DAISY'S BUTTERFLIES

Twenty Four.

DAISY'S POV

I stared out as the familiar town came in sight. The tall buildings, the mixed smells in the air.
A lazy smile swept on my lips... Three years, had been away from home for three damned years. Honestly, I'd not regretted moving out. God knows how much I had learnt in my stay away.

"You seem in a good excited," mom smiled from the rearview mirror.
I smiled back, then glanced over at Stew on the driver's seat.

"Wish dad was here."

"He'd be so proud of his daughter. She finally made it, and has grown into a fine young woman." Mom added.

A deep ache sliced my chest. I had lost the one man that cared about my feelings genuinely. Oh, the pain had never faded even after those three years.
He passed on from a heart attack. And who was to blame? Myself. I blamed myself for my reckless past, if I'd listened to him and left Alex sooner, maybe he'd still be alive.

"Hey, snap out of that guilt honey. It wasn't your fault. That Alex bastard's to blame," mom reminded noticing.
"Can we shift topics here? And mom, Alex's out of our lives. Let's just forget about him."

Stew was right.
For three years, I'd been doing that, forgetting him. And honestly, I was still at zero with the whole process.

My old room looked, different. The bed was still there, the mirror, the desk, but something was missing. It took me minutes to figure out what was missing, the big portrait of butterflies that always hung above my bed.
I smiled walking for the balcony doors. With one push, they gave way to me.

The warm afternoon sun spilled inside, changing the air of the room. Another satisfied smile corrupted my senses. How could such a simple view always leave me breathless? I had grown up there. But with the whole repairs and repainting, it appeared like a new house.

A knock from behind interrupted my moment.
"May I come in?"

My feet turned to the door, a happy female stood there...mom.

"Come in mom. You don't have to ask. It's your house."

She laughed walking towards me. "Used to be. But now it's yours honey. Your father wanted you to own it."

"But mom, I have an apart-"
"You'll transfer in town soon baby. I don't want your dad questioning me about you staying in an apartment. Besides-" she sighed folding arms beneath her chests. "I can't stay here anymore. And we both know why."

I rushed over and embraced her. "I'm here mom. We'll stay together." She rubbed my back.
"No, have it. I'm sure soon you'll be raising your own family."
A silly laugh escaped me at the thought of raising a family.
"I'm only twenty two."

Mom retreated. "Turning three. Never too early to think of a beautiful family. Having kids while still young is the best thing dear. Trust me, I gave birth to you two in my twenties."
"Well mom, you had dad. And I, I got nobody." I really hoped that'd cut her persistence down. But it seems to rocket it.

"And Vince? He's still sing-"
"Not my type. I've never looked at him as anything more than a friend."
She gave me the sooner-or-later look. "Can't argue. He was your dad's first and only choice."

"And he's Alex's older brother mom, did you forget?"
Her head shook, "Not at all. But he ain't Alex. Please, don't take your past frustrations on every man you meet."

I sighed tucking hairs behind my ear. "Okay mom... So, has Stew left?"

She frowned. "Was he?"
"Oh mom, you're forgetting way too fast." I laughed escorting her out. We found Alex on a call.
And from the glow on his face, too obvious whom he was talking to...Mia, his girlfriend.
* * *

The house was oddly silent.
So I decided to let some music play from the lounge...
How was I supposed to exist in such a place, alone?

I walked in the kitchen, opened the refrigerator. It was fully packed. "Oh mom!" I smiled bending for the drinks. From the variety, I picked a whisky bottle, used to be dad's favorite.
After pouring a little in a glass, I returned it and closed the door.

One sip of the bitter-sweet liquid and shivers shot down my spine like electric eels. I shook placing the glass on the counter, then laughed sillily.
"Who'd thought I'd ever drink one day?"
I poured the rest of the content inside me, ignoring the scorching sensation tingling down my throat. Slowly, the excitement bubbled through me. And the urge to drink a little more swept in. I fetched the bottle and sat at the breakfast bar. During the process of emptying the half bottle, I kept cursing Alex as I had done in the past when I got drunk.
But before I could drink up everything, someone took away the bottle.

I groaned a protest turning around... A tall frame towered above me. Long blonde hair tied up in a loose bun at the middle of his head.
"Daisy! Gawd! You're a mess."
"Alex?" I called sluggishly.
Trying hard to be sober, I rose off the stool and took a step to the male. He caught my unstable body.
"You know, you feel so real," I grinned cupping his jaw as a silly warmth erupted from my tummy...

"Daisy," he whispered clearing the loose hairs crowding my face. There was some wetness in his charming eyes, that it felt as if he was really there. But I knew it, just another hallucination as had always happened.
In one swift swing, I was off the floor and in his arms... Then the entire world faded.