How To Forget Your Crush

Step 15-Clear your mind

I went home after I explained what happened. I felt sick and tired. Was fate this cruel?

                But one man cheered me up when I got home. It was Dad. He was in the kitchen cooking something Italian. I knew because the coffee table in the living room was covered with Italian cookbooks and food magazines, and I heard him humming Italian tunes.

                "Hey Dad," I greeted as I entered the kitchen.

                "Hey pumpkin," he said while he stirred something in a pot.

                I grabbed an apple on the counter and bit into it. The apple was crunchy and juicy at the same time. "What's for dinner?" I asked as I munched.

                "It's a surprise," he said.

                "Okay. I'm gonna go upstairs and get changed," I said.

                After changing into more comfortable clothes, I went down to the living room and watched TV. It kinda got my head off of the trouble I was in. NCIS was on. I always loved  Ziva David. She was an ass-kicking chic with brains. I like the goth chic too.

"Jo, dinner's ready!" dad called. I turned the TV off and went to the dining room.

My mouth watered the moment I saw our dinner. It smelled and looked so delicious, I almost asked dad where he ordered it!

"Our dinner has lasagna and mashed potatoes as side dishes and Ravioeu Alla Milanese as our main course," he said.

"Wow," was what the only thing I managed to say. I just sat there and looked at the food. A part of my brain told me to stop gawking at the food because I looked like an idiot who never saw food. I started to fill my plate with food.

It didn't just looked good, it tasted good. Mom would be so proud of dad. "Oishi! Délicieux! Delicioso!" I said. Yeah, I know a little Japanese, French, and Spanish.

Dad laughed. "Glad you liked it."

It just occurred to me that dad only cooks food like these if there was something to cook for. "So, what's your surprise dad?" I finally asked.

He grinned. "The company is going to open up an Italian restaurant. And today, I am celebrating."

"That's great dad!" I said then held my glass up and we both did a toast.

I wished we were like this every day. We have something to cheer for, be happy for, despite the loss we had and hardships we have. But a wise man once said, "We will not know what true happiness is if we do feel sadness."

The fun didn't last long. The moment I went back to my bedroom, the grief I felt washed back like the way the ocean's waves crash on the sea shore.

                I didn't cry. I just stared at the ceiling until my eyes felt heavy.

                The next day, there was nothing to lift the heavy feeling in my heart because dad already left for work. I won't feel happy if I stayed in the house so after I ate breakfast and showered, I went to my car and drove away with no direction in mind. Going to the mall won't help in clearing my mind so I went to the beach instead.

                I walked along the shore until I found myself at the part of the beach where few people ever went. The sea was calm. I took off sandals and sat at a log near the water. It was near enough for waves to reach it but far enough so I wouldn't get wet. I took a deep breath. The salty wind and the warm weather...it reminded me of the days my family spent here before mom went away.