The Letters To Her Heart

Chapter 1: The Beginning

May 2004, third person point of view

"Mom, look!" Marissa waltzed into the kitchen with a handful of daffodils.

"How pretty. I'll put them into a vase." Kari picks up the flowers gently and places them in an old vase on the kitchen windowsill.

Marissa loved her mother, every morning she went outside on their farm and picked out flowers for her. It was a morning tradition. Kari would make eggs in the kitchen and Marissa would dance through the bed of flowers.

"Sweet sweet Marissa, breakfast!" Kari called from the kitchen window.

Marissa picked up her dress and ran inside with muddy hands and feet.

"Go wash up dear please." Kari asked as she set the table for just the two of them. Kari's husband died in a car accident as he was on the way to visit her just after delivering Marissa back in May of 1999. Marissa never got to meet him but she knew he would of been a great father. Kari has pictures of him everywhere around the house so it feels like Marissa actually did know him.

"Mommy, can we visit daddy today?" Marissa climbed onto the chair at the kitchen table, holding a picture of her dad when he was in the army.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Kari was stunned that Marissa wanted to visit him. Sure it took a long time for Kari to cope, being a single mother and all but she always felt that visiting him would just bring back a pang of emotions she didn't want to relive. It's been five years today since he passed. 

"Yes, it's my birthday and I wish to visit daddy." She spoke so wise beyond her years, Kari always wondered if she got that trait from her father.

"Yes, of course we will visit daddy." Kari was determined to make any wish her daughter makes, come true even if it hurts her in the end.

September 2016, Marissa's point of view

It's been seventeen years since my dad passed away. Mom always said he was such a wise gentlemen, she doesn't know how she got so lucky. I hope I can find someone like him one day, especially now. I'm a seventeen year old girl who has never been loved, or kissed.

Unfortunately, my life doesn't depend on a boy at the moment. Mother has become very ill with Stage 3 kidney cancer. I don't know why God wanted my parents both so young. Mom has a very poor survival rate, it isn't looking good. Her doctor treats her from home now because she's too weak to travel. It breaks my heart as I leave the house everyday not knowing what could happen to her all day long. Thank goodness it's my senior year.

I mean my last name isn't Strong for no reason, so it must mean something. The words "stay strong" are kind of getting old though.

I walked out to the bus stop at 6:30 a.m. With mom's medical bills, she can't afford a car for me. She even had to sell hers to pay some of the bills. I'm a seventeen year old senior who rides the bus, cool.

The bus splashed muddy water onto me as it made a sharp turn onto my street.

"Great." I harshly wiped the mud off my face and stomped onto the bus when the doors opened.

"Sorry about that dear." The bus driver said with a southern drawl. We live in North Carolina but sometimes it feels like Texas.

I just nod my head and took a seat in the first seat. My head crashed against the window as we hit a dead rodent in the road. What a shitty town I live in. I live on a farm in North Carolina, not the city. I wish I lived in the city part. My backyard smells like cow shit.

"Hey, you alright?" Cole Greer, a senior as well, sitting in the seat next to me, asked.

"Yeah, I'm just great, splendid in fact!" I was full of sarcasm this morning and I was not holding back.

He chuckled before responding, "Sorry I asked."

"I'm sorry! I'm having a rough day already as you can see." I immediately regret sounding like a bitch this fine Monday morning.

"You're fine." He smiled and slumped back into his seat.

Wait a minute, did a boy actually just have a mini-conversation with me? Am I dreaming? Did I really get splashed with mud by the big old bus and then talk to a cute boy all in one day? Yes, that did just happen Marissa.

~~~~~

"Mom, I'm home." I said gently as I shut the door behind me. It was dead silent.

"Mom?" I called, becoming slightly worried.

"Mom?" I ran up the wooden steps and found her in her bed, resting.

"I'm just resting sweetie." She opened her eyes and smiled the best she could.

"Oh." I noticed a pen and many envelopes on her desk.

"Who you writing to?" I asked, pointing to the somewhat messy desk.

"You'll know eventually." She winked.

"Hey, how was school?" She changed the subject immediately.

"It wasn't too bad. I talked to someone today." I felt the blush rise to my cheeks as I avoided eye contact with my mother.

"Tell me more." She sat up against the pillows in her bed.

"His name is Cole, it was nothing really. We talked on the bus this morning and again this afternoon." I smiled at the thought of him.

"I'm proud of you." Mom said out of nowhere.

"What did I do?" I raised an eyebrow.

"You turned into this beautiful young lady. All your life you've grown up without a father and now you're dealing with me. The right one will come along, you just have to be patient." She was speaking all over the place, she kind of caught me off guard.

"Uh yeah, thanks mom. I want to thank you for putting up with me all these seventeen years. You're the best person in this world. So kind and selfless, putting others before you. You don't deserve this." I was starting to become emotional. I was never really one to show my emotions so easily. I always kept my feelings hidden.

"Oh baby, how you will always remember me." She kept a hidden meaning in her tone and I was desperate to know more.

"I'll go make dinner." I changed the topic and shut her door softly.

The end is near for my mother and I'm sure she knows that as well as she keeps dropping hints into everything she says. I just hope whatever she's talking about, I will be able to cherish forever.