Chloe, my four-year-old daughter, begged me to leave Lily’s house, so I knew something was wrong. I had never seen anyone so scared before, and I wanted to comfort her so badly, but I couldn’t ignore how frantic she sounded.
As I took my keys off the bar, I told Chloe, “Don’t forget your jacket.”
“I don’t need it, Daddy!” she yelled back, but it was hard to hear because she was probably in the closet choosing her best sparkly shoes.
I smiled and shook my head. Chloe had her own ideas when she was only four years old. Being her dad wasn’t easy, and neither was raising her by myself. Leslie, my ex-wife, left us before Chloe turned one. She chose not to become a mother. We’ve been alone since then.
The hardest year was the first one. I had no idea what to do because Chloe was crying all the time. She would fall asleep while I rocked her for hours, but she would wake up minutes after I put her down. But we got into a groove.
I met Lily three months ago. Before I went to the coffee shop, I always get my coffee black, with no sugar or cream. She was in line behind me. She had on a red scarf and a smile that I couldn’t miss. She made fun of him by saying, “You look like you need something stronger than coffee.”
That one comment led to a full talk, and then to a date. Lily was friendly and fun to talk to. Chloe had already met her twice, and she and she seemed to get along. Chloe wasn’t afraid to talk about how she felt. She would tell someone if she didn’t like them. I felt hopeful when I saw her smile at Lily.
“Are we already there?” Chloe asked with her nose against the window of the car.
I tried not to laugh as I said, “Almost.”
We went to Lily’s house for the first time tonight. It had been on Chloe’s mind all week that she was inviting us to dinner and a movie.
Chloe gasped when we pulled up. “She has fairy lights!”
I looked up at the balcony and saw little golden lights shining. “That’s pretty cool, huh?”
Lily let us in before we even knocked. She smiled and said, “Hey, you two!” “Please come in.” “You must be really cold.”
Chloe already knew she was invited. She ran inside quickly, and her shoes sparkled like little rockets.
Lily was cozy, and so was the flat. In the middle of the room was a soft yellow couch with colored throw pillows set up just so. The walls were covered with picture frames and bookcases. In the corner, even though it was mid-January, there was a small Christmas tree shining.
“This is great!” Chloe yelled and turned around.
Lily laughed and said, “Thanks, Chloe.” “Hey, do you like video games?” You can play an old game system in my room while your dad and I finish dinner.
Chloe’s eyes got bright. “Really?” “May I?”
“Of course.” Come with me. I’ll show you.
Although Chloe and Lily went down the hall, I stayed in the kitchen. A tray of roasted veggies was taken out of the oven by Lily. The air was filled with the smell of garlic and rosemary.
“Any embarrassing childhood stories I should know about you?” she asked as she set the tray down on the counter.
“Oh, there are a lot of them,” I said with a laugh. “But first let’s hear one of yours.”
“Well,” she said with a smile, “I chose to “help” my mom redecorate when I was seven.” Glossy glue and white walls don’t go together.
I laughed as I thought about it. “That sounds like something Chloe would do.”
Chloe walked in through the kitchen door just as Lily was about to answer. She had a pale face and big, scared eyes.
“I need to talk to you, Daddy,” she said with a shaking voice. By Yourself.”
We went outside and into the hallway. I got down on my knees next to her and tried to keep my voice steady. “What’s wrong, Chloe?” What happened?”
She looked quickly down the hall and then back at me with wide eyes. “She’s bad.” “She’s really bad.”
“What do you mean?” Lily?” I looked back at the kitchen and saw Lily humming softly as she stirred a pot.
Chloe said “yes,” but her voice was faint. “She has heads in her closet.” Real heads. They had their eyes on me.
I didn’t get it for a second. “Heads? What kind of heads?”
She hissed, “People heads!” as tears ran down her face. “Daddy, they’re scary.” We need to leave!”
My chest got tight as I swallowed hard. Was she imagining things, or had she seen something really bad? Chloe was scared no matter what, and I couldn’t ignore it.
I stood up and took her in my arms. “All right, all right. “Let’s go.”
Chloe put her face on my shoulder and held on tight as I carried her to the door.
Lily turned and rubbed her brow. “Is everything okay?”
I spoke quickly to escape her eyes and said, “She’s not feeling well.” “I’m really sorry, but dinner has to be canceled.”
“No way!” “Is she okay?” Lily asked with worry written all over her face.
