Take care

The cold winter hushed in silent whispers across the dark night, it had snowed all day. Outside the piling snow appeared like a huge pillow tucked perfectly on the sides with leaves frozen on the ground, cold window knocked on my window as I balanced my phone between my head and shoulder. "Pick up!" I said to myself as a wide smile swept across my face.

"Hello! this is Jaden Root office how may I help you"

"Serena its Hailey pass it to Mom!" I said licking my ice cream spoon. Serena smiled, "Hey Hails! How have you been!" She said.

I laughed, "Serena this is literally the fourth time I have called since the morning! pass it to mom I wanna talk to her!" I whined. Silence settled for a moment before she replied, "Uh, sure."

BEEP

"Hey sweeite!" My mom said, I could picture her holding the phone close to her ears while flipping through files.

Business women.

"Hey mom!" My legs flew from the sofa, as I walked around in hurried steps.

"everything ok? this is the fourth time you have called."

I rolled my eyes, 'Mom each time I called you never talked to me"

I heard her hiss as she threw a piece of paper, "Mom?" I said worry lacing my voice.

'Hailey what is it?" Annoyance was never an emotion she showed even when she managed the business and dealt with all my problems and even my fathers death my mom had never once seemed this tensed. I scrunched my brows together,

"Mom everything fine?" I said putting my ice-cream down.

"Honey things have been messed, I know why you called and..n.no I wont be home for Christmas. I'm sorry but dear-" I threw the phone across the sofa, as anger surfaced.

I was exasperated with the loneliness that resided in my house, these walls were a constant reminder of my emptiness. Before I knew sleep consumed me, and I let myself embrace the darkness.

Sunlight fell through the curtains of my living room, I perked up gazing around with half open eyes as I found myself wrapped in a warm blanket. My grandfather's blanket.

Pappy!

I was fully awake now and flying across my living room where I had fallen asleep- rushing to the kitchen. The aroma of a familiar kind swept through, 'Pappy!!" I yelled. In the kitchen stood a bent figure searching for something in the lower cabinets. An apron wrapped around his waist. Feelings can't be described in words, my happiness was beyond the seven sky's. I lurked forward and hugged him from behind. His body hunched forward almost as if my weight would cause him to loose his balance. "Oh my! Hailey!" he said in annoyance, ignoring the fact that he was hurt by my sudden jump I kissed his face. "Pappy when did you come!?" I asked.

"Get off me! You have gained weight huh?" he laughed and I lightly nudged his arm sticking my tongue out at him. "I came this morning, your mom was worried about you" He crossed his arms over his chest. I looked down my fists closing tightly, "Pappy she isn't coming home for Christmas."

"Hailey...she works so hard for you my dear, help her not push her away. She worries so much for you, she knows you feel lonely but honey You need to realize she is as lonely as you are. " I looked up at him, his warm blue grey eyes small and almost appearing closed. the skin on his face was glowing the wrinkles appearing in places where they made him look handsome. His smile like warmth of summer air. I beamed at him, "I love you pappy." my arms wrapped around his frail body as he took me in his embrace. " you are my daughter and so is your mother, take care of each other..ok?" he said looking down at me, I nodded in his chest as he kissed my hair.

"Now go get ready! I wanted to make cookies but I cant find the sugar." he said scratching his head as my laughter boomed through the kitchen walls. So began the episode of me and pappy cooking together while talking to a non existent camera.

"Mix it properly, yea like that."

"Not the Choco! Jeez viewers I dont know daughter had forgotten how to cook in the past few month"

And the never ending complains of how lazy my arms were, regardless of how weak my brain was in remembering stuff I was dancing across the kitchen when I made the cookies. The ones that marked the start of my new year, the ones that reminded me I was home and that afternoon I forgot the night before, as all I could do was control my happiness that dripped through moments.

As the evening casted its spell through hours of time, we slumped down on the couch sipping hot cocoa, old days returning back into times hold. "pappy?" I said taking a sip of my drink. "Hmm?" he asked but his eyes darting across the clock on the wall. "Are you waiting for someone?" I urged. Gazing at me his eyes filled with tears, "I have to go" My heart went down as I couldn't control the lump in my throat, what was happening?

"huh?" I asked and suddenly I was crying.

"Hails.. your mom is going to be here, remember everything I said today, ok?" he said.

Confused I looked at him, "what are you saying?" I said my tears falling.

He lurked forward and kissed my forehead, "My daughter"

Pappy!

My voice faded in time, my self frozen as ever.

"Hailey!"

Sunlight fell through the curtains of my living room, I perked up gazing around with half open eyes as I found myself wrapped in a warm blanket.

A face came into view as I focused harder, mom?

"Are you ok?" she yelled.

"umm, yea why what's wrong?"

her brown eyes were huge and fear laced her voice, "What were you screaming about?" She interrogated.

I looked at her confused, the smell of cookies in the air.

"Nothing mom. When did u come? wait pappy told me you had called him? wait you guys have planned something" I laughed.

My mom gazed at me worried, "Hails pappy passed away five months ago." Her voice cracking.

My eyes went wide, as realization settled through, "b-but me and him made the cookies?" I said with tears of before already dried up.

"No honey you made them alone. I tasted them. They taste exactly like he used to make them." By now my mom was crying and her nose was a blush of pink.

Pappy had visited me.

He was worried about us mom.