The Boy With The Skull Tattoo 18+ (DISCONTINUED)

32. The Anniversary: Dos

                                                                                       (ELLAH)

"You and that dress is something else."Emily and I were in the bathroom of the reception getting ready. Emily lifted up the strap of my dress and made sure my breasts look revealing under the v-neck cut out. I was so nervous to step out and see everybody on the dance floor parading around like wild animals. I could already hear the questions my family will harass me with.The only time we'll see each other is if there's family events. The typical family agenda.

        The party is so alive, you can literally hear the crowd shouting for joy. I have a pretty big family so it wouldn't surprise me if someone had a disagreement and a physical altercation broke out. Most of my family members come from my fathers side, the rest is Drew's aunts and uncles and a few cousins from Europe who later moved to the U.S during his high school years.

     It's Lonnie and Angie's wedding anniversary and to be honest this is my first time actually feeling proud of them. A lot of people doubted Lonnie and Angie's relationship because of the whole step-mother and step-father alteration. A lot of people thought they would last a year and divorce, but that wasn't even an option for Lonnie and Angie. They've been strong since two-thousand-three. They've been keeping the knot tied for twelve years and raising two beautiful children, Drew and I of course.

         As much as I hated the whole step thing, having the warmth and comfort of family made me feel complete. I always had my dad to myself so I wasn't used to letting someone one else get his attention. Our father and daughter moments slowly died when Angie came in the picture. I didn't hate her for that, I just couldn't stand why my dad would just forget the real woman who gave birth to me.

      I had to learn to accept a new lover in my fathers life. Sure, it did hurt me when my father replaced my own mother with someone else, but nothing made me happier when the wedding day came and the biggest smile stretched across his face like the Golden State Bridge.  He told me he cried when my mother left, but I never saw so much tears on a wedding day. That day I knew my dad wasn't letting her go. I hoped so.

       My dad really loves Angie and I don't want to get in the way of that and jeopardize their love for each other. Their whole marriage changed our lives forever. My father and I were no longer sitting on his grandfathers post-war couch. We weren't playing camp anymore in the backyard. We weren't buying pizza and all that unhealthy junk anymore. It was time to grow up and be mature. I hated the package of moving in another home. I felt like I was forced into Drew's family. I was taken away from my own childhood, but at the time I couldn't do nothing about it because my youthful words weren't enough to prove how angry I was. A child must stay in its place.

      Like any other kid, I just went with the flow. But as you get older you realize maybe somethings are meant to happen. Maybe Drew is meant to be in my life. Everything about him and his family is meant to bring us together I guess.

                     Or maybe restore what was broken in my dads life, our life.

I'm looking at myself in the mirror now, going back in time and thinking about how far I've come; how far I've gotten here and the way things turned out great for me over the past couple of years.

"Don't just stand there," Emily quickly brushed some mascara on her lashes, one stroke at a time, carefully, not trying to ruin her eye shadow. "Let's get out there and shake some fat ass." She looked at me up and down through the reflection of the mirror and winked.