Changing the World

Chapter Six: My Parents

The door opens and I see that a woman stands there in a very elegant maid's outfit. She bows to me, "Good evening ma'am. May I know your reason for this visit?" I clear my throat since I'm not use to this formality, "Um...I'm Crystal and-" she cuts me off, "Oh! Ms. Harrison! Please, right this way, you have been expected to show up for a while already." She walks off towards an open dining room and I slowly follow.

This place...is beautiful!

Huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling in between two stairs, one meant for going up and the other for down. Marble floors for the entrance and royalty looking rugs and paintings fill the room.

I am seriously amazed with all this. Like...wow...

I walk into the dining room and find my dad sitting on the far end of the table reading a newspaper with empty dishes in front of him. The maid cleans it up and takes them away. I stand there, looking at my father from a distance.

Uhm...this is awkward.

He turns a page and I clear my throat, he looks up at me. "Oh my dear! You've arrived!" He places his paper down and walks over to give me a hug and kiss on the forehead. "How was your trip sweetie? Long one, right?" I stare at him dumbfounded, I had no clue what to say. I was speechless. He looks at my uncoordinated stare, "Hm? You okay Crystal? Are you hungry? Hey where is your brother?" I snap out of my daze, "Uhm...well yeah the trip was long but I enjoyed it, and Jason went off with a friend, I ended up meeting him along the way." He smiles, "Well I'm very glad that you were able to meet him first. He use to take care of you a lot when you were just a baby."

I look around the dining room feeling curious, "Sooo...where is mom? I'm very anxious to meet her!" My father looked down towards the ground and spoke up, "She had a heart attack two days ago...she didn't make it." His eyes grew dark and went silent.

N-no mommy? I...don't...get to...see her?

My eyes filled with tears and I began bawling into his shoulder. I held my father tightly as I let out all my pain and frustration. He held me close in his arms, his warm, loving embrace comforted me and after a while, I stopped crying. He then led me upstairs to my room where I were to stay if I chose to. It was very spacious and looked comfortable, I laid on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

I thought today was going to be perfect. I want to have both my parents, not just one.

I sit up and notice a picture on my desk, I stand up to go look at it. I pick it up and notice it's a picture of my father, my brother, my mother, another girl I'm unfamiliar with and then me as a baby. Tears start flowing and I jump onto the bed with the picture, crying into my pillow.

Half an hour later:

I place the picture on the pillow next to me, cover that side of the bed as if someone were there, then close my eyes, crying myself to sleep.