It Has To Be You

Chapter 1

CHRIS

     I winced as I heard Dad howl in grief upstairs in his room. This was not the first time, ever since he was dumped by Olivia, a woman who was my father’s best friend, the person who was there for him when Mum died of breast cancer and the very same person who told Dad that it will not work out between them as more than friends as she was dating Linn, a man who she met in a university campus overseas who is also inheriting his father’s real estate company which reels in millions every month. Of course, why shouldn’t she date Linn, a man who has brains and is about to be the country’s next timber tycoon after his father?

     But what not many people understood was, when Olivia lost her mother, Dad was there to comfort her and he was the one who prevented her from hitting rock bottom. As her father worked around the clock, Dad was the only family she had, with her being the only child. Needless to say, Dad was perfect for her as she was for him, if it wasn’t for Linn.

     I could still remember Dad’s face when he received an e-mail from Olivia when she was in university saying that she is sorry but she found someone new and sent a picture of her and Linn hugging as a reply to Dad when he asked to be more than friends. That was about a year ago and Dad wasn’t getting any better.

     Meanwhile, Dad was upstairs in his room crying his heart out and his cries of grief matched the wind beating our window so I doubt the neighbors will think anything was wrong. Not that they cared anyway. I ran upstairs as quickly as my short legs could carry me and knocked on his door. When there was no answer, I went in.

     I saw my poor father and he was staring at me with his bloodshot eyes that were filled with so much of pain, it was hard to control my own tears. As a ten year old, it was impossible to understand Dad’s feelings, how he dropped everything for the woman he loved after Mom died, only to find her dating someone else.

     But this time was different. Usually a few teardrops will fall and he will force a smile. I put my arm around his shoulder and patted him on the back. I stared at the computer screen in front of him and found the reason for Dad’s tears to flow endlessly. Three words that Olivia sent Dad through e-mail were the only words I read among her apologies and a long list that looked very much like an invitation. Those three words from Olivia that were strong enough to break Dad’s heart were, “I’M GETTING MARRIED”.

     Then I realized why the list looked like an invitation. It was an invitation, to a wedding that is going to be held in town about two weeks later. My eyes scanned the e-mail but I could hardly understand what she wrote. All that I understood was those three words that acted like an acid-laced whip wounded tightly around Dad’s heart, causing all the pain and the only woman that Dad had lived for after Mom was cutting him out of her life as if he meant nothing to her.

     I could have stayed that way all night, with my hands around Dad’s shoulders, but after about an hour, he started to calm down, maybe for my sake. With his shaky hands, he took mine and looked at me with his dried up eyes and walked me to my room.

     As we walked downstairs, I looked at my father and involuntarily began to compare him to how he was last time, about four years ago before Mum died. The frown lines never existed and the pain in his eyes were never there too. He was a happy-go-lucky man who seemed to be able to make anyone around him happy.

     Now, he dragged his feet when he walked and hunched more than before. He looked almost like a zombie but that thought was quickly erased when he looked back at me and gave me his warm smile which always gave me that nostalgic feeling and I hugged him.

     As we reached my room, he carried me with a slight grunt and said,” My little man” and smiled as he set me down on my bed. I turned to my right to see my little brother, Alex who was woken up by the noise.