Avery And Ivory

Chapter 1

It was a dark day on November 22nd. It seemed to rain forever that day making the world a little more quiet then it should have been. It almost seemed like I could hear that car from miles away. The loud creak of the new boots walking from the car to the front door. The loud knock seemed to echo through the quiet house. 

I had a feeling that this would come but I still didn't want it to be true.  I climbed out of my old bed and raced down the steps hoping to see him standing there. As I reached the middle of the steps, my mom opened the creaky old front door of the old house we were renting in the Netherlands. 

Two marines all dressed up in their dress blues stood there. The young woman seemed a little too fidgety and the old man just stood as still as a statue. 
My mothers frail body started to shake as they handed her a letter. 

A moment of silence passed through the whole world. 

“We are sorry to inform you that Major Derek Johnson was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan on November 18th.” The man's voice boomed through the house.  

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even see what was in front of me anymore. Images of my father filled my sight. I didn't even get to say I love him or goodbye. I fell to my knees as the tears started to fall. Everybody finally realized I was in the room. My mother quickly hurried to my aid with tears of her own. Trying to comfort myself and come to the realization of our new life.
I looked back up at the two marines still staring through the doorway, the woman now had tears of her own in her eyes. The gentleman took a step in, handed my mother another letter stepped back and saluted us. The woman followed suit, saluting us then turning in the doorway to leave.  

I hurried to the door.  

“Do you know how he died!?” I cried out, my voice sounding miles away. 
They stopped mid step, the woman turning around. 

“All affairs and questions can be answered in the meeting of the benefits mentioned in the letter.” she quickly said in a small voice.  

She stood still for a moment as if she wanted to say more but then quietly apologized for our loss, saluted once more turned and followed her commanding officer back to the car. I followed them off the porch into the pouring rain hoping they would give me some kind of answers but they didn't. I stood in the rain for what felt like an eternity. Knowing it wasn't true but hoping somehow on the day he was supposed to come home by driving down that long windy road to be with his family. 

It seemed forever since they drove away. I started to drag my body back up those squeaky front porch steps slowly. Stopping in the middle of the landing, peeking through the door at my mother who was now on the floor quietly starting to sob her eyes out. As I leaned back I caught the glimmer of two dark brown eyes glimpsing down the steps at me.  

Shit. He found out. 

I slowly walked over to my mother and picked her up. I carried her to the living room where I sat her in dad's favorite huge chair that she hated so much because it took up to much room. I swiftly handed her the tissues out of the coffee table, patted her head and went to get the brown eyed monster. I tried to make no sound when I entered the hall sitting down on the first step.  Silence was so deafening it was making my ears hurt. Till I heard a little shuffle upstairs. 

“I hear you up there Heath,” I spoke softly trying not to scare him away. “You cant play dumb with me, what all did you hear?" 

The two brown eyes appeared out of the darkness, not showing me anything but their deep sadness that set in.  

“Heath please” 

The puny little boy came crawling out of his hiding spot, sitting on the top step. 

“Heath Johnson, What did you hear?” I got a little harsh in my voice hoping for answers from the 8 year old boy.  

“Just them saying sorry for your loss and mama crying why her, why us.” Heath said in his tiny little voice. 

I took a deep heavy sigh, not knowing what exactly to do next. Wishing dad was here to show me the way. He always had the answers. Now he's  not here nor is he ever coming back.
I carelessly patted the bottom step, calling him to sit beside me. I slightly looked up the steps and just so happened to see him booty scooting down the steps to where I was, holding Mr. Socks close to his chest. I leaned over, elbows on knees, wishing I didn't have to tell my sweet innocent little brother that our dad isnt coming home. I took a big sigh then felt something tapping on my shoulder. Heath was sitting on the fourth step staring at me with Mr. socks in his right hand. I discreetly wrapped my arm around his body ready to tell him what just occurred.  

I took a deep breath in. 

“Heath, Those two kind marines came to tell us that…”  

Silence took over, there was no fighting it back. It was like a fitted sheet over all the words I needed to say. In fact, what could I say to him? How could I tell him that the man we hold dearly and looked up to was never coming home. That our father was never coming back. 
After several minutes of silence Heath sighed heavily. 

"He is never coming back is he Avery?" Heath's words fell flat on the blanket of silence.  

He was so smart for being eight years old. He could follow a conversation without even being nowhere near. 

"No he's not," a soft tear fell slowly down my cheek. "He's never coming home." 

I took a deep breath before I could continue. 

"He died in action, he was a hero Heath. That's all he could have ever asked for. So be very proud of him and the way he went." I smiled a sad smile trying to keep a composure for him.  

A small sniffle came from his little body. I held him close, not wanting to let go of him. I fought so hard not to let tears of my own roll down my cheeks.  

I softly kissed Heath's forehead, letting my lips linger a little bit. He is all I have left of my dad.