An Unexpected Turn of Events ~5SOS~

12.

I slept most if not all of the plane ride.

My mom shook me awake as we neared New York's JFK Airport. I took a few photos of New York from above.

After the plane landed we went through customs and all of that boring stuff.

Our flight to Seattle wasn't until later that afternoon, so my mom and I had about five hours to kill.

So we went to probably the only place in New York that I could go to with a smile on my face.

My Uncle Joe's house.

Uncle Joe wasn't actually my uncle, but he was my dad's best friend from the time they were toddlers to my father’s death.

Uncle Joe was my godfather too. He never forgot my birthday, or special events. He was my second father.

Uncle Joe's youngest son Matt was a year younger than Callie, so they always got along better than he and I.

But nonetheless Matt had always been my favorite cousin, up until my introduction to Ashton.

After heartwarming hellos and a small brunch, my mom let me wonder.

She knew where I wanted to go. Well not that I wanted to go, but more like I needed to go.

From Uncle Joe's house I walked exactly ten city blocks to the cemetery.

I walked past the large amount of gravestones and flowers to the one gravestone I hated to see.

My fathers.

I sat down on the browning grass, sighing.

After three years the writing etched into the stone looked brand new compared to the surrounding grave stones.

John Robert Dixon
Beloved husband, father & firefighter

 

Under that was my dad's birthday and death date.

I hugged myself tighter in Ashton's sweater, not sure what to do.

"Hey dad. I'm here... Um... I miss you, like a lot. But I'm okay. It's been getting easier, I guess. We just got back from England and Ireland. Remember how you always wanted to go and take Callie and I with you and mom? Well, we went, just without you. And I met mom's cousin's son. His name is Ashton Irwin. He's great. Even though we're not first cousins or anything we still treat each other as if we are. You would absolutely love Ash, dad. I'm wearing his sweater. I stole it from him. Ash's dad walked out on him and his family a few years ago, so he understands- you know, what it's like not to have a dad around. He's in a band too. They're actually up and coming. And no- they're not a shitty bubblegum pop band, like the ones you hate. They try to be punk rock, but they're more pop rock than anything, I think. But they are actually really great. I'm going to college in the fall. Crazy, your little girl is going away from home. I think if you were still here I wouldn't be going as far away as I am now. I've decided to go to UCLA, a photography major. No surprise there, right? I haven't told mom yet, she'll cry, and I didn't want to ruin our European Adventure... Boy I really hate this. You're not here dad! You promised you would be there- to embarrass me at Prom, to scream at my graduation, to cry when I moved into my first college dorm; but you're not going to be. And it kills me- you were my best friend dad. You're my Johniqua and I'm your Charlie-kins, that's the way it always used to be; why did they have to change? I miss you so much dad."