Like All Things, It Too Shall Pass

Chapter Three: Amy

"The pleasure of remembering had been taken from me, because there was no longer anyone to remember with. It felt like losing your co-rememberer meant losing the memory itself, as if the things we'd done were less real and important than they had been hours before."

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Amy

I was just about to go to bed when I heard a knocking on the door.

"Tell whoever it is I'm not here, if it's that boy he can come in, but he stays in the living room." My mother told me before going out the back door and leaving for the night like she's been doing for the past couple of months after dad died. When I walked in the living room earlier, I saw her and two other people "Expressing their feelings" she had told me after making them leave. She sat me down like a five year old and explained to me that everything was going to be different because she needed money to take care of us. I couldn't understand why she couldn't just go back to her old job, but according to her she was now a junkie and there's no way they would take her back. She looked at me and said "I gotta do what I gotta do". I nodded my head not really understanding what she meant, but she didn't give me the time to ask any more questions. That's something I will never understand. I'm only 17 years old, and you don't see me giving up on life like she has. Every time I see her I think of what Dad would think if he could see her too.

"Amy? Are you here?" I heard Jeremiah's voice said from outside. I wanted to open the door and hug him with his sweet voice, but I knew better so opened the door and backed away from him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I wanted to come in and spend a little time with you, is your mom home?" He asked me.

"You wanted to spend time with me..."

"Yeah, there's no one at home, and I was bored. Is it okay if I come in?" He asked me.

"So, what do you want to do?" He asked me after I letting him in.

"Look, you can go and tell your father for all I care but there's no way I'm spending time reading the Bible." I said laughing and thinking of how obsessed his father is with the Bible.

"Okay, let me tell you a little secret, you keep it I'll keep yours, I haven't read my Bible since Sunday, yes I open it but play games on my phone instead of reading." He said smiling at me, and I'm surprise he couldn't hear the beating of my heart every time he smiles at me.

"Okay let's watch some TV." I told him.

We spent the next five minutes shutting the windows so outsiders couldn't see and report us to his dad. When we were done, he sat on one one of the couch, and I sat on the other. Before I knew it, he was close enough for our knees to be touching.

"So, I have another confession to make." He said, head down in a low voice.

"What is it?" I asked him keeping my voice low.

"I like you." He told me it was so quiet that I barely heard him.

"Stop... Do you not know how much trouble we can get in just for being here together? Alone?" I asked him moving away.

"I know, but I wanted you to know." He said now looking at me.

"I hope you didn't think that little confession was going to change a thing." I told him cussing myself out for being too much of a coward to tell him how I really feel about him.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked me.

"What?" I said still looking at him.

"Do you like me too? Or not?" he said finally looking at me.

"Why does it matter?" I asked him trying to think of a way to change the subject.

"Never mind, let's just finish the movie." He said before turning back to the TV.

I don't know how long it was before the movie ended, but it felt like forever. It was about dark outside. I walked him to his door across the street and he still wasn't saying anything.

"You want to come in?" He asked me.

"I don't think so, and thanks for coming over." I told him still not moving away from the door. He was about to go in when I called him back.

"Yeah." He said turning back and looking at me.

"I do." I told him and he turn around giving me his full attention.

"Do what?" He asked smiling.

"I do like you"

"You do?"

"I do. I just never told you before." I told him looking down at my hands, before I knew what was happening, he walked towards me and kissed me on the cheek.

"Good night, Amy, I'll come get you tomorrow." He said smiling genuinely.

"Okay" I told him and made my way back to my house thinking of what was going to happen tomorrow morning.

"Please tell me that boy did not just kiss you?" I heard my mother say as I walked inside, I was about to say something to defend myself but she stopped me.

"Don't worry, I can tell you guys like each other, but sit down here, we need to talk." She said pointing to the couch.

"You're 16 and there are things that I know you understand, since your father died, a lot has happened. " She said.

"Okay..." I said looking at her.

"What exactly do you understand?" She asked me.

"Well, since father died, you don't go to church anymore and, I noticed you're on drugs. I would say that you're as close to being a prostitute, and mother I'm sorry I don't mean to disrespect." I told her getting upset at how she quit being a mother the moment she stopped being a wife.

"Well honey, I know what you mean, but you're right. Baby I'm really sorry. I don't know what happen, but your father..." She started saying before she broke down and cried.

"It's okay mom, I understand, you can fix things up, I'll be there for you." I was telling her. I spent the next few minutes trying to get her to stop crying. I was so busy that I didn't notice the suitcase under the couch. The whole time she kept on apologizing, but I couldn't figure out why. She kept on telling me how much she loved me and that she was sorry. After helping her to bed I went up to my room and tried to piece everything that happened after my father died together I fell asleep. The next morning I woke up earlier than usual to get ready. I made breakfast and fixed the table so mom wouldn't have to do it. Afterward I went into her room and noticed that her bed was made and she wasn't sleeping in like always. I spend the next minutes calling her and looking for her, but I couldn't find her. I tried calling until I realized that her phone was on her bed, so I knew she couldn't be far. I waited and waited until Jeremiah came knocking at the door.

"Come in!!" I yelled loud enough for him to hear.

"Hey, is everything okay? You weren't outside like always." He said and noticed the table.

"You haven't eaten yet? Mind if I join you? Where's your mom?" he asked me until he saw my face.

"Amy? Are you sure everything is fine?" He asked coming closer.

What was I supposed to tell him? That I can't find my mother? That the suitcase that was under the couch was missing and so was my mom? I decided to let it go thinking she would be home after school, I gave him a half smile and got up.

"You look pretty." He told me.

"Thank you, you really wanna eat before we go?" I asked him trying to see if he was serious or not.

"If you want me to. Did you eat already?" He asked me. We spent the next half hour eating, talking and laughing together before leaving.