This is just the first 2 chapters; I don't know what I'm going to do with it much, but I want to get opinions on what I have so far. Thank you.
"How much longer?" Rena whined, her head on her desk. Her voice was just a raspy whisper, quiet enough to not draw the attention of Frau Abendroth, our study hall supervisor and Rena's German teacher. I looked at my cellphone.
"Three more minutes," I whispered.
"Kill me," she muttered.
"Halt deine verdammte Mündung," Frau Abendroth grumbled from her desk, not taking her eyes away from the magazine she was reading. Rena looked up and glared at her. I held up two fingers. 2 more, I mouthed. The last two minutes of class seemed to drag on. I was sure time had stopped. But finally the last bell of the day rang.
"Let's go, Rowan!" Rena shouted, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me out of the classroom. The hallways flooded with students, everyone eager to get out of here. Thanksgiving break was finally here. Rena and I stopped at each of our lockers, dropping off everything we wouldn't need. "God, can you believe it? Of course, German's the only class I have homework in, and Frau decides to give us a whole freaking project!"
"Maybe she wouldn't if you didn't give her such a hard time," I raised an eyebrow at her.
"The woman needs to learn to forgive and forget," she grumbled. On our way out of the school, we met up with Avril and Dante.
"Thank God it's Friday!" Avril groaned. "And finally! Break!"
"Freedom!" Dante bellowed, wrapping his arm around me. I kissed him to get him to shut up, but couldn't help but laugh.
"I can't wait to get home and sleep," Rena nodded. "Speaking of that, I gotta go. Things to do." Rena swung her keys around her fingers, heading for the student parking lot. Avril nodded in agreement.
"Me too. I'll see you guys. We'll do something awesome over break. Bye!" I followed Dante to his car. He took my hand in his, wrapping his fingers between mine.
"You got any plans for break?" he asked.
"No. We don't usually do much for Thanksgiving; it's always just the four of us."
"That's okay. Neither do we. Then at least we have more time to do whatever we want." I smirked.
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"I don't know... See a movie or something. Maybe I want it to be a surprise." We got in his car and headed to my house. I led him inside to the kitchen. "So you got any homework over break?"
"Not really... Just physics." Dante made a gagging noise. "What about you?"
"Physics, and calculus, and English, and gym..."
"How do you have homework in gym?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Mr. Conrad said he wants me to be able to run the mile in under ten minutes when we come back from break... It was implied."
"So you're going to be spending all break at the gym or something?" I smirked. He took both of his hands in mine and stood close to me, his face only inches from mine.
"No, I'm going to be spending it with you as much as I can," he said quietly. I was sure my face was red and the corners of my mouth were touching my eyes. He leaned in to kiss me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Ew, gross!" Gavin shouted. I quickly pulled away from Dante.
"Gavin!" I gasped at my twelve year old brother.
"Dad said you're not supposed to have boys over when no one's home!" he taunted.
"Well apparently we're not alone," I grumbled. "And you can bug off. Go do your homework or something." Gavin stuck his tongue out at me then hurried upstairs. Mom came in then, a bag full of groceries in her arms.
"Hey Rowan--- Oh. Hello, Dante."
"Hey, Mrs. D," Dante nodded. Mom pursed her lips into a smile and set the bag on the counter, starting to put the groceries away. I grabbed Dante's hand and moved towards the stairs.
"Come on," I mumbled as we left.
"Door stays open!" Mom called after us. I turned around to throw her a warning glance. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I knew she was completely serious. She would have no problem throwing Dante out. We passed Gavin in his outer-space room, playing with his action figures.
"Nerd," I coughed.
"Rowan!" he whined. Dante laughed and sat on the edge of my bed. I sat down in front of my pillow, his hand still in mine.
"Your parents don't like me much, do they?" Dante raised an eyebrow. We'd been dating for almost four months now, and I'd thought my parents were pretty obvious on their opinion of Dante, but he'd never asked before. I felt sort of bad.
