Nothing More Than Neighbors || Stydia [COMPLETED]

Chapter 18: Secrets

I looked up at the boxes once more and hesitantly opened the one in front of me, small sobs escaping me as I did. I took out a jacket that had 'Stanford' spread across the grey material in red letters my dad always wore when he came back from work. He even wore it to my 5th birthday party when we all went to Disneyland together, and we went on The Little Mermaid ride over and over again.

I smiled at the memory and took out a picture of me when I was a baby in a frame his step-mom got him. Confused I started digging around and picked up some other things I remembered, like his terrible cross-stitched frame of my name, his work shirt I sewed the button onto, his hair gel I always played with, and my stuffed animal I never parted with. I gasped as I took out the small bear and I laughed as I pet the tiny ears of it and tears came back to my eyes.

"Bubbles!" I huffed as I looked at all the stuff in that box once again. What was it? A memory box? A box of memories he didn't want or ones he wanted me to find and laugh at?

I looked at the box once more when a knock came from the door and I spun my head around to look at the door.

And that's the exact moment I remembered I was fighting a hangover. I winced.

"Lydia?" I heard Stiles's voice through the door and another small tear dripped down my face. "Lyds, can you please unlock the door and tell me what's wrong?" He asked quietly and I closed my eyes tightly before sighing and unlocking the door, while still maintaining my criss-crossed position. As soon as I unlocked it I returned to looking at all the things in the box and he opened the door hesitantly. I didn't turn to meet his eye sight as he sat down next to me in the same position I was in.

"What's all this?" He asked softly as he looked at all the stuff surrounding my ankles. I turned to look at his face after wiping some tears off and the mascara I'm sure was under my eyes, to see his face soften completely.

"Um ... My dad left it all. It -- It's the memories we have together in a box." I said as I picked up each item in it and told him the small story behind each piece. I laughed at some memories, and teared up at others, but he just stood there calmly listening to me. I held up Bubbles.

"And this is Bubbles. He slept with me every night when I was little but then it got lost on a trip to grandmas, guess he found it." I said with a shrug, as I looked once more at everything in it.

"Is there more in the other boxes?" He asked and I looked at them quizzically.

"I don't -- I don't know." I said as I made my way to another box close to us and ripped it open. It was a box of my moms things this time, and they were all memories of me. I took each item out one by one as I told the story that goes with it like I did before.

"This was the necklace I picked out for her with dad on her birthday, this is the shirt I would always wear when playing dress up in her room, this is the first lipstick she ever gave me when I was 14, and this --" I held up her engagement and wedding rings as my heart fell a tiny bit, "These were her rings." I whispered as Stiles looked in the box for more.

"There's a note in here." He said as he dug up the notepad piece of paper with my moms scribbles all over it. I grabbed it immediately and started reading.

Dear Lydia,

Honey, we are so proud of you and the woman you have become. You are such a beautiful, smart, and generous girl, Lydia, and we couldn't love you more for that. Your father said the same thing to me about why he left, and I was so mad. So furious that he could leave you and me just like that. But when I walked into this room and looked at what was inside these boxes, at all the memories we had, I had to get out. I had to leave you be so I wouldn't turn into someone I'm not. I love you and trust you completely with this house, which is why I give you it and everything inside it. I'm sure you've found the rings, they are for you. Completely yours, forever. The wedding ring even used to be your grandmas before I had it, so please don't lose it. I love you so much, my little Ariel.