Insomnia

33 | Fordham Road Storage Facility

Landon's POV

As I put the key into the lock I was drowning in feelings. I had no idea my dad had this place and something inside me was glad he liked Chanel enough to give her the key. At the same time I was wondering if I was being too harsh on my mom. When I opened the door clouds of dust hit us like bricks. We waited for the dust to clear before going in. There were shelves filled with lots of boxes and stuff. We walked around and looked before touching anything. "What does he expect me to do with all this?" I asked her, noticing that most of the stuff here we're old things. "Look through everything, take what you want and sell or throw away what you want."

A book that was propped up against a box caught my eye. I walked up to it and when I opened it, it was filled with old pictures of me from baby pictures to when I was 14. "So you always looked this cute." She said looking over my shoulder. When I looked back at her she was smiling and looked so beautiful. She walked to the other side of the room and I continued to look on the shelves. After a while I found a tiny box on top of old magazines. When I opened it, I saw the prettiest diamond ring ever. A vintage, emerald cut teal sapphire white gold wedding ring. I remembered this ring, it was my grandmas, and dad used to always talk about it.

"Bugs, come look." I shoved the ring into my back pocket and followed her behind the shelves. She pointed to what was a matte black motorbike with a helmet and duffle bag sitting on it. "Kingsley," engraved on the back of it. "This is my dad's old bike." I told her as I walked around it. "He got into a crash with it when I was young. Said he fixed it up and sold it." She picked up the helmet and dusted it off. "Looks like he left it for you." She lifted the helmet to my face, so I bent down and let her put it on me. She pushed my hair back and slipped it on me, shutting the face shield. "Everything here looks like it means something to him and you, take a few days and look through it." She said as she opened the duffle bag.

"No way." She whispered. I quickly took off the helmet to get a better look inside the duffle bag. I remages through it trying to see if it was all real. "This is a mistake, right?" She asked looking at me but I had no true response to what we just scored. "Chanel, you're holding two hundred thousand dollars in your hands right now. What am I supposed to say?" I couldn't tell if I was surprised or scared or even shocked. She zipped up the bag and put it back where it was. "Maybe you should go through all this alone." She put her hands together and stepped back. "Even if I found this alone, Chanel, you'd be the first and last person to know about it. My dad gave you the key meaning he wanted you to find it with me. For us."

Looking at this money I didn't see myself. I saw an opportunity to straighten my shit out and give Chanel a try at life again. The money was as important as my grandma's ring right now. "Your dad's giving you an out, you should take it." I walked up to her and held her face. "There's no way out if I don't leave with you." She held my face and stood on her toes to kiss me. Her soft airy lips to mine, was my peace of mind. I still felt so guilty after what I did. How I lied and almost guilt tripped her into staying. She was all I had left and it would ruin me to not do right by her.

Once she pulled away from me and I stood up straight I noticed a tool box behind her that had my name on it. I stepped around her and went to it while she went to the other side. I remember always asking for a toolbox and he said I'd have to wait till I was older. "Your dad was here not too long ago." I turned around and saw her looking through papers. I sat the tool box on the ground and went over to her. "These are all important documents between the two of you but these," She paused and showed me envelopes that were dated to 3 months ago. "These are all pre written notes and letters to you and your future wife, kids, in-laws, and to your kids future husband or wife."

When he would drink and say he didn't have long I always ignored it. He's been ready to leave for months now and I still can barely sleep a full eight hours with the thought of him downstairs in his room. I took the taped envelopes from her and smiled at his hand writing. I gave her back the envelope with "To Mrs. Soon to be Kingsley. From Landon's old man." written on it and she flashed a quick smile but handed it back. "Not right now. Not like this." I nodded and accepted the fact she didn't just say no.

She turned back to the box the letters were in and showed me what was left. She pulled out a veil that I recognized from my parents' wedding photos. At the very bottom of the box was a baby sized poke, a dot suit with a note to the back of it. "If you ever have a son and he doesn't wear this one day, you were an accident." We both laughed before she folded it back in. "Looks like you owe your dad a grandson."