As Luck Would Have It

Día de Muertos

  Juan came back home with Emma. They found Delilah on the couch cuddled with Cyn. They were actually kissing. Juan's presence startled Cyn so much she nearly fell off of the couch. Fortunately, Delilah caught her.

  Juan chuckled as he looked away. He didn't like seeing his little girl engaged in any type of intimate acts. It made him shy.

  "Hi, papa. What are you doing here?" Delilah asked as she stood up to greet him. First Bell now him. What was going on?

He sat down the box he was carrying and hugged his girl. "Emma found me outside snooping around. Figured I'd come say hi." He winked at Emma behind Delilah's back.

"I'm happy to see you. What's in the box?" She asked peeking at it.

Juan smiled as he sat down. He opened the box and took out a few things. "This stuff belonged to your Mama."

Delilah immediately took her hand from the box. She had never been one to be sentimental or emotional. Outside of photos and the poem Emma wrote her, she didn't keep things for the sake of memories or their fondness. She never saw the point in that. Delilah's mother passed before she had chance to create any memory of her. So she heard the stories, saw the photos and home movies but unfortunately, she didn't know her mother. "Oh?" She asked.

Juan nodded with a huge smile on his face. "I was cleaning the attic and came across a few boxes. I thought I'd gather a few things and bring them to you. Things she'd want you to have."

Emma and Cyn looked on curiously. Of course the first thing Delilah picked up was a book. She couldn't help herself. Her hands gravitated to it. Though, with closer inspection she realized it wasn't a book at all. It was a journal and there were a few of them.

"Ah! That was Meg's diary. One of them anyway. She loved to write. She never let me read them. Said it was private."

"It is." Delilah said. She ran her fingers across the cover and picked up the others from the box.

"I guess a lady should have a few secrets." Juan shrugged.

"Wait, so you never read them? Even after she...?" Delilah's voice trailed off.

Her papa shook his head. "Nope. I told her I never would. I didn't, but I think you should. She wouldn't mind. It's probably mostly about you. She wrote in one of those things nearly every day when she was pregnant with you. Sometimes more than once a day."

Delilah held the journal closer to her chest. This was the closest she's ever felt to her Mother. It felt nice.

"What else is in there?" Emma asked.

Juan smiled. It warmed his heart to be sharing these things with his daughter and her future wife. "Memories I want you guys to have." He took a deep breath and sighed. He was starting to get teary eyed. He stood up and looked at his watch. "I should go, mija. I told your brother I'd drop by to see him too."

"Okay. Thank you for bringing this. I love you." Delilah hugged him again but this one was longer. She basked in his manly scent. The same scent he's had since she could remember. She took in the way his beard scratched against her face. His big strong hands on her back. Her safe haven and protector. Her papa. "I love you so much." She whispered.

He was trying to leave before this happened but it was too late. A few tears escaped. "I love you more. Always have. Always will. Be good for me, hm?" He said as she quickly wiped his face.

"I will." She finally let go of him.

"Bye, Mr. Ramirez!" Cyn said as she smiled and waved.