Above the Surface

Chapter 1

The sun had never shone so brightly, the snow had never looked so crystallized. On a bright winter morning, the TV's screen flashed across the room, flashed across the hopeful faces that looked at it in hope. Names scrolled on the bottom, the current temperature flashed on the top.

Three girls, two teenagers, one child. Wide eyes and a spark of hope. Robes tied around skinny frames, a pair of glasses hanging off a nose. No parents in sight.

It was 7:30 in the morning when a cheer erupted from the small girl, her dark hair becoming weightless as she bounced to her feet. "No school! No school!"

"Nicole, shhh!" the oldest girl grabbed Nicole. "You'll wake mom and dad." With brown hair and glasses, she resembled both of her parents well. "Let them sleep. Mom had a long night last night."

The second teenager snorted into her cup of coffee, her makeup perfect despite the early hour. "That's inappropriate."

"That isn't what I meant." the older girl scolded. "Your mind is too dirty, Maddie."

Maddie pulled her blonde hair into a ponytail, a few strands falling over the scar across her eye. "You're the one that worded it wrong."

"Katie? What are you talking about?" Nicole climbed onto the oldest's lap. "What about momma?"

"Nothing, Nicole..." Katie glared at Maddie. "Maddie's being an idiot."

Nicole took a sharp intake of breath. "Bad word!"

"Nicole, don't you dare-"

"BAD WORD! KATIE SAID A BAD WORD!" Nicole jumped from her oldest sister and sprinted upstairs to her parents' room. "MOM! DAD! KATIE SAID A BAD WORD!"

Piper groaned into her pillow as she heard her daughter coming, knowing very well that she'd have to get up soon but didn't want to leave the comfort of her bed. She had been up on her laptop all night, trying to find a job that she'd actually like to do. When she looked over, her husband was already getting ready for his job.

"Mom, dad!" Nicole pounded on their door. "Open! Open!"

Jason glanced at Piper before opening the bedroom door, picking his daughter up before she could run inside. "Woah, there, what's got you so excited? Why are you up?"

Nicole wrapped her small arms around his neck, her smile wide. "No school! Too much snow!"

Jason looked out the window for the first time that morning, his tired eyes blinking in surprise. "Oh,"

Nicole giggled. "No school! They can stay home and play with me all day. And take me outside. And build a snowman."

"Slow down there, little girl." he blew on her stomach, causing more laughter to escape. "You need to calm down. Mommy's really tired."

Nicole's small lips trembled. "But...mommy needs to make a snowman."

"Nikki..." Piper rolled onto her back, squinting her eyes against the light. "Come here, Nikki. Let him get ready for work."

The little girl sprung out of her father's arms and onto the large bed, her dark curls bouncing around her head. "Katie said a bad word."

Piper picked Nicole up and laid her on her. "Hey, sweetie, you just love to get them in trouble. I give you permission to say what they said, so I know."

Katie's smile beamed from ear to ear. "She said...idiot!"

"Oh, no, a horrible catastrophe!" Jason smiled. "An idiot has been named!"

"Jason, you know that Nicole isn't supposed to be calling people that." Piper kissed Nicole's head. "It's mean."

"Right, mean." Nicole pulled at her mother's hand. "Breakfast, breakfast."

"Breakfast, of course." Piper stood up. "Let's go. What do you want before you go playing outside? Eggs? Pancakes?"

"Pancakes!" Nicole bounced down from the bed. "Nico's favorite!"

Hearts stop beating, the snow seemed to stop falling, not even the noise of Katie and Maddie could break through. Jason turned slowly to look at his wife, who was watching him with a pale face and a sick look to those tired eyes.

"What?" Nicole looked up at her parents. "We don't have pancakes?"

"Ni...Nicole..." Jason kneeled down beside her. "Where did you hear that, about pancakes being Nico's favorite?"

"From Nico, duh." Nicole grabbed his hand and tried to pull him from the room. "Can we make them?"

"Hang on, little lady." Jason picked her up. "When did Nico tell you this? Where is he?"

Nicole looked at her father as if he was stupid. "He told me last night."

"When?" Piper walked up to them and laid her head on Jason's shoulder. "Tell us, Nikki. It's important. We thought Nico was gone. We didn't even think you knew who that was."

"Oh..." Nicole rubbed at her eyes. "I dream all the time. He comes and plays with me. Is that bad?"

"He comes in your dreams..." Piper breathed out. "So he's not in this house?"

Nicole shook her head. "He's in a white place. Too bright."

Piper moved some hair from her daughter's face. "Okay. Let's keep Nico a secret, okay? Something just between the three of us."

"Why?" Nicole questioned. "He likes Katie and Maddie too."

"Because I said so." Piper kissed her forehead. "Can you do this for mommy? Please?"

"If I get pancakes." Nicole bartered.

"I'll make you some pancakes." Piper took her from Jason and carried her out of the room. "Let's go make some. And I'll make sure their school really is closed. They've tried tricking me before."

She left Jason staring at the ceiling, staring above what they all knew. Nico di Angelo...he was reaching out to them, he was in the afterlife.

He was reaching out to them.