Until I Met You

25: Until I Met You

Chapter 25

The days started to disappear as the Christmas holidays started to pass us by. When the twenty-fifth rolled around, my mom and I spent the day alongside one another as we kept my late father in mind as we traded gifts and celebrated the holiday.

Our house phone rang plenty of times throughout the day as family friends and relatives from back home called us to wish us a merry Christmas and question us as to when we were coming back for a visit. Although neither I nor my mom could give them an answer on when we would travel back for a visit, we did return their Christmas wishes and told them that we hoped to hear from them again soon.

Putting a peaceful finish to our Christmas, both of us decided that it would be a good idea to take a little drive and attend the Christmas mass at the church an hour out of Avondale. Since we didn’t know any of the other families in attendance, we simply kept to ourselves in a pew near the back and prayed that the one we had lost was having a good time with his fellow angels up above.

And just like that, after a small dinner and a few thoughtful presents, my first Christmas without my dad had passed.

With Christmas behind me, I had to build myself up for what was really important; travelling a couple hours up north with Cason to support him as he confronted his father.

Waking up on the twenty-fourth I remembered the short conversation that Cason and I had the night previous. I also remembered that I would have to ask my mom if I would actually be able to go. Even though I was more than positive that my mom wouldn’t have a problem with me supporting Cason on the visit, there was that small part of my brain that was kept telling me that my mom would say no for some reason and I would let Cason down.

Turns out that I had nothing to worry about in the first place because, after a short conversation with my mom and listening in on quite a long phone call between her and Diana, I was given permission to head up north later in the week.

When the twenty-eighth of December rolled around, the day that the Michaels had decided to make the dreaded trip to the prison where Mr. Michaels was currently serving his sentence, my mom knocked on my door bright and early at the crisp hour of eight ‘o’clock.

As she pushed open my bedroom door, she was genuinely surprised to see me sitting up against my headrest with a book in my lap.

“How long have you been up?” she asked curiously as she leant against my bedroom door frame in her pyjamas.

I sighed, smiling nervously before replying. “Just before seven but, the real question should be when did I finally fall asleep.” I stated, running a hand through my messy main of hair.

My mom, noticing I was stressing over something, came over and sat on the side of my bed. “What’s wrong sweetie?” she asked genuinely worried. “Are you not feeling good? Do you not want to go with the Michaels today?” she questioned, guessing wrong on both accounts.

I shook my head in reply. “I don’t know, it’s just that I’m worried that even though Cason invited me today and Mrs. Michaels is okay with me coming along, I feel like I’m intruding on something personal.” I said, responding honestly as I brought my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them nervously. “I mean, what if what I told Cason about his father being the guy he had always loved is wrong and, then once we get there, Cason blames me for a horrible visit.”