Reaching for Hope Book 2

Chapter 12

That night, I had trouble falling asleep. The memory where my dad told me my mom had passed; There just had to be more to it. Possibly a memory or two. I just need enough to know what really happened and why it's so important to me. sadly there wasn't much to go off of, but by the looks of it, I was about 5, maybe 6.

I ended up waking in the middle of the night, she was asleep. I took this opportunity to do some extra research. The bright light was a lot dinner now, I'm guessing it because we were trying to get some sleep; she did say we are inside my head. 

I had made my way to the place were the only memory of my mom was. it was still, and dark. My dad wasn't walking in the door and telling little me the news, it was just empty. As soon as I entered the room, however, I disintegrated and was transported into the memory just at a different time.

I was a little translucent, unlike before. A younger version of me was sitting on the couch, I was doing really basic math. So I'm guessing I was in kindergarten. There was a girl in the kitchen doing the dishes "Grace, your dad will be home soon. Do you have your homework done?"

"Almost." little me said kicking my feet as I did my math.

"Good girl," She said patting my head, "His birthday is in a few days, would you like to make a cake."

"Mama and I do that together, we also make him cards." I bounced a little in my spot and gave a large smile, teeth and all.

"That sounds fun, would your mom let me join." She began to dry some dishes.

"I don't think mama would mind, your like my big sister now."

"That's sweet of you to say," She tried the last cup and placed it in the cupboard, "Can you come in here and help me heat up your dads dinner?"

"Yes!" I hopped off the couch and skipped into the kitchen grabbing a plate full of food and placed it in the microwave. I ran to the living room to grab a chair and brought it back to the kitchen and placed it in front of the microwave. I hopped up and asked "How much?"

"Let's do three minutes, we need to make sure the meat it hot," she said with a bright smile. "Now go make sure your homework is done."

A little while later the door opened, and I went running to my dad. He scooped my up in his arms and gave me a big hug. I had looked behind him "wheres mama?"

"Oh, she has some extra stuff to do at work. So she won't be home tonight." He sat me down as my babysitter came out with his dinner.

"She'll be home tomorrow right? We have to make your birthday cake, and card. Big sister is gonna help us!" 

"Big sister?"

"Ya! She is one to me." I was half bouncing in place.

"She only just started calling me that today." She handed him his plate.

"Anyone can become family."

There was a little bit of a gap, which was to be expected. I was only 5, most kids don't form functioning memories till the age of 7. This was different, I could see myself sitting by the door. I would be eating dinner, doing homework, and reasonably sleeping.

By the looks of it, in the beginning, no one asked or did anything. After some time big sister would start asking questions and I would give the same answer "I'm waiting for Mama to come home."

The seemed to last about two months. One night while I slept by the door I slept funny, there was lots of movement. After that, I stopped waiting by the door, and life when on like nothing happened.

About two weeks after that night, a man came to the house, Big sister took me to my room upstairs.

Later my dad came upstairs to tell me that my mother wouldn't be coming home anymore. Little me didn't understand till I asked: "was it that man?"

My dad looked shocked "What are you talking about?"

"I had a dream, the last time I slept by the door. Mama was walking to her car when a man came and grabbed her. She was kept in a room until she agreed to marry him. The man was really mean when she never said yes, he shot her. He said that if he can't have her then no one can."

As soon as the words left her mouth I stood there tears falling my cheeks. My dad was asking so many questions, none of which I could answer.

I had finally returned to the place I came from. It was a lot brighter, and there where more spaces connected to the room. I had wiped my tears and made my way back to the house.

~Authors Note~

I feel like this is the best chapter I've ever written. I'm emotionally attached to little Grace, I love her energy and how she considered her babysitter a big sister. There will be a few more chapters like this that delve deep into Graces past and things that make up her world. As you could tell the memories she peacing together are her world and I will be making a visual for all of this, but that will take some time.

Songs seem like something I want to put into chapters but only if they expand the story and the characters in the chapter. If you have any songs that will work for any chapters either the past for the future I would love to hear them. Also, They don't have to be in English, different languages (with subtitles) can still bring meaning to stories.

Love,

Hannah A. Williams