Diamonds Dancing

Seventeen

'Bunny ears, Bunny ears, playing by a tree. Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me...'

Some mornings were harder than others.

Whilst the hysterical eight-year-old shed tears into his crisp white shirt, glossy jade eyes stayed fixated on the unfolding scene in utmost worry. Fragile hands held onto her steady shoulders, aiming to stay upright as she bowed her head to look down at the crouching figure.

Sticking her tongue out to concentrate better, her brow wrinkled and her bottom lip jutted out to form a big pout.

"I forgot it again." Her usually optimistic tone was meek, virtually nonexistent.

Glancing up, she offered the delicate youngster a crooked smile. "Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole," The nanny recited in a deliberately slow manner, tying the shoelaces together and making sure they were extra tight by tugging on the ends. "popped out the other side beautiful and bold."

Seeing the words being mouthed back at her brought about a hearty giggle, reaching over, she poked her cheek playfully.

"Hm, you wanna know the way I remember the rest?" She whispered slowly, creeping fingers inching upwards.

Blonde pigtails and dilated eyes came into view, "How?" she pleaded, desperately hoping to know the answer.

Immediately, sorrow coalesced into pleasure as two profound indents materialised in her chubby cheeks. Boisterous laughter plummeted out of the little body as prowling fingers tickled her sides.

"Lovey, no!" Lilia blubbered through her giggles, doubling over as she tried her hardest to ignore the nanny's pleas to see her smile.

She wanted to see those adorable little dimples take over her striking features.

All she could do was focus on the genuine joy emitting out of her, a smile of her own formulating.

Shuddered breaths came out fast and swallow as he tried to stop the sobbing, yet the tears kept gushing out. It was becoming much more significant, and a lot harder to ignore.

Praying she had disregarded the occupied pair behind her, she felt Lilia stiffen up in her arms, watching carefully as she turned to look more openly at the heartbreaking scene ahead.

"Is my sister going to be okay?" She was frowning now.

The question itself was said with enormous fear, it made her want to reach over and tell her everything would be okay.

She often referred to Janessa as 'my sister' it was something she attached herself to, putting full emphasis on the label so everyone knew exactly who her older sister was.

Rika swallowed her emotions, listening to her boss mutter the gentle words behind them.

Sighing heavily, she answered the frightened child. "Nessie's fine, she's just feeling extra tired this morning. That's all."

Before she had the chance to give any more reassuring words, another whimper sliced through the air. Being positioned on the stairs, they had a clear view of the kitchen where the father and daughter were.

His husky voice flowed around the entire ground floor, 'I'm not going anywhere, kroshka. I would never leave you.' He repeated the same thing over and over again. "I would never leave my girls alone. Ever."