Daddy's Here
Title: Daddy's Here
Author:
mcrxconundrum
POV: Third Alex-centered
Summary: He visits her grave every third weekend..
Author Notes: My assessment task for English dealing with a contemporary Australian issue
Warnings: Death, Child Death
“Its just me, sweetheart. Daddy’s here.” A pale, dark haired man who looked barely thirty sat down on the ground and stroked the cold marble with his fingertips.
He came there every third weekend, just as the long past custody agreement had decided. He had always chosen to live by it just so he was strong enough to leave.
“I brought you a new candle. Its lavender this time. You like lavender, remember?” His hands shook as he lit the candle and he sighed as the light flickered, illuminating the words carved in stone.
‘Jessica Sophia Harrison
April 17th 1998 - July 13th 2002
Beloved daughter of
Elise & Alexander
Taken too soon by a reckless driver
God rest her soul’
He rested his head on her grave and shivered.
“I brought you something else darling. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring him sooner..” He took a shaky breath and pulled out his daughter’s old teddy bear. He had been unable to look at it for almost 5 years but he felt his little Jessica should be reunited with it finally.
He placed the small, pink bear on the grave and roughly rubbed at his eyes. He had hated that bear for such a long time for no reason except that it reminded him so much of her.
“Teddy’s missed you.. But not nearly as much as I have.” He murmured, his voice shaking as much as his hands. He knew he would be eternally haunted by the memories of hearing the screeching of car brakes, her terrified screams and then the crunch as the car destroyed her tricycle and trapped her underneath it.
“Do you miss Daddy? Do you miss me?” He asked as he was once again overcome by grief. He hid his face in his hands and his body was wracked with silent sobs.
“Why did it have to be this way?” He cried out to the night sky. His outbursts happened every now and then, he was told he wouldn’t be able to permanently suppress them until he got over the accident; which he knew would never happen.
The images, the sounds, the feelings would never leave him. He would never forget how he felt as he held his dying daughter in his arms and saw her eyes close for the last time while her small hand went limp in his own.
He had never had a happy day since then and it showed since he still lay crying against the cold marble.
“Oh darling I wish you could come back. I love you and I miss you so much.” He hated that he was blubbering, to him he still felt like a failure since he was crying in front of his daughter.
He pulled his jacket tighter around himself as his tears subsided and he slowly felt his body dragging him down so he could sleep.
“I hope you’re having fun being an angel, sweetheart.” He whispered as sleep finally claimed him.
Exactly three weeks later Alexander was stuck late at his office, unable to leave early to get to his little girl’s side due to his boss’ orders.
He stared out the window next to his cubicle and he could only see the big factory that blocked off the view of the cemetery in the fading light.
He felt a pang of longing to be past that ugly building and it made him snap out of his fear of being fired. He got up quickly and grabbed his jacket and keys before running out of the building and into the rush hour traffic without looking.
The last thing he heard was the screeching of car brakes, terrified screams of a woman watching and then the crunch as the car hit and trapped him underneath it.
But then he heard something new. While blinded by a bright light he heard his daughter squeal loudly.
“Daddy’s here!”