Finding Happiness

Chapter 3

Quickly, I became attached to Lisa. She was kind and caring and she gave me the attention I craved. We would play with make-up and do my hair and I loved it.

March came and I was turning eight that year. Lisa took me and Haylee to a store in Concord Mills to get "goodie bags" for my party. That was my first sleepover and It was crazy. There were eight girls that night (that includes me and haylee.) And I remember waking up with popcorn everywhere and every girl had marker on her face.

The end of the year came and we all said goodbye knowing that some of us would be at the new school. Summer went buy and then August came. I remember being excited about being in the same school and class with Macy for the first time in our lives. I was also scared about the change. That year I became close to Jake, Ryan, Grace, and Tori. They had came from the other school but they were my close friends that year. I also remember seeing Sarah. I had met her in First grade because her family had just moved to town and our sisters were friends. We were both excited to see each other again. 

My mom had just moved into a new house and we were still going back and forth every week.

But then the big news came.

I remember going to church and noticing something about Lisa. She cocked her eyebrow like usual and held out her hand. That's when we all found out about the engagement. My dad had found his happiness once again and I was so excited to have Lisa become part of our family, officially.

The wedding happened on October 11th, 2008. It was small and simple. Grant, my soon to be nephew, and Nate carried the rings. Madyson and Will handed out programs. Me, Haylee, Macy, Logan, Tessia, Anna, and Asia were all flower girls. So you can imagine how many flowers there were, but, they didn't wanna leave anyone out. Grant is Katie's son. Anna and Asia are Timothy's daughters. Katie and Timothy were going to be my new siblings. Lisa's family has always been kind and welcoming and I'm so glad to have them in my life.

Grant was only a month old when I met Lisa and her family, so I've always felt like he was more of a brother than a nephew. I grew up with him. I drug him around like a baby doll and constantly wanted to help with anything. I'd feed him, change his diapers, help give him showers, basically anything. I didn't see Anna and Asia as often as Grant.

My grandmother, or as we called her Mimi, had been diagnosed with  cancer that year too. She lived in Virginia so we made lots of trips up there as she got worse. That year for Christmas I got a puppy. She was so crazy and I hated I had to leave her for my visit to see my grandmother but I hadn't seen her in about 6 months. I remember playing the Super Nintendo constantly when we were at her house. I can see us now in the small town of South Boston V.A going to get ice cream with my grandmother but she got so sick and didn't go out much.

Thats when 2009 came. It was during spring time when she passed away. It was hard and it hurt a lot. She was the first loss I experienced. My mom and her brother were hurting and I tried to be there for her but being only nine years, old I didn't know how.

Soon that school year ended and fourth grade started. I was in Macy's class again. I met more people that year too.

I remember having a crush on a boy that year too. I just didn't tell anyone. (You will here more about him later in this story..). That year my mom met a man named Greg. She had known him and liked him since second grade and they graduated high school together. Little did I know, he would be a huge change for us.