The Obstacles of Love

Prologue

For some, this morning is like any other. Young children, eating breakfast as they watch their favorite cartoon.  Teenagers, getting ready for school last minute and almost missing the bus. Parents, getting their coffee and thinking about all the things they need to do before finally making it back to their beds again.

This is the outside world. The world where things are still normal. The world where you get up and go to work or school. You see your friends and laugh at some dumb inside joke that only makes sense to you. You walk into something and laugh at yourself. You wave a meaningless goodbye to people you love, because of course you will see them again. You walk away and don't look back, continuing on with life.

           And then, there is me.

Today is not normal. I’m wearing a black dress that has been sitting in the back of my closet for years. It hugs in all the inappropriate places because the last time I wore it I was flat chested and skinny. Now my stomach, which is softer than I want it to be, is unattractively being hugged. My boobs, which are small to begin with, are being strapped down, making it hard to breath. Not to mention I was shorter the last time I wore this, now it comes to mid-thigh. I should have bought a new dress for today but shopping seemed inappropriate. My black hair is limply hanging in my face as I stare out the back window of the car, not bothering to tug at the dress anymore.

            It's raining, which seems appropriate for today. My aunt’s fiancée is driving the car and my aunt is sitting in the passenger seat. She is babbling on about something I could care less about. I don’t care about anything anymore. The car stops and Tom—my aunt’s fiancée—puts it into park and pulls out the keys. I look out the window to see mourners walking into the cemetery; some sharing umbrellas. I step out of the car and let the rain soak me, making the dress even more uncomfortable.

My aunt grabs my umbrella from the back seat of the car. “Summer, please use this.”

I ignore her and walk away; like I care about getting wet. Everything that matters to me has been taken away. I walk until I am in the small group of family members and friends. I push my way to the front until I am looking at the black casket. My mother is in there. The women that raised me alone and my best friend. I feel a hand on my back and then the rain is no longer hitting me. I look over to see my friend Natasha holding an umbrella over both of us. She gives me a sad smile and tears are rolling down her cheeks. My blue eyes begin to blur and a sob breaks from between my lips and wracks my body before they overflow. Natasha hugs me the best she can while still holding the umbrella over us. I hold her tightly. Not only did my mother die but now I am being dragged away to Massachusetts to live with my aunt. I have to say goodbye to our home, my friends and anything that might remind me of my normal life. Everything I care about is no longer important. Life as I know it is over.

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I know it's short, but trust me, like every chapter in this story is ten pages on Word, and so it'll be like five on here.