Under the Stars |✓

23

When it rains, look for the rainbows. When it's dark, look for the stars.

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I could feel Dennis' burning gaze as I read the letter two more times.

This explains everything.

They could not just start hating me without a valid reason. Thinking about it, dad did not actually treat me all that bad. He was just silent with a hidden expression on his face, taking my mother away from me when he saw her beating me up or sending harsh words towards me. And my sister only told me to leave her alone anytime I came near her.

She pushed me away so I wouldn't be even more hurt by our mom.

I knew something was wrong when my sister told me one day that she hated the color purple, because it was her favorite color, her wardrobe consisted of mostly purple dresses and clothes.

Dennis was really patient, watching me, waiting for me to tell him what was behind the letter. I guess he saw me tearing up again (I seem to be doing that a lot this night), because he asked me,

"Lisa, is something wrong?"

I wiped my eyes, willing myself not to cry again, as I showed him the letter.

"She never hated me." I pointed out, giving him a genuine grin. "My dad and my sister never hated me, it was my mom."

He gave me a confused expression and I handed him the letter. He read through it and I could see his face lit up with relief. Or something like that.

"I agree with your sister. Your mom is crazy. " He admitted.

I nodded and began glancing through the pages of the album. She had put a picture of each of our childhood moments that our father had managed to take of us.

There was one of when we were in the attic during spring cleaning. We had found mom's wedding gown and I had worn it, Lily found a scarve and used it as a tie. She had knotted in a rough but manageable way. Then we acted as a groom and bride getting married, and dad took the pictures of us. There was even one when he acted like the priest, with a worn-out blanket over his shoulders.

We had so much fun that afternoon.

Another one was us at the garden. Lily had stolen dad's camera before we sneaked to the garden. Even though it was midnight, there was still little lighting. We took pictures of each other in the garden. Then in the last picture I had placed a flower in my hair, our cheeks joined together as we gave a toothed grin to the camera.

And another one of us was when we were coming back from a carnival, a cat was chasing me and my lovely sister had convinced dad to take pictures of me. I had a big phobia for cats which according to my sister is weird because cats were 'adorable'. Underneath it was a picture showing my scared face, a little too close to the camera, my hair scattered across of my face because of the wind.

I heard Dennis laugh beside me.

"Is that you?" He said in between laughs. I rolled my eyes at him, laughing nonetheless.

"Yeah. I was running away from a stray cat when my sister, my dad and I were coming from a carnival a few years ago."

We continued looking through the pictures, which had something different written underneath each of them.

I laughed when I saw a picture of all of us in the kitchen. She had made a large X-sign on mom and wrote Witch on it. It was Thanksgiving and we were eating in the dining. I had posed with a drumstick close to my wide open mouth, Lily had made a duck mouth to the camera with a hand under her chin and a little wink. Dad seemed like he was laughing at the both of us. While mom had a scowl on her face - typical.

Dennis and I spent the rest of the few minutes, looking at each pictures that my sister had so graciously arranged, reading each letter that she so perfectly put together. And I was happy.

She had given me the best gift I have ever received from her.

And that was memories. Memories that I will forever cherish and keep in my heart. And also the fact that my family still actually cared about me.

There is one thing that is certain though. The woman who gave birth to us, the woman that was supposed to act as a mother figure to me and my sister, is not considered part of my family anymore.

Although I have forgiven her for all the trouble she's caused in the family, she's nothing to me but - in my sister's words - A Witch.