The Secret Five #Wattys2016

Day 127-Trace

Christmas passed. It was six days ago. Back home, for the holidays, my father would work more hours and my grandmother would be the one cooking and sitting at the table with me. It used to be fun, before my mother died and my father didn't want to live with the memories.

My grandmother is an amazing person. She is my father's mother and had five children, two who died already. I am her only grandson and she treats me differently than my cousins; I have five cousins who are girls. She moved in with my father to help care for me because he was working crazy hours and claimed he didn't have time to cook dinner or bring me to school. My grandmother moved in and has been taking care of me since.

She was young when she had my father, who is her oldest son. She was twenty years old and was married to my grandfather for two years prior to having children. A year later she had my Uncle Oliver or as I call him Uncle Ollie. Three years after Uncle Ollie was born, she had my Aunt Beatrice or Auntie Bee. Then came Aunt Rita, fifteen months later, and she died two years ago from cancer. A year later, Uncle Theo came, and he died from a car accident. It happened the night before Armin's accident and I didn't know until my father told me after telling me Armin died. I was a wreck because I lost my best friend and my uncle the same day.

I am very close to my Auntie Bee. She helps my father whenever she could and visits every day. She always came to baseball games and supported me in my college decisions and everything in-between. She once told me that my father was never like this and I asked why.

"What happened to dad that made him so distant? Was it because mom died?" I asked her.

"Sort of. Your father went through a lot in his lifetime."

"But why?" I asked again.

"Trace, your father is a good man and I understand you two butt heads. He had many losses in his life and hasn't really dealt with them correctly. He lost two children, a wife, a sister and brother, and his father. David never dealt with the guilt or pain that came after the loss of the closest people to him. His father and siblings, then two of his children, and now his wife."

"What children did he lose? I am his only child."

"Before you were born you had a brother named Michael, he was five years older than you. When he was four he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. He got treatment and was doing better. You were born and six months later, he passed out at home, your mother finding him, and he had a heart attack. The cancer spread from his bones to his chest and gave him a heart attack. Then two years after you were born, your parents had another son they named Owen. He was a stillborn and after that, your mother refused to have more children and that made your father upset."

"That's terrible. I wondered why they never had more kids after me and I remember asking to have another boy."

"That's why Trace. Your father loves you and I want you to know that. He may not show it, but he talks very highly of you, brags almost." I nodded.

Was Auntie Bee right though? Did he actually brag about me? Did he try and repair our relationship? Where was he when I was taken against my will?

I rubbed my face and sighed. I miss my father. I feel bad for being here and I want to mend our relationship and make it better. I want to say sorry and hug him tight and be there for him. I wish I could take the pain he has away and carry it myself. He lost so much and I never realized it till now.

My father is a good man. He helps people every day. He is a hero. He is an inspiration. He is my father.

I went to Locklyn's room and knocked on the door. I heard Locklyn scream, "come in!" I opened the door and she was sitting up against the headboard of the bed eating some soup. "Hey Trace, what's up?"