Winter House - Chapter 10

Thank you for all the comments! Even if it's just... a few, they really just make my day. I mean, I'll log in, look at the chapters I have submitted, and then when I see ____ comments! I'm like.. OHMYGOSH! Thank you !
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"Ah! Ivory's back in the kitchen and she's making breakfast!" Daniel cried five mornings later. He hurriedly walked down the stairs and went up to hold her by the waist. "It's seven AM, and you're already up. Feeling better?" he breathed on her neck.

Ivory flipped an egg and giggled to herself. "Yes, much better. But I can't believe it took me nearly a week to be myself again."

"Would've taken longer if I wasn't here," Daniel boasted and took a seat at the table.

"Maybe."

"Maybe eh? Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes."

Daniel was bit taken back. "You answered quite quickly."

"Well it's the truth," Ivory smiled.

"Okay. Wait here for a second," he went up to his room to gather that large package once again and as soon as her eyes locked with it, she wondered if this was a good idea.

"Uh, Daniel? I really don't like the look of this... thing."

He nudged her. "Come on, just open it. Look, would you rather me stay here with you and open it, or do you want me to leave you alone with it?"

"I rather not open it at all actually."

Daniel could see there was no point in arguing with Ivory again. It would have to be a compromise. "Then I'll open it, but stay here with me."

She sat beside him and watched how he casually opened the brown bulk of stuff. The packaging fell open like a dry flower which then revealed some green fabric, papers, notebooks, photographs, and all the little things to get sentimental over. Daniel held up a tiny green shirt with its own matching skirt. "And who might these belong?"

"Oh my God," she laughed. "I can't believe she still kept this," she held it up to her body to take some measurements.

"Quite a dramatic difference," Daniel grinned and pulled out a tiny teddy bear - literally; it was tiny. "Yours?"

"Awe! My teddy bear! I had forgotten to bring him with me during my move," Ivory took the teddy bear from him and hugged it gently yet lovingly.

Daniel let her reminisce with her bear and looked through all the other papers on the table. He noticed some of them were in her writing and some in other people's writing. "I think they wrote you some letters Ivory."

She reached over for a letter but just merely looked at it. "Yup."

"Aren't you going to read them?"

"No."

"Ivory, why are you so resistant to this? Well can I read them then?"

"Be my guest."

Ivory ignored Daniel who quickly gathered up all the letters and continued to look through all her own things. He sat patiently reading each letter from her family as if they were his own. Daniel moved to her sister's letter and chuckled. He showed her the sentence which had made him laugh. "It seems like Alice has a boyfriend."

"What?" Ivory snatched the letter from his hand. "Oh God. My mom's going to kill her if she finds out."

"You called Auntie your mom," he smiled.

"That person," she rolled her eyes.

Daniel read the letter that came from her parents and was very well surprised. "Ivory, it's from Auntie and Uncle."

She bit her lip. "What does it say?"

"They want you visit," he looked at her hopefully but Ivory stared off into her own world.

"Well you can tell them that I'm not going back. Not even to visit," she got up and plated some eggs, toast, and pancakes on four plates. "Come on, Eve and Jack will be down any minute," she added, already gathering up the package. She cleared the table and stuffed everything down the cellar.

Daniel took her hand and made sure she wouldn't be able to let go. "I'm just telling you to give them a chance. Maybe they do want a change," he kissed her cheek.

"Well, what is this?" Jack asked from the door leading to the kitchen. He leaned on the wall acting all superior and proud.

Ivory blushed and said, "Good morning my dear best friend," she went up to him and kissed him also on the cheek. "I made some breakfast again!"

He stared down at the table. "Of course you did."

"Where's Eve?"

Jack glanced out towards the stairs and watched Eve come down. She yawned quite loudly and said, "Hello pals. Oh, and hello stupid."

"Oh Eve, don't be so harsh," Jack said.

Ivory took Daniel's hand and led all of them to the table. "Let's eat," she tried to break the tension growing between Eve and Daniel.

The four made small talk here and there while stuffing down their food until Daniel found the perfect time to talk about Ivory's return to Vancouver. "So guys, don't you miss your family?"

Eve and Jack both nodded slightly, slowly understanding what Daniel was getting at. "I certainly miss my family," he gazed towards Ivory and she sighed.

"Stop," she put her fork and knife down. "Nothing you do can convince me. Nothing any of you guys do can convince me, so... excuse me," she got up from the table and headed towards the washroom.

"Ivory! I've been on your side, all of this time, I've even put up with the idiot Daniel over here, just for you. We all care for you and worry for you, why can't you do the same for yourself?" Eve got up from her seat which made Ivory pause. She stood there, back facing them, but didn't say a word. "You have so much to offer the world, your family loves you, and all of these years, you've fooled yourself into thinking they've made your life miserable. Ivory, you used to say that you would leave the day you turned eighteen, and you did, and for what? For this brainless house? For Montreal? If you ask me, I think that's pretty selfish of you."

"Eve!" Jack whispered very loudly.

Ivory stood for just a moment longer, and ran to the coat closet to grab her jacket. Never looking back, she walked out of her winter house and slammed the door shut.

"You didn't have to tell her it like that."

Eve scoffed. "It's not like you two tried to tell her in any way. Oh wait, you did, but you just can't hurt her. Am I correct?"

Daniel and Jack looked sheepishly down at their food.

"Exactly. Just because you two mean the world to her, doesn't mean she's always going to listen to you."
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CLIFF HANGER! And now, I'm probably going to lose so many readers. I'm so sorry guys. I have like, four more pre-written chapters, but if you read my other note, la dee da. My netbook screen broke. So, haha, I know I'm mean. The only reason why I can post this, is because it's on the family computer and I don't have any other chapters on this computer. So I hope you forgive me. I'm terribly sorry, and I'm going to try to get it fixed very soon!