Silently Falling

Chapter Twenty Two (Edited 10/26/2020)

Just from posting the last chapter, I gained  100+ more votes! At this rate, I'll be to 1K in no time :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter- it's a long and emotional one ;)

10/26/2020 - It's amazing to see how far I've come when I read my little notes like ^^ those, lol. It goes to show that we all have to start somewhere! This book wasn't always popular. It took months upon months for me to pick up readers. So, to any new authors out there, don't give up if the views aren't instantly pouring in.

Silently Falling: Chapter Twenty Two

Sunlight flows into my room through my bay window, causing a red outline to be seen behind my closed eyes. I groan and turn over to face the other way, but the light somehow captures this side of my room too. With a sigh I slowly open my eyes, blinking to get used to the sudden change of aperture. I smack my lips and slowly sit up, scratching my head as I do. My lazy eyes trail to my clock and I squint at the neon red digits.

8:15 AM

It's been a couple of weeks since Dad decided to move back in permanently. He left the day after our talk to go back to New York and settle all that needed to be done before he could come back to stay. He's still there sorting all of that out, and he missed Thanksgiving for the second year in a row. He warned Toby and me that it may take a month or a little longer to get all of that done, but adamantly promised that it would get done and he would be coming back. No matter what. 

West and I have been hanging out a decent amount; one on one and with the whole group. Toby made it clear that he wants to get in as many parent-free nights as possible before Dad moves back in permanently, so everyone has come over every day of the past two weekends. It's been fun; our group is getting closer and closer and now West feels like he's been with all of us for a lot longer than just two months. Although, it would be hard to miss the obvious tension between him and Tyler. I ignore it the best I can, but I don't miss the small glares they send to one another when they think no one is looking. 

I close my eyes for a second and mentally prepare to get up. I roll over and grab my phone, letting out a dejected sigh as I realize I forgot to plug it in last night. I mentally slap myself and hesitantly glance at the percentage. It only has 40% left. I purse my lips with a scowl and begin to unlock my phone, but as I see the date resting just beneath the time, I freeze in place and my blood runs cold.

December 5th.

My mother's death anniversary.

I was hoping Dad would be moved back in in time for today. I was hoping that for the first time in years we would be able to mourn during this day together. But, I suppose that with how hard it is for him to be here, being here on this particular day may be asking too much. However, he at least had the sense to text and my phone buzzes in my hand.

Dad: Thinking of you and Toby extra today. I'm sorry I'm not there, I will be in another week. Love you both. 

I let out a silent sigh and drop my phone from my hand to my bed, suddenly not knowing what to do. I knew this day was coming up, but no amount of preparation could get one ready to mourn their mother. I mourn her every day, I think about her every day, I miss her every day...but the anniversary of her death is different. It's harder to get through. Having the memory of West singing my song Pictures doesn't make it any easier, either. I wonder if she heard him singing it. I wonder if she was watching from Heaven, having the same teary-eyed reaction as my father and being there as we talked. 

It's the 12th year I've been without her, and every year seems harder than the last.

Every year on the day of my mother's death anniversary, Toby drives me to her grave two hours away. It's located in the town she met my father in, they had decided to be buried there together. However, my dad never expected for her to have to be buried so soon. No one did.