The Better Life

Letters from the Past

Felicity finding out her parents won the case was the greatest thing in the world.

The letter addressed to her that she was currently holding was not. It didn't come from Shaun. It was from a name she hadn't seen or heard of in years.

Sidney Murphy ran away when she was sixteen or seventeen and Felicity was about seven. Felicity can't remember at this point. Can she blame her? No. But when Felicity begged Sidney to take her with her, Sidney told her no, that she was never going to see her again, and to never text or call her.

Which, by the way, how would she have texted her if she didn't have a phone and the only thing she might have used was a landline.

Felicity's point is that Sidney is the past. She left about ten years ago and Felicity had come to accept the fact she didn't want to see her again. Sidney was toxic anyways. She was narcissistic and uncaring. Fliss didn't need that in her life.

So, why did she feel the need to open the letter?

"Felicity! Hurry up, you're gonna be late for school!"

Felicity ripped open the envelope and tore the paper out quickly.

"I'll be down in three minutes!"

Felicity skimmed over the letter. The words written were (Sidney's writing is underlined and italized):

Dear Fliss,

"For starters, if you aren't there in someone's life for about ten years, you don't get to call them Fliss," Felicity thought.

I'm writing this to say hi. I've been going to therapy and I've been told my homework for this week is to make amends. I heard that Mom ran away from home and Dad got arrested.

"They're not my mom and dad," Felicity thought. "Mickey and Ian are my dads. They care about me and I'm not a burden to them."

I was also informed you have been adopted. By two guys. How's that going for you?

"Fan fucking tastic. Better than the life I originally had, you judgmental bitch."

I'm sorry for running away from home but I couldn't handle it anymore. Mom was always shooting up drugs, Dad was abusive. Shaun's family certainly didn't help.

"Maybe because he was going through something similar. For God's sake, his brother died, his father was abusive, and his mother chose the husband over her own kids!" Felicity whisper-yelled.

I would really appreciate if you wrote back. It would help my conscience knowing you're okay. Maybe we could meet up sometime. I'm currently living in Chicago. Even a simple phone call would do. Here's my number.

Felicity read the number. "Nope," she decided as she shoved the letter in her desk.

"Not today, Satan. Not today."