Once in Forever

Chapter 4

We got home and he walked me inside. There was a smell of lasagna and broccoli.

"Hey mom." I said as Devon and I moved into the kitchen. "What smells so good?"

"Hi honey. Your teacher Ms.Walters dropped it off."

I looked at her and smiled slightly.

"That was nice of her." I was trying to act glad but i think she knew what I was thinking.

"Is Devon going to have diner with us?" She asked while chopping potatoes.

"No thanks Mrs..." She stopped him.

"Ms... Please,"

"Sorry...Ms.Phillips, my mom is expecting me at the dinner table tonight. Thanks for inviting me though."

I walked Devon out and we hugged and kissed. I saw my mom smiling in the window.

"Is she going to be alright?" He asked.

"I hope so." I responded.

He walked away smiling and I walked back inside.

"It smells really good." I said to her.

"Well, the lasagna is thanks to Ms.Walters and I'm just adding some homemade mashed potatoes and broccoli."

She seemed to be a little depressed. Who isn't though? I knew that I was.

"I'm going to change my clothes." I told her.

"Okay, dinner will be ready in ten." she replied.

I smiled and walked up the stairs. When I got to my room, I sat on my bed and noticed there was a box that had my name on it.

I brought it downstairs and I wasn't sure what it was.

"Hey mom."

"Yes?" she was still cutting potatoes.

"What's this?"

She looked at the box and put her hand over her mouth and responded, "It's from your dad." I then saw a tear slowly roll down her face. I looked at the box and I noticed that my hands were shaking.

"Can I open it in my room?"

She shook her yes and smiled.

I walked up the stairs and got to my room. I sat in the bed again and took a deep breath. I opened it and a tear started to roll down my face. I saw a letter in the top of the box; it read,

My dearest daughter,

The days will go by and I will not be here. These things in the box are memories of you and I. They take me back to when you were just born and bring me to the day of my last breath. You will get a job, get married and have a lovely family. I will always be here for you. I love you so much.

With love and with you always,

Your daddy.

I was crying but smiling at the end of the letter. It was short but sweet. I looked past the note and saw a baby picture of my dad and I and then my nookie. I also saw a bunch of pictures that I made him and my eighth grade confirmation flower. It was red and had little white flowers attached. It looked the same. I then saw some letters that I wrote him when I was five or six. I couldn't believe that he kept all the stuff. There were homemade clay projects, art crafts, hats, candles, pictures, letters that we wrote to each other and so much more! I was smiling but crying my eyes out. I noticed that my mom was now standing in the doorway. She was holding a towel.

"I remember when he started that box." she said with a little smile.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about it?" I asked.

She was now rubbing the towel with her fingers. "Because," she hesitated. "Because, we didn't want you to be worried about how it was for you when he was no longer here" she gazed up at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, your father had some health issues."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, then you could live a normal teenage life with no worries."

"But, I have every right to know!" I started to yell. "What was wrong with him?" I asked.

"He had a heart murmur and a tumor." she looked up at me.

I couldn't believe that they never told me about this.

"How long?" I asked.

"How long what?" she responded.

"How long did you know?"

She looked at me and she turned pale. I got up and asked her again but a bit more fiercely.

"For," she kept hesitating. "For eleven years."

I couldn't believe it. They kept it a secret for eleven years. It made more since now. My dad was gone a lot for when I was five up until now.

"How and why didn't you tell me?" I yelled to her.

"I told you. No worries."

I just stared at her and then darted towards the door and ran down the stairs and grabbed the keys and got into the car. I didn't know where I was going at this point, but I didn't care.