Just you and I

18 years later

"Mooooooom" I hear my sister Tahani calling mom.
Tahani is my little sister,she is 16. She is currently the leader of her cheerleading group: she is smart,she is beautiful,she is talented in whatever she does. I'm definitely a bit jealous because my friends are really into her,they keep telling me how beautiful she is and how sexy she is. I know,she is my sister and it's disgusting hearing people referring to her as "hot".
Tahani is the younger version of my mom: sapphire eyes that can flash lightings,long hair like a waterfall of brown curls, a smile that breaks tons of hearts. She has definitely my mom's personality too: she is stubborn and super bossy but yet,sweet and tender. She has recently been nominated as the beauty queen of her highschool and...she is considered by the teachers as the most promising student in the institute,so mom and dad are all about her these days.
"Coming,Taj" mom answers
Mom,what can I say about her? The woman of my life. The one who dedicated the last 18 years to make my future as bright as possible. She is light,she is the safest place in the word. She has been there,every day. She is hugs,she is motivation,she is my daily inspiration. Mom is Love. Mom is Home. Mom is Safety.
"Honey" she calls me sitting on my bed "today is the big day,huh?" She asks me- today I'm leaving for university: Medicine,of course. I passed the test for Harvard and mom couldn't be happier since she went there too.
"Yep" I reply and I see behind her smile a little bit of sadness so I sit next to her holding her petite frame to my chest. I grew up a lot,I'm tall and I'm really enjoying the gym lately "I'm going to miss you" I say to her and I inhale deeply because I want to take with me her vanilla perfume. Since I have memory, she has always used that scent,which has become as a part of that "safety" I was talking about before.
"Me too,baby boy"
"But you still have Taj" I say laughing "your beauty princess will make you guys go out of your mind!"
"Don't talk me about that! She told me she has a couple of boys running around her. I'm scared of the day in which she will have to tell dad she has found someone!" she says laughing "and... I keep wondering where the time has gone. It was yesterday when you were sleeping on my chest and now you are a young hot man,ready for university"
"MOM!" I say faking surprise
"What? I made you! I can tell you that you are hot" she says laughing- I've always though that she was amazing while laughing. I hope that my future wife will have a smile like that too.
"Listen,Der..." she says putting a letter in my hands "I wrote this. I want you to read it tonight,in your dorm. You know that I've never been that good in showing things so...I write them down,you know... for the future. If you'll ever feel lonely,read this and know that I'm there with you,okay?" She seems so emotional and turning around by the door she says "and Der...remember that I love you,so much that it hurts" she says smiling "you are still my little Peanut"
"And remember that I love you too,to the moon and back" I reply to her.

"Okay guys,time to go" my dad announces from the porch while carrying huge bags with my belongings.
Dad,my rock. My parents got married when mom was pregnant with Taj and I have to admit that their relationship at the beginning was a little...difficult to manage. Dad is now the perfect man and the perfect dad: we go twice a week at the gym together,we play basketball together and my friends envy me for the cool dad I have. He didn't started that well when mom was expecting me but ever since I started my life on this planet,he transitioned to the great man he is now. I want to be just like him if one day I will have the honor to have a family of my own. I wish I could look at my wife the way he does with mom. One day I asked him about what made him fell for mom and his answers had been "did you see her?" He said pointing to her from the distance "the strongest woman I've ever met. She is fearless,she is independent,she is...herself and this makes me go insane every single day of my life. The day you will feel like nothing else matters more than the woman you have by your side...that is the day you will know to have found your soulmate."
I grew up happily because of these two people: they showed us how love looks like.

We spent the day exploring the campus. Mom showed me the library,the garden in which she used to study during the hot sunny days of spring. We had a great time honestly and Tahani seemed very interested in Harvard too.
"Okay,time for the goodbyes" I say looking at them
"Don't break too many hearts,brother" Tahani says to me "you are my favorite brother" she hugs me
"I promise,Sissy" I hug her back "I will be waiting for you here! We need a TajTaj in the campus"
"I will be here in noooooo time" she flashes me a huge smile
"Buddy...have fun,study hard and live this chapter at the fullest" dad says hugging me "and don't forget these,if you...you know" he says putting a box in my hand "campus is full of adventures" he winks at me
"Wha'?" I ask shocked
"Have you just given my son a box of condoms?!" My mom asks in disbelief "ATTICUS!"
"DAAAAD" Taj says horrified
"It's just to be safe!" He defends himself "better preventing than curing!"
"Okay,very much appreciated,dad!" I say laughing trying to change quickly the subject; now,it's my mom's turn. She is just hugging me whispering "I love you" to my ears,she is holding me this tight I can barely breath but I couldn't care less.
I hug her back tightly,so tight I'm worried to hurt her "I love you,mom...I will make you proud of me" I whisper her
"I'm proud of you since the time you were a little peanut inside of me" she replies not letting me go "promise me to follow your dreams,everyday"
" I promise" I say kissing her cheek and wiping away the tears that are rolling on her face "I love you" I say smiling to her.
You know,I've always imagined this moment but not ever I would have thought this as hard as it has been.
They have been my every day for the past 18 years and now,I'm here...alone. I'm a grown up man in a big world. It's my time to show how mighty and determined I am to achieve my goals.

