the cliff, I felt the hand on my shoulder.