happily not so after || wilbur soot

eighteen

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My room was dark, as it always is. 

It was 11:37 AM, I was supposed to be doing my homework but instead I was in the corner, crying. 

My Mother walked in, "Venus? Honey, what's wrong?" 

"Is Dad ever gonna come back?" I said to her, she sighed before sitting in front of me and holding onto my hands, "Honey, I already told you no."

"But why not?! Why did he do this, why'd he leave us?" I said, trying to control my breathing but I couldn't.

A tear streamed down her face, "I don't know Venus, all I know is that we're going to be okay! Just me and you, us against the world, we'll be okay Venus." 

I sniffled, "Did he love us?" 

My Mum pulled me closer to her chest and held me, "Of course he did honey, sometimes Dads leave with no explanation, and it sucks. Not even Dads, boys too, but you just have to remember that you deserve better than that, you deserve someone who does love you. Does that make sense?" 

"Sorta." I shrugged, she sniffled, "Just remember, this isn't your fault. I know sometimes the child feels as if it is their fault but it isn't, okay?"

I wiped my tears away, "Okay, can we stay here for a little longer? I just want you to hold me." 

She chuckled, "We can stay here as long as you want honey, as long as you want." 

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It was late at night, me and Wilbur we're out getting milkshakes like we did the night he gave me my bracelet back, only this time he ordered a strawberry milkshake, I got him addicted.

"I'm pretty sure we are sitting in the same booth as last time." He said, I looked around before smiling, "We are! That's funny, I didn't even notice." 

"The only reason I noticed was because you carved your name right here." He pointed towards the window and at the wood underneath it, I chuckled, "Oh my god, I forgot about that!"

I observed it, then I carved a plus underneath my name and looked at Wil, he immediately knew what to do. 

He carved 'Wilbur' underneath the plus before carving a heart around our names, my face turned red, "That's adorable, let's always remember this moment." I said looking at him.

A smirk spread across his face, "Your face is the same color as your hair." I rolled my eyes, "Shut up, I'm serious! Let's really remember this moment forever! Okay?" 

He nodded, "Okay pretty girl, man this place brings back memories, it brings me back to the night we first came here together."

"Yeah, that was when you tried a strawberry milkshake for the first time, I still can't believe that." 

He smiled, "Thank you for that by the way, these things are the best!"

I chuckled, "Of course, gotta put you on you know?" He nodded, I took a sip of my milkshake and looked back up at him, "Why did you come back for the bracelet?"

"Huh?" I furrowed my eyebrows, "The night we first came here, I gave you your bracelet back, why'd you come back for it?" 

I sighed, "My Dad gave it to me before he left, I never took it off so when I noticed it was gone I sorta freaked out."

"But, I thought you didn't like your Dad."

"I- I don't know how I feel about him. I mean of course I'm angry with him leaving my Mum and I but, for some reason I think it's for the better."

"You never told me why he left, I'm curious about that."

"You and me both." I took another sip of my milkshake, "Wait what? You don't know why he left?"

"I used to think it was because of-" 

"Because of what?"

Me, my disease. 

"Uh- me. I don't know why but, I just thought it was because of me. My Mum reassured me many times that it wasn't my fault, and I believed her. I still believe her, I don't know maybe he just wanted something different, who knows." 

He put his hand on top of mine, I looked at him, he was already looking at me. He was studying my facial expressions, he knew I wasn't okay with my Dad leaving, he knew there was something wrong. 

"You know you can talk to me about anything right?"

"Of course I do."

"Then tell me how you really feel."

I sighed, "I just- I don't like to talk about it much because the fact that he left us, without even saying bye, or giving us a reason, it makes me upset. I still cry myself to sleep at night because of it, I just want him out of my life, but for some reason he can't leave my head." I said, a tear streaming down my face.

Wilbur held onto my hand tighter, "Venus, look at me."

I looked up at him, "First off, don't waste your time crying about a man who isn't worth it. You and your Mother are both amazing women, and if your Dad couldn't realize that then he's garbage. Because guess what?" 

I furrowed my eyebrows, "He is missing out on getting to know his beautiful daughter, and how awesome she is at playing guitar, how she's always there for her friends, how she loves to draw and paint and dance for hours and hours. He's missing out on your Mum, and missing out on what an independent, loving, caring, and wonderful Mother she's being."

I smiled, "That's what hes missing." He said softly.

I sniffled, "You're right, you're totally right." 

He smiled, "You feel better?"

"I will once we get refills." He chuckled, "There she is!" 

I laughed, he really knows how to make me feel better. 

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949 words.