"Dad says you could use a haircut," I told him, ruffling his hair. He smirked and shook his head. "But it doesn't matter what they think. I like you." His goofy grin grew bigger.
"A lot?" he asked hopefully.
"Eh," I shrugged. He rolled his eyes and leaned in towards me, kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him closer. My heart was pounding hard against my chest.
"Hey, kiddo, Chinese sound goo--" Dad came into my room. I pushed Dante away quickly, a yelp almost escaping my mouth. My face felt like it was on fire. Dad's smile disappeared from his face. I felt like a deer in headlights. Dante cleared his throat.
"Um... Hey, Mr. D," he attempted to play it cool. Dad pursed his lips. I could tell he was trying hard not to explode.
"Dante," he said slowly. "I think it's time for you to go home."
"Sure. I'll call you later, Rowan." Dante stood up and cautiously moved around Dad to leave the room. "Bye, Mr. D." Dad didn't reply. I could hear the front door open and close a few moments later. Dad folded his arms.
"Daddy--" I began, but he shook his head.
"New rule: no boys in your room. Period. You guys stay downstairs."
"But---"
"Rowan, I don't want to hear it. Your mother went to get Chinese for dinner. Go set the table with your brother." I got up from my bed and went down the hallway.
"Ha ha," Gavin mocked, standing in his doorway.
"Shut up," I grumbled, shoving his shoulder. Gavin and I went downstairs, grabbing the plates, silverware, and napkins. My face was still burning. As I set the table mats in their places, I saw Gavin making faces at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed, making me smirk too. Dad came downstairs, and we both pursed our lips, trying to hide our smiles; we both could tell Dad wasn't in a good mood right now, thanks to me. We both knew Dad had quite a temper. I crossed my eyes at Gavin when Dad's back was turned, making him laugh.
"What's so funny?" Dad wondered. Gavin coughed, shaking his head.
"Nothing," he giggled. Dad chuckled and shook his head at Gavin, but he wouldn't look at me. I sighed. Shortly after we finished setting the table, Mom came home with Chinese.
"That new movie Life of Pi came out today," Gavin brought up during dinner. "Can we go see it sometime during break?" Mom and Dad eyed each other, smirking.
"Sure, Gavin," Dad nodded. "How does tonight sound?" Gavin's eyes lit up.
"Really?" he gasped. Mom and Dad nodded. "Yay! It's gonna be so cool! I heard it got 8 out of ten stars!" I rolled my eyes at him.
"Does that sound like fun, Rowan?" Mom asked. I wrinkled my nose and shrugged.
"I think I'll pass," I replied sheepishly. It didn't sound like the most interesting movie. Plus being home alone for a while sounded pretty inviting. "I got homework to do." Mom nodded understandingly. I finished eating and threw away my trash.
"Wait, Rowan!" Gavin called. "What does your fortune cookie say?" I looked at the little piece of paper I'd stuffed into my pocket. "Mine says 'A lifetime of happiness is ahead of you.'"
"Mine says 'Time is not measured by a watch, but by moments,'" Mom reported.
"'Your days will be filled with sunshine and happiness,'" Dad chuckled, amused at his fortune. "Well that's a relief."
"Rowan?" Gavin asked impatiently.
"'Change is coming,'" I nodded. Dad muttered something to Mom and she laughed. I went and laid down on the couch in the living room, waiting for them to leave. A while later Dad came over, sitting on the edge of the couch.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with?" he wondered. I nodded. "Okay... We should be home around nine... And you're sure?"
"Yes, Dad," I replied sharply. Dad sighed. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head.
"See you later, Roe," he told me, using the nickname I'd had since I was a baby. I didn't look at him.
"Bye, dear. See you later," Mom said, kissing my cheek. "I love you." Gavin zipped up his huge winter coat.
"Bye, Rowan! It's okay, if it's good we can go see it again." I rolled my eyes at him. They all headed out to the garage. A few moments later I heard the car pull away. I turned on the TV and called Dante. He picked up after a couple of rings.
"Hey babe," he answered, making me smile. "What's up?"
