Wherever You Are

Chapter 5: Jonah's Unsent Letter

November 18, 2014

Dear Felicia,

I got my mom out of the house. I went to her room one day when I was leaving for the grocery store. I knocked on the door and tried to open it but it was lock. "I'm going to the grocery store," I said. I wasn't expecting a response. Usually she didn't respond. I would wait until I heard the bed squeaking to make sure she was alright.

Instead I heard her voice. It was the first time in weeks. "Jonah, wait." I froze in my tracks. I spun back around toward the door. The lock turned on the other side and the door swung open. She came spilling out of the room, with her messy hair in a bun on top of her head. Her right arm was in the sleeve of her winter jacket and she was pulling the other side on. I looked at her with wide eyes. "Can I go with you?" she asked.

My jaw dropped and I nodded slowly. "Yeah." A smile instantly came to my lips and I grabbed her hand and lead her down the steps to the front door.

I started going on walks with her. We would walk down the street to the park and sit on the bench and talk. She asked about me. She asked how I was doing. She apologized instantly and was almost in tears, but I made her stop talking about it. I didn't want to see her cry anymore. She had finally gotten out of the house. I wasn't going to make her talk about anything that would make her sad. She asked about you. She asked if we had talked. I told her no and she asked why.

On Thursday last week I was going to the grocery store with her. It was a warm day, or at least warmer than usual. She said it was too nice out, so she waited outside for me while I shopped. When I came back out she was sitting at the bench across the street with a man and his dog. He seemed to be about her age. She was talking to him. I stood across the street in awe. It good to see her smile with someone other than me. She eventually looked up and saw me, waving to me. After that day she asked to go on walks alone. I assumed it was because she wanted to see this guy. She said his name is Carl. He looks like a Carl: salt and pepper hair, square glasses and that small Boston Terrier with him constantly. I let her go on her own. What I didn't think was that she was going to bring him home for dinner two days later.  

I still love you,

Jonah