Then Came You

Chapter 1

  "Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations." The words repeated in my head. I got in. I really got in.

  All my hard work paid off, and it felt like I could finally breathe. I was going to Copper Grove Academy, where I would spend the rest of my high school years working to make it into college.

   I could finally put away the worry of not being in an environment that I knew would not get me anywhere close to my future. Everything suddenly felt possible.

    I'm suddenly ripped away from my thoughts by the sound of my dad's dirty steel toe boots walking on the wood floor causing it to squeak after every other step he took, making his way into the kitchen.

   "Hey puddin, I didn't hear you come in." he said, in his gentle raspy voice. He leaned half of his body on the counter that was across from me, wiping his dirty hands on a rag.

  He was wearing a Henly collar T-shirt that was covered in his sweat, with dirty old khakis, and a tool belt around his waist. Which meant he had just come from outside working on the backyard he was currently fixing up.

  My dad was a construction worker which meant he was always finding something around the house to constantly fix up as it kept him busy. First it was the front yard, then the driveway, and now it's the backyard.

    "Hi dad." I replied, eyes still glued on to my acceptance letter reading it over once again.

    "Whatcha reading?" he asked, tossing the rag over his right shoulder. Then making his way to the fridge, opening it and pulling out a coke. I looked at him, with a cheeky smile as my eyes started to sting due to my tears trying to make their way out.

  His curiosity grew bigger. Placing his coke down on the counter in front of him. He walked over to me.

  Feeling his breath on my neck, I knew he was looking over my shoulder, reading the letter in my hand. I stayed silent waiting for some type of reaction to spur out of him.

  "Congratulations, we are delighted to inform you that you have been admitted to Copper Grove High school." He mumbled as he read the following sentence.

  "Mani!" He shouted, grabbing me by my shoulders, and turning me around into a hug.

   I giggled and immediately wrapped my arms around his waist, laying my head against his chest.

"Oh my god Mani! I am so proud of you, you did it! See I knew you could!" He put both hands on each side of my face and kissed the top of my forehead. Pulling me back into his embrace once again, squeezing me tighter. Tears streamed from my eyes.

  I always knew my dad would be proud of me if I got in. I imagined this moment so many times in my head, but experiencing it made me so much more emotional than I thought.

"Thank you," I managed to say between choked sobs. Once we stayed in each other's arms for a little while in comforting silence, I pulled back from his hold.

"I can't believe I did it." My dad wiped my tears with his thumb,

  "I believe it, and always had ever since you first talked about wanting to go. You are insanely smart just like your mother. She would be so proud of you Mani." He replied with the biggest smile on his face.

   The mention of my mother made my heart hurt. There was nothing more I wanted than for her to be here with me, and dad experiencing this moment.  All the other kids that got to live their teenage years with their mom didn't understand how lucky they were.

  My mother died of stage 3 breast cancer when I was ten years old. I remember being told by my father that my mom was gone, and that I wouldn't see her anymore. But she was now in a better place.