Orange Tosser ✔️

29: Secret Cliffs

Rebecca

How I'd managed to convince Emmy's mom to hide me in her closet, was beyond me.

Emerson's mother, the second motherly figure in my life. She was best friends with my parents, which was surprising since I'd never met her or Emerson in my life until years ago.

I simply explained what was going on, and she understood it all somehow.

I was currently still talking to her, but I was sitting on the floor in her bedroom's closet. "Am I being irrational? Am I taking this too far?"

"Honey, in order to learn the things you want to know, you have to go far." She answered simply, writing down those words in her small journal. Emerson's mom writes stories for teenagers. The twist is that it includes inspirational characters that reflect the main characters thoughts on the world.

"But am I going too far?" I ask again, desperate for a solid answer.

"Do you remember when Charles died?" She asked me, I blinked back a couple tears at the reminder. Charles was Emerson's father. Two and a half years after I'd met him, he died. He had leukemia, and was put into remission. Unfortunately, it came back, and it came back hard. He couldn't work, and it was terrible. We watched it sorrow as he slipped away until the day he died. The worst day to die? His anniversary.

I nod my head, rolling my lips together to keep from crying.

"Do you remember what you told me when I was sobbing over my own writing?" She questioned, smiling as I furrowed my brows together. "You said, 'You've lost your husband. Your rock. Your best friend, soulmate.'"

"How did that help you?" I ask, confused as to why such a miserable statement can fix grief.

"It made me realize. He was my husband till the day he died, he was my rock, my best friend, and my soulmate till he died. When we got married, he promised to stay together till death do us part, and he kept that promise. He fulfilled his promise, and it made me think of what a great man he was."

"But his passing was terrible. You still cried the next few days after the funeral." I state, tilting my head sideways.

"Just because someone cries, it doesn't mean they are in pain. It doesn't mean they are happy, mad, sad, whatever. It just shows a sign of strength. It proves that you care, something that everyone needs. Always think of a deeper meaning before assuming." She winked at, before looking up at the sound of keys jingling at the front door.

I slid silently backwards, pushing the door shut. Emerson's mom quickly came over, and placed a hand on the closet door handle. She acted like she just closed it as Emmy walked in.

"Hey mom." Emmy greets, as they met for a hug. Emerson plopped on her mother's bed, peeking at the opened journal. "Whatcha writing today?"

A big smile on their faces. Emerson loved reading her mom's stories. Her inspirational quotes.

"Just a little something that I was reminded of today. Read it out loud." She gently handed Emmy the journal as she looked at the words.

"'He was the greatest husband I could ever come upon. Someone told me that he was my husband, my rock, my best friend, my soulmate. They also said he was gone. The saddest words to say, had the deepest impact on me.'" She finished as I lightly smiled as a tear ran down her cheek. "Becca said that. After dad..."

"She's a wise girl." Her mom nodded, closing the journal and looking at Emerson sadly. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, no, it's nothing. I mean, it is something but I don't know." She stumbled on her words, shaking her head.