Daddy? Where is mommy?

She returned to her room and let out a deep sigh, “I need to hurry up with it so that I can be with him again” she said and walked to her bed. The woman sobbed quietly, suddenly she heard a footstep approaching her room, she wiped her face and smiled. Mr. Charlie entered and saw his wife, he wondered where she has been but that doesn't matter right now “are you okay?” he asked. She stood up and opened the window, “yes sweetheart, when did you arrive? I went to... to the mall nearby to get somethings” she said and turned to him, “how was work? You are early today... I like that”, the woman moved near him and kissed him softly. He smiled and held her close, “I came back early to surprise our children,” he said. The woman wished he hasn't done anything stupid again, the last time he got Tristan a car and didn't get her son anything, she was so pissed because James act more like a good child than Tristan does. “What is it?” she asked, curiously. The man smiled and poked her nose gently, “guess”. Mrs. Charlie watched him sat on the bed, she moved near him “you know I am not good at guessing” she replied. He smiled and removed his shirt, “I bought cellphones for the kids” he said. “For the kids? Yeah sound like what you will do” she yelled angrily in her mind and her expression made it obvious. She smiled and looked away, “really that great honey...Thank you, I am sure the kids are grateful” she said and kissed him on the forehead. “You expect me to be happy with that news?” she thought and looked at him, “you are the best father and husband ever” she added. The man smiled and hugged her, “you make me the best”. She rolled her eyes as she held him and patted his back gently. ------------------------ (Nate and Nick’s cottage - 5:04pm) Tristan drove in and parked his car, he stepped out and walked in without knocking. Nick was bringing out pie from the oven when the young man walked in, “hey man... you are lucky, I just finished making my apple pie” he said and put it down gently on the table. The man looked around and noticed James did not come around this time, “what about your brother? He is not in to see us today?” He asked and grabbed the whipped cream on the kitchen cabinet. Tristan sit gently as Nick divided the pie, “I didn't want to bother him, I think he was sleeping when I left home... And the last time he came here, he was terrified so I prefer to be here alone” he replied and pour some whipped cream in his mouth before adding it to his pie. He noticed Nate was not home since he walked in, he would have come out of wherever he was. “Where is Nate?” Tristan asked. Nick took the cream from Tristan and pour a large amount on his pie, “he is out...” “To see Mitchell?” he asked interruptedly. Tristan watched Nick nods his head, they both chewed the pie and were pleased with the taste, the young man gave Nick a thumb up. “This is good,” he said. Nick suddenly remember the mermaid dream and decided to ask him, “so do you still have the mermaid dream?... You know the girl voice, swimming and everything else” he asked. Tristan choked on the pie, Nick poured him some water and watched him gulped it loudly, “easy man easy” he said and continue eating. The young man looked at Nick, “for a minute, I forgot about her...” said Tristan. Without looking up at him, Nick asked “So you think about her all the time?” Tristan laughed out, “what! I don't think about her... She just like pop up in my head most times, it is freaking me out... and something weird happen recently” he said and looked at Nick who was now looking at him. “How weird?” Nick nervously asked. “I heard her voice in my hear while I was in the shower, is that not extremely weird? It is freaking me out... It is getting real and I can not just explain what it is” Tristan answered. Nick stared at him for a short while, he dropped his spoon and looked up at him again “are you getting possessed by some witch?” he asked. Tristan scoffed and kept eating, “stop joking around, how can I get possessed? What do you think this is? The conjuring?” he asked and rolled his eyes. Nick grabbed the spoon from Tristan, “listen, my man... Conjuring is real.. Should we go see a priest! Maybe there is a demon around you... Disguising as a girl, maybe the demon is using her”. “If you continue with this Nick, I will move away from my house,” Tristan said. Nick laughed at how terrified he was, “relax my man..” he said and continue eating, “they say if a demon possesses you, they follow you anywhere you go”. Tristan stood up, “okay I am going home” he said and turned to leave. Nick laughed heartily and promised to stop playing around. The young man returned to his seat and sighed, “I am serious Nick, it is troubling me...” he said in a serious tone, “I can not deal with a mermaid appearing in my dream or any demon or whoever she is” he added. ----------------------- Isabella knocked on the door gently, “Dad are you there?”. Mr. Charlie heard his daughter voice and hurried to the door, he opened it the door and saw his daughter. The man lifted her up and took her in, “are you okay baby?” He asked. Mrs. Charlie groaned softly, “kill joy” she whispered. “I cannot sleep daddy, can I sleep here with you?” the girl asked. The woman hurried up and took her from Mr. Charlie, “don’t worry Bella I will put you to sleep” she said smiling. Isabella released herself from her and moved towards her dad, she held his hand and led him outside, “I would prefer dad to do that” she said as they walked out. They got in her room and the man put her on the bed, “where is your favorite story book” he said , looking around and finally found it beside the toy house. “Okay... let us do this” he said and opened the book. Isabella lay on her bed and looked at her dad, “Daddy when will mommy be coming back home?”. Mr. Charlie was not expecting the question, he stuttered and finally controlled his emotions, “soon baby... what is wrong baby? You can meet James mom if you need anything okay?” She shook her head in denial, “I don’t like her” said Isabella. “She looks at me in a funny way, I don’t like that... and she never tuck me to the bed, she forgot to do that everyday”. Mr. Charlie looked down sadly, he felt what she said but smiled through it, “don’t worry she will do that from today on okay baby? If she doesn’t then I will tuck my beautiful princess to sleep, is that okay?” He asked and watched his daughter nodded yes. Isabella figured her dad was avoiding her question, she sit upright “mom? When will she be back? Tristan said she went on a long trip? Will she follow us to Minch island with the prince as well?” She asked. The man smiled, “I hope so too baby... she is in a faraway country but trust me she will be here sooner” he promised and started reading her the tale of the frog princess, Isabella's favorite storybook. --------------------- Tristan returned home and saw Lily standing by the front door, he saw her and sighed before stepping out of the car, it was obvious that she was waiting for him. “Hey,” said Tristan. Lily smiled and walked towards him, “hey Tristan, I have been waiting for you... I have something to tell you” she said and walked closer. Tristan took a step back and smiled nervously, “what is it lily?” he asked, hoping it is not about her liking him. “Just stay and tell me... Stop coming near”. Lily stopped, “I thought about everything you said and I have a response to that...” she said and looked around. The young man wondered why she was looking around, is she about to do something evil to him? He cleared his throat and laughed nervously, “why are you... Like looking around” he asked. “I Can not stop... I am sorry but I can’t stop loving you... I thought about it a lot and I kept thinking about you Tristan, call me stupid but I love you”. James peeped through the kitchen window as he listened to them, his heart broke into pieces, he stopped listening and walked away. “We can not be together,” he said and turned to leave, she pulled him back and in a blink of an eye, she pressed her lips on his.