Bright Lights and Rainy Nights

p r o l o g u e

White, fluffy clouds floated in and out of my line of vision. Some were just a mass of cotton candy, but others took on forms of anything I could imagine they were. I saw a playful puppy bounding along the skyline, chasing after a squirrel with bulging cheeks, no doubt storing nuts away for the winter. I saw a pterodactyl emerge from a mist, gently swooping above me, spying for prey to feast on.

On the wonderful spring grass, my father laid down beside me, gently murmuring, "Your mother has finished setting up lunch, Emilia. We'll be under the oak. Feel free to stay here as long as you want though, I can see that you are enjoying yourself." Not to disturb my peace, he silently sat up and glided over to the rest of my family like a ninja. I breathed out one last tranquil breath, glanced up at my cloud animals, then trudged up the grassy hill towards where the great oak sat, watching over the park in its entirety; the beautiful gardens, gleaming play structures, and the hundreds of delighted children out on this sunny spring day. Beneath the wise limbs of the twisted tree, my mother, father, and my 16-year-old brother were sprawled out of a bright red blanket, intertwined with various lunch items.

"Em! So glad you could come now. I was about to go down and get you, because I am really hungry, and mom and dad didn't let me start eating until you joined us. Was your head stuck with the clouds again?" He joked, patting the spot next to him with his left hand, which bared a promise ring given by his girlfriend, who I dislike. She is way too stuck-up and spoiled. She doesn't deserve my brother. Jack is smart, handsome, kind, honest, and humble. In my opinion, almost too humble for his own good. Anytime I vocally complain about Cecile, my mother says that we should be supportive of who he chooses to be with, because it makes him happy. I want my best friend to be happy of course, but just maybe not with her.

I laughed at his joke because it was true, my head was up in the clouds, controlling their shape with my imagination. I plopped down next to my mother, laughing, and grabbed a turkey sandwich out of the middle of the blanket, quickly tearing it out of the Ziploc it was in and devouring it in five swift bites.

My mother, giggly softly, asked me, "You seem hungry. Was your cloud-watching tiring you out? Or are a just a growing pig?" As she too took a sandwich and shed it of its bag.

Without missing a beat, I replied with sass, "Well, this pig needs her food to become big and strong. Didn't you eat this much when you were seven years old? Huh?" She nodded, then her face contorted into a balloon, as I could see she was holding in some laughter. I then realized that I said it in a southern accent and burst into hysterics. There was an awkward moment where they just stared at me, then, my entire family was rolling around, clutching their stomachs.

After what seemed like forever, I finally sat up, wiped away a tear, and exclaimed with my voice still filled with laughter, "I love you guys! This is the best family ever. I never want this to change."

They chorused back a series of, "Love you too sweetie!" and "Me too. I love this." Before we resumed our eating, we shared a family hug, with the warmth from the sun beating down on my back. This was the perfect life.

***

Just a few measly months after I decided that my family was perfect, that my brother was not that annoying, and my parents were the most loving parents ever even if they yell at me occasionally, the fights between them began. At first, it was just a small disagreement here or there about some major issue. As weeks progressed, the disagreements morphed into fights and the cause could be anything from talking to another person, not clearing your plate, a lawyer not cooperating, or a bill being overdue. Jack and I were both extremely worried that our perfect family was braking, especially after one particular night that we were eavesdropping on our parents who were sitting on some barstools in our kitchen.