Tampa, Florida. Gwendolyn's destination. The place her dad, Adam, was born and raised until he was 16. His mother moved him up to Philadelphia after he finished his sophomore year in high school. As many times as he's told Gwendolyn the story of him and big mama's big move, he never told her the "why". Only that it was the best decision he's ever made because he met her mother, Stephanie, that summer. Gwendolyn's mom and dad were highschool sweethearts. They got married shortly after graduation and then Gwendolyn came along almost exactly 9 months later. Her mom went to school part time while her dad worked the graveyard shift at the steel mill.
To Gwendolyn, her dad was the greatest. He always knew how to make her smile. Some days, when her mom would be in one of her moods, her dad would take her to one of her favorite places, the neighborhood library. There was a little flower shop around the corner that had the most gorgeous tiger lilies Gwendolyn had ever seen. They quickly became her favorite flower. Before they would go to the library, her dad would take her to the flower shop and buy her a single lily and some of the homemade chocolate kisses the shop owner made. Gwendolyn smiles as she remembers the smell of the freshly cut flower and the smooth taste of the homemade chocolate kisses.
Pulling into a gas station in Georgia to refuel, Gwendolyn decides to check her phone. While driving, Gwendolyn had her phone turned off so that she could use the car's built in navigation and avoid distraction from the incoming notifications she knew she would have. And, as if on cue with her thoughts, a slew of missed notifications flood her screen as soon as it boots up.
"10 missed calls. No one ever calls me." Gwendolyn sighs as she finishes fueling up her car.
The nozzle clicks, signaling a full tank, and she replaces the gas cap on her 2000 Chevrolet Camaro. Patting the roof of the car, she slides back into the driver seat.
"Ok, old girl. Let's get back to it." she says to her car. Before shutting her phone down for a second time, she checks her call log and sees that 5 of those 10 missed calls were from her mom.
"I guess she's panicking by now since I haven't updated her in 15 hours." She says to herself, still scrolling.
Instead of calling her mom back, she decides that sending a text is probably the better option for now. Talking is not on the agenda for the day. The other missed calls are from people that she left behind: her 2 best friends Josie and MiMi, her sister Annette, and her favorite cousin Frankie.
She closes her eyes, pinches the bridge of her nose to stave away the impending headache she is suddenly getting, and takes a deep and shaky breath. Closing out of her call log, and powering her phone down, Gwendolyn starts her car and boots up her navigation system. She pulls out of the gas station and continues to her destination.
"I'll check the messages later."
**************
"Daddy, what's that one up there?" Gwendolyn asks pointing to a chain of 3 stars in a row.
"That's Ormmion's belt, baby. Legend has it that in ancient Egypt, the constellation of Orion represented Osiris, God of the afterlife. When he lived, he was killed by his evil Brother Set."
"But why, daddy?!" Gwendolyn exclaimed with a shocked expression.
"I don't know, Cookie." He said. He tenderly wiped away the stray tear that escaped her eyes.
"Don't cry baby. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. But do you know what happens next?"
Gwendolyn shook her head and wiped her eyes, forcing herself to stop crying. Adam pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.
YOU ARE READING
My Hidden Life
VampiroGwen spent most of her last known moments with her father wondering one thing: what was he hiding? So, needing a change of scenery isn't the only reason Gwen left Philly. She wanted to know more about her father. The man who was her best friend, but...
