Lilies and Roses

"Good morning," a familiar deep voice purred in her ear. His breath tickled her ear ever so slightly, and she giggled at the sensation, rolling over amongst her wad of purple covers.

"Jamie!" she cried in delight, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling up her feet so she could be carried.

"And how my beautiful girl doing on this fine morning?" he swung her in the air, bouncing her once and catching her so he could place a kiss on her forehead.

"Good," she placed her face between his neck and shoulder, "how did you sleep last night?"

"Like a rock," he set her on the counter, "so, you want some bananas, apples, or cookies?"

"Cookies!" she crowed happily, bouncing with glee.

He let out a sigh as he laid on her bed, fingering that little bear he'd given her for a gift she'd loved so much fondly. Hefting himself up, he walked to the kitchen and ran his fingers over the spot he'd always let her sit on the counter. His parents never knew, of course, but they were barely around. That made her mostly his, which he never minded or complained for this.

She had to the best little sister ever, after all.

"So, what do you want to do on this fine day, pipsqueak?" he inquired as she swallowed the rest of her breakfast.

"I wanna go to the meadow!" she spoke eagerly, "can me, Jaime? Please, please, please?" She displayed those big blue eyes, and he smiled her begging, even though she knew the answer.

His footsteps sunk into the mud of the once dirt road the both of them had always known so well. The rain splattered on his cheeks, so you couldn't see the tears on them as well. His hands were stuffed in his pockets as his dark brown bangs clunk to his forehead.

"This is a lily!" she held up the yellow flower to her brother, "and this is a rose!"

"Lilies and roses…" he took the two flowers from her hands, "do you like them?"

"Lilies and roses are my most favorite flowers in the entire world!" she bubbled, jumping up and down.

She'd always had a large amount of energy and life in her. She was never afraid to tell you how she felt, and she was just so sweet it'd make honey seem bitter. He'd always liked that about it…he'd always liked everything about her.

"Then how about we make a crown?" he grinned to her, "go find a branch. We'll see if we can make you the princess."

"Yah!" she rushed to toward the edge of the woods, "the Princess of Kingdom LilyRose!" He just laughed as he started to gather lilies and roses.

He loved her so much it hurt. But her sister…she he couldn't stand. To add to the horribleness…her sister was his girlfriend. She'd forced him, and now he was stuck with her.

"Can't a girl get some sleep around here?" Chloe snapped from a log she was rested up against.

"Sorry," the seven year old smiled bashfully, going back to her noisy hunt for the perfect branch.

"Kids," he smiled weakly to his girlfriend, and she just rolled her eyes.

Chloe was just an old sourpuss. She didn't love her sister…or anything, much less him. The only reason she'd decided to start calling him 'boyfriend' and hang around him was because she'd gotten a divorce with her stupid husband and wanted a father for her baby.

"There we go," he announced proudly to her, "Princess of LilyRose."

"Yah!" she jumped up and down, her red-blonde highlights flying and falling back down her back.

"Shut UP!" Chloe spat, rolling over again.

"Meanie," the twenty six year old chased after the little girl when she said that, those brown eyes both of them owned ablaze.

He sat in that meadow, tracing patterns on the little crown he'd made for her. The crown for the princess of LilyRose…and the princess of his heart. He'd loved her so much it'd hurt…after her parents had died in that car crash, he'd adopted her as his own. It'd taken a long time, but the twenty seven year old had a lonely heart.

The moment he saw her at that orphanage he'd known she was the one. She was four at the time, and she was adorable, playing by herself with blocks. He'd gone over to her and helped her build a tower, and a week later they were doing the same thing..only at his house.

Chloe he never liked. She'd not adopted her own sister or shown affection. She'd just gone and got high in Vages, then got married to dude named Ralph. Well, Ralph and her ended up hating each other a year later. He'd left her with their six month old daughter D.J.

"Chloe!" he called into the thick underbrush of the forest, "Sam? Where are you guys?"

"Jamie…" a soft voice called weakly, and when he burst through the underbrush, he saw the horror.

He was at that spot now, staring at her grave.

"James!" Chloe had tears soaking up her face, "she..fell into…the river…" He dropped to his knees, feeling for her pulse and getting a heavy, deathly slow one.

"This is YOUR FAULT!" he knew by how she looked him Samantha hadn't fallen at all, "Samantha! SAMANTHA!"

His cries echoed in his own ears even today. This happened a year ago today. Chloe was gone now, which he rejoiced. He'd called police, and she was locked for charges for grand theft auto, (Vages required a ride,) and then for drowning her sister. He and his parents. They were the only ones who'd attended Samantha's funeral.

His parents were gone again. Nothing he wasn't used to. He wouldn't be living with him if he didn't go lonely these days. His old house had gone up in a blaze, and that's when he'd come with them. When Sam came around…he was making plans for a different house. And now the only joy in his life…gone.

"Samantha…" he whispered and moaned her name over and over again that night, just crying himself out.

"James?" a small little voice spoke to him, and he jolted up. He'd been so busy with the police he'd completely forgotten about little D.J., who had been asleep at the time of the accident.

"Danielle Jackie…" he spoke her real name, scooping her up, "are you okay? Oh my gosh…"

"Hungry," she reeked, too, and he knew it was from her being alone all day.

When he'd taken care of the two year old, she smiled up at him and clung to his leg, "James. I love James."

He walked back to his room and laid down with her, feeling like she was now his little ray of hope among this dark maze of depression, "I love D.J."

Chloe had been stupid to leave her at home alone that day. And it was stupid of him to forget about her as well…but she did get him through that first month. Through all the tears and temper losses and thoughts of suicide…she'd curl into his arms and whisper those four words she'd spoken that night.

"James," she spoke when he'd returned to the house, "are you okay?"

"I miss her, D.J.," he was honest to the three year old, picking her up and setting her on the counter, "now about that breakfast now that you're awake?"

"Okay," she smiled, her brown eyes lighting up like Samantha's used to, "I like breakfast."

"Now, do you want bananas, apples, or cookies?" he inquired, and she looked just like Samantha, so excited as she crowed, "Cookies!"

He missed Samantha, and he always would. He'd always hate Chloe and D.J.'s father. But he'd always love the little three year old in front of him now. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the little crown.

"Here you are," he placed it on her curls, "the new princess LilyRose, the niece of the queen."

"Lilies and roses…" she grinned all over the place, "I love lilies and roses! And Jamie! I love Jamie!"

"I love lilies, roses, and Samantha," he hugged her tight, "and D.J. I love D.J."