Forever and Always (Book 2)

One Year Anniversary

            Before I left to visit my parents, I decided to finally open up the one year anniversary letter that my dad had written. I had been avoiding it but I knew it was going to get emotional anyway so might as well read it. I pulled out the folded up letter and took a deep breath before reading what was inside.

           "Dear Kelly, it has been a year since I died. I know you think about me and are hopefully still not grieving. If you are grieving, then I beg you to please stop, you have had a year to grieve and I think its time for you to be happy for a change. How are Ethan and Maddie doing? Sorry if Ethan isn't in the picture or Maddie. I know people come and go all the time. I hope you will visit my grave today and will leave me some red roses, you know I love them. I hope everything is looking brighter for you and that Catherine and Jim are taking great care of you. I'm not sure what else I should say because I am writing this before I actually died and I don't know what to put for my one year anniversary of my death letter. Believe it or not, I haven't done this before....sorry that joke may be too soon. Anyway, I'm not sure how many times I can you that I love you but I love you so so much. I just can't believe you have gone a year without you. I miss you so much and I know you miss me. Live on and stay strong. I love you again baby girl. Love, Dad."

        Tears ran down my cheeks as I mentally heard my dad's voice reading it to me. I chuckled at the joke he had made because that's just something he would definitely say. My aunt had picked up a bouquet of red and white roses for me to take to my parent's graves. I drove down the familiar road to where the graveyard was located. I had been down the same road hundreds of times within the past year.

           I traced my own invisible footprints that never left the graveyard until I reached the graves. I sank to my knees and carefully laid the sweet smelling roses down on top of the graves. I sniffled and then started to cry some before I spoke.

          "I just want you both to know that I'm doing great and I'm actually happy. I'm undefeated in track, I have all A's in school. I got my driver's license and I'm driving safely, Dad. Ethan and I are doing good, no actually we are doing great. He's been so caring and understanding for this whole situation."

         I paused before continuing, "I miss you both so much. I have lately felt so alone these past few days. Aunt Catherine and Uncle Jim are doing a great job don't get me wrong but they just aren't you guys. Why did Kyle have to take you from my life? What did we do to deserve this?" I started to sob.

             "I love you both." I repeated, again and again, never wanting to stop saying it.

               I paused from speaking because I heard my phone vibrate in my pocket. I glanced at the caller ID and it was my uncle. I wiped away the tears and tried to calm myself before answering the phone. He probably guessed that I would cry but I still didn't want to sound like it on the phone.

           "Hello?" I asked softly.

           "I'm really sorry to bug you but I need you to come home now." He said sternly and I knew something wasn't right.

         "Is everything okay, Uncle Jim?" I asked.

           "Please come home and we will talk." He replied as he hung up afterward.

             The tone of his voice told me something is seriously wrong. A million ideas flashed through my mind but I tried to ignore them. I couldn't freak myself out until I had something to actually freak out about. I said goodbye to my parents and turned away with another tear escaping my eyes. I sped home, going ten over the speed limit but I didn't care. I just wanted to get home as quickly as I could to find out what was going on. As I pulled up to my house, I saw a police officer car in the front. My heart started to beat faster and faster. This wasn't going to be good. Why was there a police car here? I walked inside and my aunt greeted me with a tight hug.