“She will be.” “I’ll call you later,” I said in a low voice as I left the room.
Chloe sat quietly in the back seat with her knees under her chin on the way to my mom’s place.
I looked at her softly in the rearview mirror and said, “Sweetheart.” “Are you sure about what you saw?”
Her voice was shaking as she nodded. “Daddy, I know what I saw.” They were real.
It made my stomach hurt. My mind was going crazy by the time I pulled into my mom’s driveway. I kissed Chloe on the cheek and told her I’d be back soon. Then I told my mom I had to run an errand.
My mom looked at me with interest and asked, “What’s going on?”
I forced a smile and said, “Just… something I need to check out.”
My heart was beating fast as I drove back to Lily’s. Could Chloe have been right? She thought the idea was silly, but her fear was too strong to forget.
Her face was blank when Lily opened the door. “Wow, that was quick.” “Is Chloe all right?”
I thought for a moment, trying to sound casual. “She’ll be okay.” Hey, would it be okay if I played your old game for a while? I, uh, need to calm down. I haven’t touched one in years.
Lily made a face. “That’s strange, but okay.” It’s in my room.
I faked a laugh and walked down the hall. As I reached for the closet door, my hands were shaking. I opened it slowly.
They were right there.
I saw four heads staring back at me. One had a grin that didn’t look right and was painted to look like a clown. Another was wrapped in torn red fabric, and its face was messed up.
My heart was beating fast as I took a step closer. I reached out and touched one. It felt soft. Rubber.
It wasn’t heads at all. They were masks for Halloween.
I felt a lot of relief at first, but then I felt guilty right away. When I went back to the kitchen, Lily gave me a mug of coffee and I closed the closet door.
Putting her head down, she asked, “Are you okay?”
I let out a sigh and ran my hand through my hair. “I have something to say.”
She had her arms crossed. “This sounds very important.”
I nodded while moving around awkwardly. “It’s about Chloe.” She was scared at first. Really scared. “She said she saw heads in your closet,”
Lily blinked, and her face was hard to read. “Heads?”
“She believed they were real.” After taking her to my mom, I didn’t know what else to do, so I came back and, uh, looked in your room.
Lily’s mouth opened wide. “You looked in my closet?”
“I understand. It wasn’t right. I had to make sure she was safe because she was so scared.
Lily looked at me for a moment and then laughed out loud. “She believed they were real?” “Oh my god.” When she saw the worry on my face, she wiped her eyes and laughed less. “Wait, she was really that scared?”
I told her, “She was shaking.” “She looks different from how I’ve seen her before.”
Lily sighed, and her smile turned to worry. “Poor thing. I didn’t even think about what she might think of those faces. They should have been kept somewhere else.
I said yes. “She’s still sure they’re real.” I don’t know how to change her mind.
Lily’s eyes got bright. “I have an idea.” I’ll need your help, though.
Lily brought a bag with her to my mom’s house the next day. Lily got down on her knees and Chloe peered out from behind the couch.
Lily said in a soft voice, “Hey, Chloe.” “May I show you something?”
Chloe held on to me but gave me a wary nod.
Lily took out a silly mask with a silly grin and put it on. “See?” It’s not a head. We only need it for Halloween.
Chloe’s eyes got bigger, and her fear turned into interest. “Is it… not real?”
Lily took off her mask and said, “Nope.” “Feel it.” “It’s just rubber.”
Chloe tentatively reached out and brushed the mask with her little fingers. As she grabbed its nose, her lips turned into a smile. “It’s soft!”
That’s right! Lily smiled. “Do you want to try it on?”
Chloe laughed as she put the mask on her head. Lily let out a huge gasp. “Oh no!” “Where did Chloe go?”
“I’m here!” Chloe squealed and took off her mask.
The room was full of her laughter, and I could feel a knot in my chest loosen up.
After a few months, Chloe was pulling Lily’s hand as we walked into the park. “Can I play on the swings with you?”
Lily still had a warm smile on her face. “Sweet girl, of course we can.”
I realized how close we had all become as I watched them together. A moment that could have split us up instead brought us together.
Truth, trust, and some innovation were able to bring them together. The scariest times can sometimes bring people together in the greatest ways.
This work is based on real people and events, but it has been made up for artistic reasons. To protect privacy and make the story better, names, characters, and circumstances have been changed. Any similarity to real people, living or dead, or real events is completely accidental and not on purpose by the author.
