Remembering Charlie Nicholas

Prologue

Prologue

The porch was Maggie’s last getaway. She had so many memories, and she could remember every single one by sitting on the small porch. The porch was the quietest place in the area, away from the future, so far away that she could almost live the past. She had never shared any of it, at least anything involving Charlie Nicholas. She hadn’t spoken one word about him in at least ten years. Charlie held one of the greatest portions of Maggie’s past, yet he probably had no clue about it.

“Mama?” Maggie looked at her child, Tatum. She was five-and-a-half but had the smarts of any second grader out there.

“Do you need something baby?” Maggie picked Tatum up and sat her up in her lap. She pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes.

“Mama, who’s Charlie?” Tatum reached for something in her pocket, a photograph. In the picture was a tree, a smaller tree with flowers budding from the branches. It was spring. Maggie’s hand trembled as she grabbed the picture; she stared at it for quite a while. “Mama on the back, look at the back.” Tatum flipped the picture over and pointed at the word. Charlie. That was all it said, just Charlie.

“Charlie’s nobody baby.”

“Nu uh, Charlie is a somebody, mama. I know you know Charlie.” Maggie huffed and flipped the picture back over.

“I loved Charlie, Tatum. That’s who Charlie is, someone I loved.”

“But you don’t love him no more?” Tatum’s eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at the photo.

“No. I guess I still do love Charlie. I always will.”

“Tell me about him.” Maggie sighed and handed her daughter the photo.

“You’re just too young Tatum.”

“But what if you forget Mama?”

“I won’t ever forget. I’ll tell you when you are big.” Maggie ended the conversation and twiddled with her chipped nails. When she looked back up Tatum was gone, but the picture remained on her lap, almost taunting her in a way that made Maggie uncomfortable.

Maggie rubbed her growing belly and sighed, she was only 10 weeks. She stood up and found herself edging towards the stairs. She made her way up into the cellar and looked around. All the boxes were marked, due to Maggie’s husband, Judd’s organization skills. She made her way over to a box with the words Maggie’s memory box.

Maggie lifted the lid slightly before throwing the whole top to the side. The first picture she saw was one of her at thirteen, more or less her awkward stage. Her then red hair was pulled into a bun, her skirt was quite high, and her button down shirt was tucked into it. She had a cheesy looking smirk, and her eyes weren’t towards the camera. Maggie smiled and tossed the photo back into the box; she reached her hand in the box and pulled out a frayed photo.

“Oh my God.” She breathed, touching the picture gently. The picture was of Charlie Nicholas, age 15. The year that Maggie fell in love with him. His hand was placed behind his head, and he was smiling. Making his brown eyes shine. His chestnut hair was pushed back as if he’d just run his fingers through it.

Maggie couldn’t take her eyes away from the photo. She flipped it over to read the caption

Charlie Nicholas <3 Summer ‘06

Summer of 2006, it seemed so long ago; it was so long ago. She was just fourteen then, and she’s thirty-five now.

“My how the years have passed-“

“Who’re you talking to Mama?”

“Shit!” Maggie said, dropping the photo.

“I’m sorry. Daddy told me to come get you, because it’s suppertime.” Tatum smiled at Maggie, and turned around, heading down the stairs. Maggie sighed and picked up the picture, sticking it in her back pocket. She pulled herself up and made her way down the stairs, awaiting the dinner her husband had cooked.

“Hey Mags.” Judd kissed Maggie’s cheek and placed a hand on her stomach. Maggie smiled at him but cringed on the inside. Charlie used to call her Mags all the time. It was kind of funny actually. Judd called her Mags all the time, since they had met; but now that she was thinking about Charlie more, it only felt right for him to say it. But Charlie couldn’t. Charlie wasn’t in the picture anymore and hadn’t been for ten years or better, there was no use in thinking of him now.

“I-I’m not really hungry Judd. I’m really tired in fact, I’ll head to bed.” Judd smiled at Maggie and she left. She reached in her back pocket and stared at the picture. She opened the door to her room and trudged over to her bed, lying down.

But soon enough, she was asleep.

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Well hello there! I'm extremely new to Wattpad and this is my story soo yeah(: