Always Mine {Book 3}| Completed

Part II: Chapter Twenty Six

E M M A POV:

I was sitting in the sitting room and I had on the old home movies of my childhood. Well also of my dad. I recall one of the best tapes which was the Christmas when I was two. And of course, I cried and laughed at it. Mom was sitting right next to me and we both laughed, and dad making funny jokes or doing something funny. In one of the footages, dad had literary chased mom around the front of the house with a rake while he was raking leaves. And the next footage they were both laughing with big smiles on their faces, lying in the leaves. And this was about eighteen years ago.

   I had cried after seeing many footage. And one footage in particular, was dad with me, talking about sending what he was filming of me to my grandparents. And of course, he was talking with me even though I was two, he was with me the whole time, holding me close to him. I was in pink pajamas. And my hair in two short ponytails.

   When the footage ended, I released a sob, wiping my tears from my eyes with a tissue. And then lately, I been having the thought of seeing Colleen. She's literally been calling me for days and I didn't pick up the phone until this morning when I decided to call her myself. And so that's why I know I have been wanting to see Colleen and Hallie for days, I just didn't have the courage to actually go drive there and see her.

"Your dad was so special." Mom had a very light smile on her face, on the verge to cry.

"Yes, he was very special. And every time I think of him gone, I know that he won't see me graduate, he won't be there when I get married, have children and worse, he won't be there to see Hallie grow up. He won't see her start kindergarten, go to first grade, he won't see her go to middle school, or score her first goal on the soccer team, and he won't see her start high school, he won't see her get accepted into the college she wants, and he won't see her graduate and get her diploma. Or see her go on her first date. And see her go off to college. And it's just so sad now that he's gone." I had brought all of this up, making it seem like it's still so impossible.

I had thought out a million different things to say when it comes to me having a conversation with dad if I had a one last chance. And it would be that I could spend one last time with him before his last moments. And I think about it everyday. Was he in pain when he died? Did it hurt? And I think about it all the time. Every second. Because there is obviously nothing else.

   I had looked at the coffee table filled with photos that mom and me were looking at. Going through some memories. And one of the memories I see there is my fifth birthday, which is me blowing out my candles. I was wearing a yellow dress. And still the photo looks clear as any. And popping out was a photo of mom and dad together. I can see it is a picture of mom holding me as a newborn and dad is right beside her. Mom was wearing a pink sweater and jeans. Her curls looked a mess in the photo just as she had probably given birth to me just by the look of it.

   "This photo... was the day we brought you home from the hospital." Mom pointed out, noticing me staring at it.

  "What was that day like?" I asked her, still my eyes just looking at the photo.

  "Well, our friends hosted this celebration party by welcoming you home which was quite the surprise. And everyone enjoyed the time of meeting you. We barely got you inside the house and everyone was just shouting at us with excitement." Mom explained and she picked up the photo, smiling down at it and for a second I thought she was gonna cry. "Your dad was literally a mastermind. Because he was the one who planned the whole thing and I didn't even know it."

   I thought of this happening which was back in September 2002.

  "Really?" I asked her.

  "That was the thing about him. He was good at keeping secrets. You never knew what he would do in his plans." Mom said.