The Story of Vada Munroe

Chapter One

"Congratulations, it's a girl."

Jennifer smiled weakly as she held Casey's hand that was placed on her shoulder. "A girl..."

The nurse smiled down at Jennifer as she stepped closer to her. "Do you want to hold her?" She asked in a soft voice and Jennifer nodded lightly.

"Yes, please."

The nurse leaned over and lowered the baby towards Jennifer. She took the baby into her arms and held her close to her chest. She looked down at her daughter, the smile never leaving her face. "She's so beautiful..." She whispered to herself, caressing her sleeping baby's cheek.

"What's her name?" The nurse asked.

"Vada.. Vada Aesira Munroe."

Fifteen years later...

"Squish..." Vada rolled over on her side as a groan escaped her mouth. "Don't make me do this the hard way." Vada smiled to herself and rolled over onto her stomach. A moment later, Vada groaned lightly at the sudden weight being placed on her back.

"Mom!" Vada groaned out and rolled over, causing her mother to slide off her.

"You left me no other choice." Vada rolled over on her side and looked up at her mother. "You know we have to be up and ready by eleven."

"Why do we even have to move? All my friends are here."

Jennifer sighed softly. "We've been through this before, your father found a job in Miami and we decided that this was the best for you. We don't want you to have the same life I did."

Vada furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "And what life was that? You still won't tell me anything about your childhood..."

Jennifer smiled softly at her daughter. "It's for the best you don't know." She sat up and stood up from the bed and walked over to the door and opened it. "Up and at 'em." She said before shutting the door behind her. Vada sighed and sat up.

Me and my mother always had a good relationship but with all her secrets, she makes it hard to trust her. I want to trust her, but I feel like I know nothing about her besides the person she portrays. I tried to talk to her about it multiple times, but she just keeps saying the same thing every time, "It's for the best you don't know". It's really irritating. I just wish she would at least tell me something about her childhood, but I'm always left in the dark.

Vada walked into the kitchen to see her father, Casey, pouring coffee into his mug. He glanced up at her momentarily before looking back down at the mug. "Good morning, Vada."

Vada smiled softly and walked over to the kitchen island and pulled out a chair and sat down. "Morning." She replied.

"Did your mom wake you again?" He asked, a sly smile plastered onto his face. Vada nodded lightly as she rubbed her eye, trying to get rid of the sleepiness.

She stayed up late last night playing her online game with her best friend Laurence, who she has never met before.

Casey glanced up at her and shook his head lightly as he sat down. "Don't tell me you were up all night playing that game again."

Vada looked up at him. "Technically, I wasn't up all night."

Casey sighed and looked down at his mug and tapped his fingertips against the glass. "You need to be careful, Vade. I don't want anything to happen to you-"

Vada rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I know dad, you always tell me you don't like me talking to strangers, but Laurence isn't just a stranger, okay? He's my best friend." Casey huffed silently before nodding, choosing not to argue with his stubborn daughter. A moment later, Jennifer walked into the room and opened the refrigerator.

"What are you two talking about?" She asked, looking back at them as she reached for a water bottle from the refrigerator.

Casey glanced over at her with a soft smile on his face. "Nothing, honey."

Jennifer shut the refrigerator door and turned towards the two. She glanced over at Vada before looking back at Casey. "You sure?"

Vada glanced at her father, then back at her mother. "Yeah, it was nothing."

Jennifer stared at her daughter for a moment before responding, "okay. I'm gonna go out and put the boxes in the car."

Casey took a quick sip of his coffee before standing up from his seat. "Mm, I'll help you." He said and followed Jennifer out the front door.
Vada looked back at them as they walked out of the house, smiling and talking with each other. She looked back down at the tabletop and smiled softly to herself.

I know one thing about my mother's past; She and my father have been together for fifteen years. He was her high school teacher. They met at a cafe where she worked. She was only fifteen then. When my dad found out he was her teacher, he was against it, but eventually, they got together for reasons I was never told. They had a few rough patches, but found their way to each other in the end. My mother always told me I was the reason they got back together, but I'm not sure if I believe that. The thing that surprises me the most is the fact that they're not married yet, they've been together for fifteen years and it's not like they're not in love. I wonder, what's stopping them?

"Vada!"

The sound of her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts. Vada looked back at her mother, standing out into the hall, just barely in sight of where Vada sat.

"Yeah?"

"Where's your boxes?"

Vada cursed at herself before standing up from her seat and walked over to her mother. "I forgot to.."

Jennifer sighed softly, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Don't tell me you forgot to pack."

Vada stepped back slightly and broke eye contact with her mother. "Sorry..."

Jennifer sighed once again before she spoke. "It's fine. Let's quickly pack up your stuff. If we hurry, we can stop at your favorite restaurant and get a bite to eat."

Vada shot her head up and looked into her mother's lively blue eyes. "Really?"
Jennifer nodded and Vada smiled excitedly and paced past her but quickly stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned towards her mother.

"Wait." Jennifer looked up at her with a small grin plastered on her face as she stared up at her daughter, her hand resting on the railing. "What's the catch?" Vada asked, furrowing her eyebrows slightly in confusion. "You don't just take me to a restaurant whenever." She added.

Jennifer snickered, staring down at the ground. She took a moment before looking back up at her daughter. "Just think of this as an early birthday present."

Vada snickered and completely turned towards her mother. "Birthday? Mom, my birthday isn't for another month. Besides, you know I don't like celebrating my birthday."

Jennifer smiled and tilted her head slightly. "You have no choice. If I have to celebrate my birthday, then so do you." Vada groaned lightly and turned her back to her mother and began walking up the stairs along with Jennifer.