Daisy in a Meadow

25 - Movie

Despite me walking out of the kitchen, Elias' sharp voice still carried through the door. "Mom, we've talked about this."

Pamela sounded exhausted. "How many times do I need to tell you—"

"The doctor said to take it easy, ma. Could you please just..."

I was curious to hear more, but as nosy as I was, even I knew my limits.

Their voices faded away as I walked further from the kitchen and deeper into the grand foyer. A crystal chandelier cast its beaming light over the hallway, which extended so far I had to squint to see the end of it. In fact, the entire house was magnificently large. For someone who seemed to be quite cold and indifferent, Elias was certainly living comfortably.

It wasn't the size of the house that intrigued me though. It was the huge family portrait hung up in the middle of the wall that caused me to stop in my tracks. The photo must've been taken years ago, as Pamela looked a lot healthier in it. She had a thick head of blonde hair, her complexion was not nearly as pale as it was now, and she sported a radiant smile that reached all the way up to her ocean blue eyes. What had happened to her?

The twins were in the photo as well, although they were just babies. Alex was sat in her mother's lap, meanwhile Rocky was being cradled by a tall man standing behind them. The formal suit, the pursed lips, the jutted chin, the gelled hair—the man simply exuded power. He looked handsome, yet I oddly found myself frowning when I stared at him for too long.

I knew the man had to be Elias and the twins' father, for they all had his dark brown eyes.

It was no wonder Elias was so good looking—he'd won the genetic lottery. Speaking of, Elias looked much younger in the photo. His face was rounder, his figure was shorter, and his usually messy hair was slicked back—no doubt the works of his mother.

It was strange. While everyone else in the photo was smiling, Elias and his father remained straight faced. Why was that?

"I suppose you've got some questions," a deep voice caused me to jump and turn around.

"Goodness, Ellie, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" I placed a hand over my chest as his tall figure emerged from the shadows. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." He resumed a position next to me, staring at the family portrait with a far off look. His eyes eventually followed my line of sight over to the man in the photo. "That's my father."

"I figured as much. You guys look alike."

"Yeah, unfortunately. He's dead, by the way," Elias bluntly said.

I gasped, utterly taken aback. "O-Oh! I'm so sorry, Elias."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I admitted, hesitant to say the next part. "That's just what people usually tell me when they find out my father's dead."

Elias looked a bit surprised, which was quite rare. "You mean—"

"Yes, he passed away a few years back."

His dark eyes softened. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Car crash," I lied.

"Oh shit."

"Yeah."

We shared a glance. Only a second passed before the pair of us burst into roaring laughter. Perhaps it was the unexpected trauma bonding, or maybe it was just easier to laugh about it than to cry. I wasn't exactly sure why we were laughing like a pair of lunatics, and yet here we were.