Forever Together

Chapter 78

"Stasia is starting to talk about Noah, l didn't think she would ever open up about him." 

 Jimin looked at Yoongi, "This is a good thing, isn't it?" 

"It is; she's never fully given herself to us because of her guilt. If she can process this guilt, then I think she'll stop trying to find reasons to leave," Joon whispered.

"What made her start now?" Jungkook's eyes were so wide.

Hobi smiled, "the babies, it has to be the fact that she's having our children."

"What can we do to help?" Tae was almost desperate.

"I think we should encourage her to talk about Noah. Noah was her entire world, and then she lost him in a freak accident. Then we were there. She never had time to really process the grief," Jin felt so guilty.

She stood outside the living room, where they couldn't see her, and just listened. Is it true? Did she never fully let herself grieve? She'd told Ami about her father, but not everything she should. She'd left out details that she had a right to know as his daughter. Stasia just kept them to herself because she wasn't ready to let go. But she's his daughter; she should know him as well as she does.

Stasia walked to her daughter's room and lay down in her bed. Ami rolled over and smiled at her. "Eomma, why are you crying?" she asked.

She wiped her tears, "Aimes, do you want me to tell you stories about your father?" Ami nodded her head and sat up to listen.

"Noah and I were orphans while I was left at the orphanage when I was a baby. Noah was sent there when he was 6. His parents died in a car crash, and he had no other living relatives. I remember the first time I saw him, I was almost 5. He was so angry he wouldn't talk to anyone. There was this boy at the orphanage that used to bully me. One day, when the bully was trying to steal my lunch, Noah walked up to him and hit him with his book.

"Leave her alone and mess with someone your own size." He told the bully he was so brave when he stood up to that bully. When we were on the playground, I brought him a piece of gum from my secret hideaway. He took a piece and told me thank you. I was a shy kid, so I didn't talk much. But I didn't have to talk to Noah, and he was okay just sitting next to me in silence. After several months, I felt okay enough to ask him short questions. He never pushed me or laughed at me, and he always made sure that no one bullied me."

Stasia smiled through her tears, "When we started High School, he was two grades ahead of me. I thought he wouldn't want to be seen with me, but he never made me feel unwelcome. On the first day of high school, I assumed I'd have to eat by myself. I got my tray and walked over to an empty table in the back, not two minutes later he walked over with some friends. He sat down right next to me and introduced me to everyone. I was too shy to talk to them, but I was so grateful to him for doing that."

Stasia smiled through the tears, "Later that year, another student was flirting with me, and Noah did not like that. He walked over to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and yelled, "Why are you harassing my girlfriend," at the guy. I turned bright red. I had a huge crush on him, but he had to be joking, right? I thanked him for helping me, and I tried to get out from under his arm, "Where are you going? Didn't you just hear me loudly announce that you are my girlfriend?" He whispered into my ear that now I had to be his girlfriend."

She reached out and brushed some of Ami's hair back, "I was totally okay with that, but I just nodded. He kissed my forehand and walked me to class. He sought me out after every class so he could walk me to the next one. When he invited me to go to Prom I was so excited, it was a magical night and the first time he kissed me. We were inseparable; he made me feel so comfortable that he brought me out of my shell. Believe it or not, I wasn't always as confident and outgoing as I am now. I used to cower when people talked to me."

Reliving all of this was hard, but she needed to, "But Noah brought out my true self. We went to college together, and as soon as I was 18, we got married. He joined the Air Force, and I had never been so proud of him. The night he died, we shouldn't have even been there. I tried to get tickets for weeks and never could. The day before the concert, his buddy told him that his wife was sick and they couldn't go. So Noah bought the tickets from him. His wife was sick because of me. She offered to help me with this charity event that we were doing for the local orphanage, and she was in the dunk tank all day. If I hadn't asked for her help, your father would still be alive. Aimes, I'm so sorry." Stasia couldn't stop the tears from falling, so she got on her knees and wiped them away. 

"His favorite color was blue; he could eat pizza and tacos every single day if I'd let him. He always required dessert after dinner. His favorite band was Linkin Park. He loved watching sports on TV, and one of our favorite things to do was to go sing Karokee; he was so tone-deaf that it was comical. He didn't care how terrible he sounded; he was enjoying himself to the fullest. That's how he lived; he was always laughing and having a great time. Even if it were something that totally sucked, he'd make it fun. He was the love of my life, and I had never expected to grow old without him. I loved him so much." She broke down and started crying, she felt the bed move and Yoongi was holding her. She turned to look, and all of them were there; it looked like they had heard the story, too. 

"He sounded like an amazing guy, and I thank him every day for taking care of you when I couldn't. Without him, I wouldn't have you, and I know that makes me selfish. But Stasia I love you with my whole being, I know I couldn't survive or move on if you weren't here," Yoongi was crying and that just made her cry harder.