P A R T O N E — S H A T T E R E D
"Because I just saw a ghost, baby girl."
"You know my mommy?"
"Promise is a big word, isn't it?"
It had been four years since she had Nicolette. It had been four years and ten months since she met him. It had been five years since she left Camp Half-Blood. It also had been five years since she last saw Tom. Not a day went by that she didn’t think of him always wondering where he was now. Was he alive? Was he okay? Though every time she thought of it the more it hurt to think he left without a trace. What had happened that last day? What had happened to them?
So she tried to forget and failed to forget. Now a days she put most of her thoughts onto her daughter. Raising a child was difficult but no matter the circumstances it still was one of the greatest experiences she’s had. Nicolette was in so many ways like Skyler which was a relief compared to the father. If there wasn’t another thing she couldn’t forget it was the man who was the birth father of Nicolette who left without a trace the week after Nicolette’s birth. It seemed like every man was leaving without a trace but this time she was left with something — a little angel.
“Nicolette, come back here!” Skyler called to her daughter who was running off to the other side of the park. The little girl was a sprinter and Skyler was still aching from a long week at work. The daughter of Hades was making her way up the hierarchy that was the police force all the way to detective status. It was amazing how much she was able to accomplish with a little help from her Greek bloodline. But it had been five years since she visited that even her own siblings were starting to grow up as well. Everyone was growing up before her very eyes including herself.
“Mommy, hurry!” Nicolette laughed and ran behind a tree, peeking to watch for her. The raven haired girl giggled and turned around with back against the bark. She slid down into a sitting position and waited. Seconds passed and Skyler had no idea where the little one ran off to. Seconds was all it took and she groaned making a note to lecture the girl later for running off. It was then a shriek came out of nowhere and Skyler saw a monster carrying her daughter. “No.”
“No!” Skyler screamed and ran to where her daughter was being taken. Seconds passed like years as Skyler ran to where the monster was holding her daughter. It stopped to hiss at her about to make takeoff until — until it disappeared into dust. The outline of another stood there but Skyler didn’t bother with it as she dropped her sword and ran to her daughter. Nicolette ran into her mother’s arms, tears trickling from the sides of her face. Her little arms wrapped around her neck as Skyler picked her up and held her close. “Shh… Shh… It’s okay. You’re okay…”
“The man killed the bad thing, mommy…” Nicolette whispered and unburied her face from her mother’s neck. She wiped her eyes and pointed, looking back. “Look. It’s dead.”
“I know, sweetie… It’s dead and I promise it won’t come back for you, okay? Just promise me you won’t do that again.”
“Promise is a big word, isn’t it?” a masculine voice spoke up. When Skyler turned to see the man who rescued her daughter walking up to them she sucked in her breath. It made sense a demi-god would be able to see the monster. It made sense they would be able to fight it. It made sense they would be able to kill it. It didn’t make sense for it to be Tom. Though he noticed the expression on her face and weakly smiled. “Hey, Sky.”
“You know my mommy?” Nicolette spoke up, arching a brow in curiosity.
“I know her better than she knows herself,” Tom said still looking at Skyler who seemed to freeze in place. He then faced Nicolette and held out his hand to the little girl who obliged to shake. She grinned, “Thank you for saving me.”
“Anytime, Little Lady,” Tom chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pocket. He rubbed the back of neck and looked at Skyler again and asked, “Nothing? Not a word?”
“We have to go, Sweetie…” Skyler managed to say and started to walk off. Her back turned towards Tom who pursed his lips and shook his head. “Sky… Please… Don’t…” He started to walk after them as Nicolette was held in her mother’s arms confused. The man seemed nice and she couldn’t tell why her mother hated him. Never before had Nicolette seemed such emotion coming from her mother that was such natural hate and detest for a person.
“Mommy, the man is following us.”
“Come on, Nicolette. Get into your car seat,” Skyler said opening the door to her car. She helped Nicolette inside and closed it when her seat belt was buckled. When she turned she saw Tom still walking over to her with hands stuffed into his pockets. “Get outta my way, Tom.” She walked around him to the driver’s side of the car.
“Is she yours? She looks a lot like you.”
“Tom, I said get outta my way,” Skyler repeated, when he stood in front of her path to the door. Her eyes looked down or any other way that wasn’t facing his. He looked the same, older, but the same in many ways. He still had that same brown hair, goofy smile and playful eyes. It was like seeing a ghost but she knew very well she would have known if he had died. “I- We need to go. We have to go.”
“Is she yours?”
Skyler sighed, knowing he would only ask until he got his answers. Typical. “Yes. She’s mine. Now, please, we really have to go…”
Tom felt a strike of pain hit his chest when he realized that the little girl was Skyler’s daughter. That mean she met someone else and that was the greatest pain he thought could ever be felt. Though she looked no older than a preschooler and saw no ring but the thought. They were supposed to have kids together but then he ruined it the day he left. There was no literal excuse because he simply left. He stepped aside and let her go through but before she closed the door he said, “It was nice seeing you again…”
“I wish I could say the same,” She closed the door and started to drive off when he stood back.
“Mommy, why are you crying?” Nicolette asked from the back seat. Looking up at the mirror to see her daughter Skyler noticed she was right. She was crying and simply said, “Because I just saw a ghost, baby girl.”
LIGHTS as Skyler Lunar
Louis Tomlinson as Tom Linson
Nikki Hahn as Nicolette
