Short Stories

It Will Be Okay

"You always make an excuse why you can't be in the same room with me let alone building," I told my dad.

"You better watch how you speak to me, young lady. I am your father and you will show me respect," he spat back.

"Why do I have to show you respect? You have never had time for me, ever. Then when my mother died the court placed me with you," I said angrily.

"I am still your father whether you like it or not. Show me respect or you will be grounded," he said simply.

I simply groaned and went to my room. I laid on my bed as tears started to fall. All I wanted was my mom back. I simply hated living here.

My mom died a year ago. It was hard enough trying to cope with that now I have to try to get along with a father who has been absent since I can remember.

***flashback***

"Michelle you've got to get up. You're going to be late for school," I heard my mom say through my blanket I had over my head.

"Why can't I just stay home today? It's not like I've missed any days this year anyways. Or any year actually," I asked. "Anyways you have a doctor's appointment today and I want to be there with you, mom. You really shouldn't have to receive any bad news by yourself."

"Well, thanks, Michelle. That's exactly what I wanted to hear," my mom said sarcastically.

"Mom, no. That's not what I meant. I mean that you shouldn't have to go through that if they give you bad news. I didn't mean that they would give you bad news," I said quickly trying to clear up what I had meant.

She looked at me and in her eyes, I could see sadness. "I know honey. It's just I, in my gut, know that there is something wrong with me."

"Mom don't say that," I said to her to comfort her and myself as well.

"Fine. I don't want you to miss school, but if you miss this one day and your grades drop. Missy, you will never miss another day of school. And that is the end of this discussion," she said.

With that, I got up and got ready. I put on a black tee that had Batman's logo on it along with a pair of grey sweatpants and Uggs. After getting dressed I went to that bathroom to brush my hair. I then proceeded to throw it up in a messy bun. Not caring how it looked. I then went into the kitchen and poured me a bowl of cereal. Ate it then went back to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

"Hurry up Michelle! We have to be there by 9:30 and you know it takes a good hour to get into town," she yelled to me from the living room.

"I'm coming," I said as I rounded the corner grabbing my purse from the table.

We left the house and made our way to town. The whole way into town I was acting silly, belting out songs, and dancing along with music all because I was trying to make my mom smile. It worked for a few, but as we got closer to town I could tell that she was getting more nervous.

We pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office and just sat in the car for a couple of minutes. We had just got out and walked into the office when they called her name. They let her sign in and took her to a room in the back. As I got up to go with her she looked at me, "No stay here. I'll tell you what they say."

"You said I could come with you," was all I got out before she cut me off.

"I said you could come with me. Not be in the room when I got the news. So stay here," was all she said.

It seemed like forever since she went back there. I couldn't sit still. I would sit for all of five minutes, get up and pace, ask how much longer she would be back there, sit back down, and repeat the cycle. After about 40 minutes she finally came out. I could tell she had been crying.

She handed me the car keys and told me that I needed to drive home and she would tell me what the doctor said when we got home.

When we got home I ran my purse to my room and went back to the living room where my mom was on the couch. "Mom now will you please tell me what the doctor said? And don't try to lie because you have tells you know, when you lie," I said.

She sat on the couch looking at her hands for a good ten minutes before she spoke. "Well first off. I know you don't really want anything to do with your father because he hasn't really been in your life, but you're going to have to start trying to have a relationship with him. The doctor said that I am stage four and I only have maybe a month and a half left if that. I love you, honey, you know that. I don't want you to watch me die. I'm not doing chemo and even if I did it would only prolong it for so long. I would feel horrible if I did do it and would be sick all the time. Right now, though I don't feel amazing, I still feel okay," she said.

"Mom, you need someone here to take care of you. I want to do that. You don't need to go through this alone," I said sadly.

"I'm not going to let you watch me die. You are going to live with your father. I'm not arguing with you about this. That's final. End of discussion," she said sternly.

***flashback ended***

One year and I still remember that conversation like it was yesterday. As I sat there thinking about that day there was a knock on my door. "Come in," I said muffled.

"I know you're still coping with your mother's death. But please do me a favor and try your best to get along with me. And I'll try my best to do the same," he said as he took a seat at the foot of my bed. "So I have something for you. I know money can't buy love or happiness, but I figured that this might maybe make you happy," he said handing me two tickets to Disneyland.

"Who is the second one for," I asked.

"Well I was hoping you and I could go together to you know bond. I mean if you don't want to then that's completely fine."

I sat there for a minute and then looked at him with a smile. "I would love that. Thank you for wanting to spend time with me."

"No problem sweetie. It's about time that I stepped up and became the father I was, well that I am supposed to be."

That was the night my father and I got to know so much more about each other. We found out our likes and dislikes. I found out that even though I knew him for the last six years that he and I had so much in common. It was unbelievable. And the best thing was that he didn't even spend all his time at work or out frolicking. He spent time with me and made me part of his life.

-Artemis