I'm bored. I'm in my dorm on my bed. No energy to get up and get a book or turn on the tv. Suddenly I remember about my mom's letter and I jump down the bed. I unfold this carefully,like it was some kind of a treasure and I start reading her beautifully hand written words:
"Derek,love of my life.
I have to start this telling you how much I'm proud of who you are: my amazing,fearless,talented,smart human. I really can't believe that this life had been so kind to me for giving me the privilege of being your mother. Since the first weeks we had been together,when you were a little peanut shaking your cute little limbs inside of me,I thought you were my hero. Before having you,I've never understood mothers and their way of loving BUT the minute I heard your heartbeat for the first time,I got it. It's not something you can explain...it's just a love so deep that you don't care about anything else: you stop caring about yourself,you stop talking for yourself,you stop existing for yourself. It's been hard when I was alone talking to you,it's been hard going to the ultrasounds alone,it's been hard whispering to myself that you were coming on the day you came. The first time I saw you,I clearly felt my heart exploding: it had been painfully sweet. I clearly remember you staring at me curiously,while I was so tired that I could have passed out. I forced myself to stay awake because I didn't want  to lose any second of you,because after all, I fought hard to bring you into this world. You,my love,YOU made me realize how important your father was back then and how much I needed him there with me. You taught us how to love unconditionally. I remember how dad was holding you on that little green couch at the hospital and I can still hear his words "you are perfection,baby Derek. Amelia,look at the miracle we made" he said to me...and I was so tired but so...fulfilled that I couldn't stop smiling. And after that,how many days we spent on a bed kissing you and holding you and just...staring at you,staring at the perfection of what we made indeed. It's true,I gave you life but from the moment I've met you,you gave me life every damn day.
I can't forget the day you started calling me "momma",it was like I was coming to the world again. I've never thought that a word as simple as that could change you forever.
The day you started walking: uncertain on chubby legs searching for my hands to support you and smiling widely because of your achievement.
I bet you remember your first day of kindergarten,right? How many tears I cried because my baby boy was growing up.
I loved you even more when you became a big brother to Taj: your cute little hands on her face asking interrogatively "baba?". She loves you,a lot. You are her hero. You are her person and I love it. I love your relationship which reminds me so much mine with your uncle Derek. We spent days fighting but deep down we were loving each other with our entire beings. Cherish every single day with her because,darling,if there is a thing I learnt in this life is that we are not promised tomorrow.
Do you remember when you were 7 and I taught you how to suture using a turkey? And how you learnt how to recognize the brain tissue on an orange? You know,seeing you that focused was my pride because you were letting me show you my love using what I think makes me a better person.
People say that the parents are what a child needs and that they have to shape their souls but honey,truth to be told I have to disagree: a child is what a parent needs and a child shapes you,so damn much. I became softer and I like this version of myself...a version I didn't know existed.
Now,that you are there,in that dorm...I feel like my heart has a missing piece but...I made a few calls and the room you are now using is the same room I had when I was at the university. It's the same place where sleepless nights happened studying for a billion of exams. It's the same place in which I cried ugly tears uncertain about my future. It's the same place where your mom started to dream as loud as she could. Know baby boy,that even though you will doubt yourself sometimes this won't mean you are not enough,that just means that you care too much and this is what will make you a great doctor someday. Dream big,baby boy. Face the challenges and even if you think you are failing,never give up on trying because you are a great soul.
Oh and if you take a look under the table you will find something engraved in the wood I wrote years ago: now it has a complete different meaning to me.
Be proud of yourself,honey,
I love you,my love.
Mom"

Throwing myself down the bed I kneel down next to the table turning my phone torch on scanning the wood,until I find it "JUST YOU AND I- Amelia S.". Instantly I smile because I know what she means. My mom,the one who won't ever leave me alone.
Grabbing my phone I write a simple sms to her "Just you and I ,forever yours-Peanut <3"
And in one second she replies "goodnight Peanut,you are for real the best part of me".
Turning off the light,I lay in my bed with a huge smile on my face and I swear,I can still smell her scent in here: my loving but yet loud as a thunder mom Amelia.

This is the end on this adventure. I hope you enjoyed it. Now it's time to work again on my main project with "open to possibilities-pt 2". Love you,guys. And thank you for your undying support❤️