Broken Canvas

Chapter 9

Authors Note!

Heyz! This story is coming to an end NOW! :) Please enjoy! One more chapter after this and then I'm done! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my Dad! :) I've had a moment like this in my youth and I never did forget it! I love you Daddy! Don't forget to Vote/Comment/and Fan if you'd like! :)

-BibliophileForLife

Chapter 9

Jake's POV:

I leaned on my arms as I looked at Lily sleep restfully in the bed. Every time I closed my eyes I heard Ben yelling frantically for me to come to the house. The image of her collapsed on the floor with tears streaming down her face will forever be an image in my mind.

My heart had stopped beating at the sight. Just with the thought of her hurt had me leaping to catch her form before she fell over and hit her head as she drifted away from reality.

The sun had set since then and only the sound of the clock in the living room made a sound. Everyone went to bed against their wishes. Reassuring them that I'd tell them when she woke up was the only thing that had made them leave.

I just hope she wakes up soon and tells me what had scared her so bad into passing out. I have no intention of leaving her alone. I need to let her know that she isn't alone.

Smiling I thought of the cheerful little girl that she has turned into. I just hope that after this she will still be the same.

Closing my eyes I stood up from the chair and went to stand by the window. Moving my arms and legs around for a bit I started to get the feeling back to them.

Leaning against the window frame I looked out at the place I called home. The night sky stretched out in every direction. Stars twinkled without a cloud in the sky.

Living out in the country has its privileges and the night sky is definitely one. Looking up at the night sky I let my problems all fade away and just leave me their empty.

Rustling from the bed made me look back at the bed. Happiness bubbled up as I noticed that she was starting to wake up.

Sitting back in the chair that I had vacated earlier I waited for her to awaken fully. Her eyes opened a few seconds later.

I watched as she glanced around the room uncertainly. When her gaze landed on my face I could only stare right back into her eyes.

“Jake?” She whispered towards my form with a note of caution in her voice. Who did she think I was?

“Yes, it’s me sweetheart.” I told her while reaching over to grab her hand that rested above the covers. Its cold touch made me cup it in my hands rubbing my fingers over it to warm it.

A smile covered her face as she continued to stare at me. Smiling back at her I just sat in the comfortable silence between her.

Finally she had smiled at me. Happiness warmed my body at the thought. Knowing that someone has to bring it up I prepared for the worse.

“What happened earlier Lily? Do you remember what happened?” I asked her while keeping my eyes on her face trying to dissect every emotion running across it.

Her hand clamped tighter on mine as she remembered the events from earlier today. Pain was etched upon her face as tears started to form.

My gut wrenched at the sight. Not knowing if it was a good idea I threw all reason out of the window and grabbed her into a hug.

Her arms where hesitant at first to come around me, then as if a light switch had been flicked she gripped me with an iron clad will. Her sobs wracked her body as she cried in my arms.

I settled myself onto the bed more and then made it to where she was on my lap hugging me for dear life. Once in a while she'd say words I couldn't understand in between words.

We sat there for up to twenty minutes while she cried her heart out. When the sobs subsided her head rested on my shoulder.

Only her sniffling could be heard in the room as she tried to pull herself together. Right then and there I promised myself that I'd try to never again have her cry like this again.

Lily's POV:

His arms encircled my body as I cried. I could feel him tighten his arms when I cried harder. I don't know if he could hear the words I said as I cried, but I knew that once I stopped crying I'd tell him.

I scrunched up my eyes trying to get control of the tears. Mom's voice rang in my head telling me that tears were the blood of the heart and once you let them out it was nearly impossible to stop.

I remember when she told me that. She had been painting out in the backyard when we were alone that weekend.

Her voice called out to me as I sat in the grass staring up at the clouds envisioning another life.

“Lily. Come look.” Walking over to look at the painting my face scrunched up as I tried to understand it.

Blackness covered the whole thing. Not a speck of color could be seen. Mom laughed at my confused expression.

“It's broken. A canvas is like life. You plan to do something, but end up doing another. In the end your original goal gets lost. Sometimes you even make mistakes and they muddle the original plan.” She tells me while smiling.

She then grabs her scraper sitting next to the painting. With a smile on her face she scraped it across the painting. My voice catches in my voice as I try to yell at her to stop.

At the sight of color being now shown my mouth clamps shut. She then starts scraping other parts of the painting.

“Then one day you remember that original plan and go for it. Like this canvas life has beauty under all of our mistakes and choices. Life just wouldn't be fun without all of the mistakes that happen.” She tells me until the whole canvas is uncovered from black and shows a picture of the trees rustling in the wind.

“We all have our own Broken Canvas. Never forget that. Even though things are bad at times, something good will always happen.” She says as she gets up and walks into the house, leaving the painting outside.

I sat in that chair for a few hours just staring at that painting. My mind drifted back to the present as I finally subsided my crying.

Leaning my head back I looked up at Jake to see a few lone tears had escaped his eyes. Reaching up my hand I wiped away the tears.

“I remember.” I told him while resting my head back on his shoulder. His arms tightened around me as he held me closer. Then in a mere whisper I told him everything about my life before his.

The whole time he sat quietly listening to everything I said. My voice grew stronger as I remembered every memory. Finally, I could tell someone.

A few tears escaped at the happiness on finally telling someone who actually cared and wouldn't judge me.

Silence enveloped us as I finished my story. A few times throughout the story he had gripped me tighter at the revelation of me being hurt continuously.

Leaning back once again I looked up at his face. A mask of nothing covered his face as he thought about things.

Unexpectedly he brought his hand up to cup my face with a soft smile on his face. What he said next will forever be ingrained in my heart.

“I love you Lily. I promise that I will always take care of you and watch over you. I know we have just barely gotten to know each other, but even so you have forever branded your existence into my heart. You will always be my little girl and I wouldn't have it any other way.” He said.

Leaning down he placed a faint kiss upon my forehead. Throwing my arms around him I smiled at the words that I was fixing to say.

“I love you too Daddy.”