(no subject)
Whiteness, yellow flowers, the sound of the ocean.
Lilly
( I'm sorry )
Meg
( I'm sorry )
Keith
( I'm sorry )
When she was six her father took her to the sea shore. She'd been there before that, certainly, but that occasion was the earliest she could remember. The sun had been bright and she'd kept pushing her hat off as she splashed in the ocean, and each time Keith had picked it up and told her to put it back on, so she'd be safe. Her mother had spent the day sunbathing, but her father played with her all day. They built suncastles, and eventually he let her bury him in sand up to his neck.
( boom )
The first time she'd had a date with Duncan, her father had called every fifteen minutes or so, just to be sure, until she'd complained "You're embarassing me!" After that, he only called every half-hour.
( Boom )
The night Lilly died, she'd sobbed into his shoulder until dawn. Neither of them got any sleep that night. By the morning Veronica had changed, no longer the same person. But Keith loved her the same.
( BOOM )
Her mom walked out on them. And it hurt. But they had each other. They always had each other.
( BOOM )
Always -
The ocean breathes salt air in her face. It's quiet here, so quiet, without the sounds of her worries or fears. Just the surf.
When she was - young, she can't remember how young - her father would put on puppet shows for her in the backyard. She remembers -
Sunlight, grass, she's small and cross-legged and peering upwards in awe at the tiny theatre. The puppets are socks with buttons on, at best, but he makes them live. They dance and fight and argue, each with different voices, and she laughs, her voice filled with love.
A puppet squeaks his nose and she giggles, but then he folds his arms, and peers at her, confused. "Honey? Do you smell that?"
Of course she smells it. Silly Daddy. "Smells like bacon!"
She starts, shaken awake, back in her bed. "Dad."
He's here, he's here, she just heard his voice, so clearly - "Dad!" The smell of bacon in the air - it wasn't just in her mind, it couldn't have been. She takes off towards the kitchen.
"Dad!"
But it's not. It's Logan at the stove, and he glances up, surprised, and her heart breaks all over again.
Logan steps towards her and folds her into an embrace, but despite how relieved she is to see him it's not the same, not at all. She can feel the tears welling over once more.
"I'm sorry," Logan whispers, comforting, "I'm so sorry..."
"Is that breakfast I smell?"
Veronica stiffens, spins. It's a dream. Another dream. It's not a dream. But it can't possibly be.
It is.
"Dad. DAD!" He's alive. He's really alive. Veronica abandons a dazed Logan in an instant and dashes across the room, hugging her father tighter than she's ever done before. Alive. Alive. "I thought you were dead! God, I love you so much."
She'll never forget to say that again.
He pats her head with his hand and returns the hug, but says, "I don't understand...?"
"Woody's plane," she says, a bit choked on tears that are both mournful and joyful, "Cassidy Casablancas blew it up."
Keith's look is a bit stunned, but he pulls her close nonetheless. "Oh, honey. I wasn't on the plane. Lamb didn't want me with Woody when they met the press, so he had them take me off the plane at the last minute. I rented a car, I drove home."
He gives her a reassuring smile, and wipes some tears away. "I was a bit surprised, to find Logan on the couch. But better than finding him somewhere else, heh, y'know...?"
The front door swings shut, and the two Marses glance up. Logan's gone, and Veronica feels a twinge of guilt. His father's not going to be around when he gets home, and despite the fact that his father is Aaron Echolls, that can't be easy to get used to. She'll be sure to call him later, make sure he's okay.
Meanwhile, Keith asks, "So what were you saying about the Casablancas boy?"
Veronica sighs. It's going to be a long story.
Lilly
( I'm sorry )
Meg
( I'm sorry )
Keith
( I'm sorry )
When she was six her father took her to the sea shore. She'd been there before that, certainly, but that occasion was the earliest she could remember. The sun had been bright and she'd kept pushing her hat off as she splashed in the ocean, and each time Keith had picked it up and told her to put it back on, so she'd be safe. Her mother had spent the day sunbathing, but her father played with her all day. They built suncastles, and eventually he let her bury him in sand up to his neck.
( boom )
The first time she'd had a date with Duncan, her father had called every fifteen minutes or so, just to be sure, until she'd complained "You're embarassing me!" After that, he only called every half-hour.
( Boom )
The night Lilly died, she'd sobbed into his shoulder until dawn. Neither of them got any sleep that night. By the morning Veronica had changed, no longer the same person. But Keith loved her the same.
( BOOM )
Her mom walked out on them. And it hurt. But they had each other. They always had each other.
( BOOM )
Always -
The ocean breathes salt air in her face. It's quiet here, so quiet, without the sounds of her worries or fears. Just the surf.
When she was - young, she can't remember how young - her father would put on puppet shows for her in the backyard. She remembers -
Sunlight, grass, she's small and cross-legged and peering upwards in awe at the tiny theatre. The puppets are socks with buttons on, at best, but he makes them live. They dance and fight and argue, each with different voices, and she laughs, her voice filled with love.
A puppet squeaks his nose and she giggles, but then he folds his arms, and peers at her, confused. "Honey? Do you smell that?"
Of course she smells it. Silly Daddy. "Smells like bacon!"
She starts, shaken awake, back in her bed. "Dad."
He's here, he's here, she just heard his voice, so clearly - "Dad!" The smell of bacon in the air - it wasn't just in her mind, it couldn't have been. She takes off towards the kitchen.
"Dad!"
But it's not. It's Logan at the stove, and he glances up, surprised, and her heart breaks all over again.
Logan steps towards her and folds her into an embrace, but despite how relieved she is to see him it's not the same, not at all. She can feel the tears welling over once more.
"I'm sorry," Logan whispers, comforting, "I'm so sorry..."
"Is that breakfast I smell?"
Veronica stiffens, spins. It's a dream. Another dream. It's not a dream. But it can't possibly be.
It is.
"Dad. DAD!" He's alive. He's really alive. Veronica abandons a dazed Logan in an instant and dashes across the room, hugging her father tighter than she's ever done before. Alive. Alive. "I thought you were dead! God, I love you so much."
She'll never forget to say that again.
He pats her head with his hand and returns the hug, but says, "I don't understand...?"
"Woody's plane," she says, a bit choked on tears that are both mournful and joyful, "Cassidy Casablancas blew it up."
Keith's look is a bit stunned, but he pulls her close nonetheless. "Oh, honey. I wasn't on the plane. Lamb didn't want me with Woody when they met the press, so he had them take me off the plane at the last minute. I rented a car, I drove home."
He gives her a reassuring smile, and wipes some tears away. "I was a bit surprised, to find Logan on the couch. But better than finding him somewhere else, heh, y'know...?"
The front door swings shut, and the two Marses glance up. Logan's gone, and Veronica feels a twinge of guilt. His father's not going to be around when he gets home, and despite the fact that his father is Aaron Echolls, that can't be easy to get used to. She'll be sure to call him later, make sure he's okay.
Meanwhile, Keith asks, "So what were you saying about the Casablancas boy?"
Veronica sighs. It's going to be a long story.