Negative Space (Calum Hood A.U.)

Chapter 29 - Couple of Kids

It was as if nothing happened. The people already moved on a week after the terrible incident, although it wasn't everyone.

Ethan and Cassie had to move away. Eric shifted his focus to losing weight rather than think about his bestfriend. Ellie moved Malia to a better hospital, outside of the city. Luke drowned his sorrows and guilt with video games while Calum practically shut himself from the world.

Calum never saw Malia after that. He tried coming to the hospital a dozen times but the nurses wouldn't let him see her.

He came the week after for the last time but to his dismay, he was advised that she was moved.

Frank, on the other hand, hated himself. He arrived too late and for the past week he's been drowning himself with guilt. When he arrived, he was told that the father already passed away and that one of the twins survived.

Nobody saw the other twin but everybody assumed that she's already gone. He didn't. So he came back to the house every single day and searched for the missing twin.

He didn't give up. He felt guilty even though he had nothing to be guilty about. He wanted to protect them but he couldn't.

He knew their father wasn't good but he couldn't do anything about it, he couldn't protect them from him.

A week later, Frank was done looking for the twin for the day. As he was walking towards his house, he saw a silhouette of a little girl on his front porch.

He walked closer and realized it was her, the missing twin.

She was sitting on his front porch, hugging a book. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were all torned up, or burned up. She wasn't wearing any shoes. She was dirty, it was either from the smoke or the fact that she's been walking around town for a week.

When the little girl saw him, she tried to stand up but when she did, she just fell. Her hands immediately holding onto her left leg.

Frank instantly ran to her and crouched down. "Does it hurt?" The little girl nodded and started crying before hugging him tight, in which Frank did, as well. He was relieved to know that she's alive.

'Finally', he thought.

She was crying and so was he. He couldn't bear the thought of what she went through for the last week.

--

She was digging into the food like she hadn't eaten in years and in reality she hadn't eaten anything properly for the last week.

Frank had her showered and he gave her some clothes of Cassie, ones she left when they stayed at his place.

She still hasn't said anything for the past hour and Frank didn't want to push her.

"Do you want some more?" Frank offered another bowl of pasta and she vigorously nodded, taking it from Frank's hands.

She continued eating until she spoke, "Are you my dad?"

Frank was taken aback by her question. Why would she think he was her dad? He thought. Didn't she recognize him? She had to, she was the one that hugged him. All these thoughts came rushing through his brain.

When he didn't answer, the little girl asked another question which put Frank's thoughts in a frenzy, "What is my name?"

He knew right away, although confused, that she doesn't remember anything.