Shine For Me

Chapter 1 - Longer You Wait, More You Hate

"Will you let it go, Luna?" Luna's father, Tim, set the cups in front of each plate and took a seat. "It was just a paint pallet."

Luna has painted since she was a young girl. Her mother, Daisy, painted all of the time when she was around. One day, Daisy walked into Luna's 6 year old room and gave her a painted canvas with a beautiful moon, smoothly painted onto the corner. The bottom had 2 sillhouettes, one being her and one being her mother holding each other's hands. That painting was the last thing Daisy had made for Luna.

"Dad, I want to paint. I don't want to play football or go running. I can't do those. Let me do this, please. It's the last thing we have of Mother. You made me take down her painting and now you won't even let me replace it?" Luna ranted.

"Don't you dare bring up your mother," Tim said through gritted teeth towards Luna. "I had you take that down because it was hurting both of us."

"Dad, it wasn't hurting me, it was hurting you." Luna was finally fed up with her father turning down her love of painting and the fact that he keeps saying Daisy's painting was hurting both of them, when in fact, it was only hurting Tim. She stood up and stomped to her room.

"Where are you going?" Tim yelled.

"I'm not hungry anymore," she said quickly.

"I slaved over the damn stove and I made your favorite pasta! Come back here!"

Luna turned around at the end of the hallway and glared at him. "Then stop doing things for me."

She slammed her door and noticed her calm room. Her white walls were brightened by the summer sun shining through the window. Her light blue, inviting bed screaming her name that's set up beneath the window, being lit up by that familiar sun. She collapsed onto her bed and let a few tears fall from her eyes.

"Why me?" Luna groaned into her pillow.

After an hour, her father had knocked on the door. "Luna, let me in. Please," he begged.

Luna struggled to up, but when she did, she opened her door and allowed her father to come in. Luna sat crisscross on her bed and her father sat on her desk chair across from her. They just sat there for a while, Luna's hand subconciously playing with her silver, daisy flower necklace that sits high on her neck.

"I'm sorry, Luna," Tim said quietly.

"Why won't you let me be me?" Luna asked, tapping on her knee. "I love to paint, I love to listen to music, I love to write and dream. Why won't you let me?"

"Because I don't want you to be like your mother," Tim said quietly.

"Mother was beautlful and wonderful. She shined brighter than the stars!" Luna said, allowing her voice to falter.

"There was more to her than you think, dear." Before Tim left the room, he handed Luna a small note and stopped in the doorway. "I thought you have the right to read that."

"What is it?" Luna asked, staring at the worn out piece of paper.

"The last thing your mother wrote for you," he whispered. Luna watched as her father stood up and left the room quietly, shoulders weighed down by life. She studied the piece of folded paper and ran her fingers along the bent edge. She unfolded the note and ran her fingers over the cursive writing that was hard to make out.

Darling,

I wish to tell you what had happened to me, but I couldn't when I was there for you. The mortal enemy of life was on it's way to get me and I couldn't allow you to know that. I sincerely hope that you'll understand one day. Until that day, remember I love you. I did some horrid things in the past, allowing reality to knaw at my bones and tear my hope and heart apart, but I had you to bring me back to love and opportunity. You were my chance to become better.