I Wish it Was September

Chapter One

This is a story I don't tell too often, even though I know I should tell more. This is the story of how I became who I am, how one simple move changed me and my life forever. I've had one interesting, long life, and this is definitely the peak of it.

70 years earlier

I watched my home of three years disappear into a speck in the distance. I knew then that was very likely the last time I would ever see the small New Jersey town that I'd just started to call home. This was goodbye to my best friends, my girlfriend, and a community that was just starting to feel like a family.

Of course I had known it was coming. You see I would move around a lot, being part of a military family and all. Well, I'm not sure if military family is the right term, back then it was just me and my mom against the world.

This move was different though. This time instead of my mom going to work at a military base somewhere in the U.S. like usual, she was being sent into war. Even though they were trying to end the war and bring the troops back, for some reason they felt the need to send my mom onto the battle field. And since it was just me and my mom, I was going to be forced to live with my grandma, who I had never met.

As you've probably guessed, my family is majorly screwed up. My mom got pregnant with me when she was only sixteen. When my grandma found out she disowned my mom. After my mom was kicked out of the house she moved in with her best friend, who has always been like a second mother to me.

The reason I don't have a dad around is not because he left my mom when he found out she was pregnant or something bad happened to him, it's simply because my mom doesn't know who my father is. I've asked her many times to please just try to remember or if she knows any possibilities and she just doesn't want to tell me, but every time I get the same sad answer: I'm so sorry Brady, I wish I knew, I wish I could give you a father, but I can't.

The car ride wasn't too bad, we spent about an hour on the New Jersey turn pike, which is pure torture, so I slept most that time. But I woke up as soon as we passed into Maryland and exited the highway.

"Wait how are we already almost there, it's only been like, an hour and a half?" I asked.

"We aren't, I just think driving on the highway for hours is dreadful, thought this is much better." She replied happily.

I saw what she meant, I spent most of the remaining car ride watching the Maryland farmland roll by, followed by small farm towns. As strange as this sounds, I've always loved car rides, they're peaceful, relaxing, and you get to see a glimpse of all these different places you pass through.

<><><><><>

I was startled out of a rough sleep as we pulled into a drive way, hitting a few bumps in the process. My mom parked the car but did not get out. I looked over at her in confusion for a little bit. When I saw her pressing her lips together I immediately understood.

"Mom, don't worry, you guys made up, didn't you? If anything she'll be relived to see you again." I said reassuringly before I added "And me."

"Thanks sweetie," she said with a smile "Gosh I haven't been here in so long."

"Ready?"

"C'mon, lets kill it in there."

"Please don't say that." I said with a chuckle.

With that we exited the car and started up towards the two story mansion of a house that loomed in front of us. Okay, maybe mansion is a bit of an over statement, but I was raised by a single women in the military, we tended to live in two bedroom town houses or apartments.