"Nothing. I'm sorry about earlier."
"It's no big deal." I was sure he shrugged. "What're you doing?"
"Just watching TV. They all went out to see a movie."
"Want me to stop by?" he asked curiously, laughing a little. I grinned.
"Yes... But you can't," I sighed. "With my luck they'd be home early and get us busted." Dante sighed on the other end of the line.
"Okay... But I'll see you soon though, okay? I'll think of something fun for us to do."
"Sounds like fun."
"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later. Love you." My heart fluttered.
"Okay. Love you too." I hung up the phone, then went to take a shower. I was able to take a nice, long hot shower, not having to worry about Gavin complaining about using all the warm water. I got out and changed into a tank top and sweatpants. It was already almost eight when I got out. I went downstairs and went to OnDemand to watch Supernatural reruns. After a few episodes, I saw that it was already past ten o'clock. I was pretty sure Gavin had talked Mom and Dad into getting ice cream or something after the movie; or maybe there was just a lot of traffic.
I didn't start to get worried until it was past 10:30. Mom usually called whenever she was runny late for anything. I tried calling Dad's cellphone but there was no answer. I tried Mom's phone. It rang for a few minutes. Right before I expected it to go to voicemail, someone picked up.
"Hello?" a man's voice answered. My heart stopped for a moment.
"Hello?" I echoed.
"Who is this?" he wondered. I was starting to get worried. Why did this guy have Mom's cellphone?
"Um... R-- Rowan... Who is this?"
"How do you know the woman you were trying to call?" he inquired. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"She--- She's my mom," I stammered. There was a brief pause. I could hear other people talking.
"What's your last name, Rowan?"
"D--- D'ambrosio."
"Is there anyone else home with you?" he asked. I didn't answer for a moment.
"No."
"Rowan, what's your address?" he questioned. I didn't answer. He spoke again right before I was about to hang up to call the police. "Rowan, I'm Officer Landenna. It's very important that we get your address, okay? Do you trust me?" I didn't speak. My pulse was pounding in my ears.
"Why?" my voice wavered.
"Rowan because of protocol I cannot tell you right now. Would you give me your address so I can tell you? Myself and another officer will come over. Please, Rowan. You need to trust me." I finally gave in and gave him my address. He said he would be over shortly. I checked the locks on all the doors and windows. I closed all the blinds. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, trying to give myself some comfort. My heart was pounding. I felt like I was going to be sick. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I walked over slowly and quietly to the door, the kitchen knife gripped tightly in my hand. I stood up on my tip toes to look out the peep-hole. Sure enough, there were two officers standing there. I guess that should've made me feel better. I did, for a split second. Then I became even more worried. I opened the door.
"Rowan?" the officer with dark spiky hair raised an eyebrow. I nodded slowly. He took a deep breath and looked at the other officer, with flat blonde hair. "Can we come in?" I reluctantly stepped to the side, letting them both come in. "Rowan, I'm Officer Landenna. This is Officer Carroll..." I held my breath.
"Where's my parents?" I breathed. "Why're you here?" Officer Landenna took another deep breath.
"Rowan, your parents were in a head-on collision. I'm sorry, Rowan, but they didn't make it." I felt like I'd just been hit by a wrecking ball. I shook my head.
"No. That's not possible. They--- They said they were going to come home! They said they were going to be home at nine! They have to come home!" I shouted hysterically. My eyes filled with tears. I could barely see. There was a huge lump in my throat. I looked at the officers. "Oh God. What about Gavin? What about my baby brother?!" Officer Landenna looked down.
"He passed away as well, ma'm," the other officer spoke gruffly. I gaped.
"No. No! No!" I screamed, shaking my head. Officer Landenna touched my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Rowan. I am so sorry." I squeezed my eyes shut, still shaking my head.
"No, this isn't happening." Mom and Dad's faces flashed through my mind. I saw Gavin's face. I felt sick. The next thing I knew, Officer Landenna was holding me up; my knees had given out.
"Rowan, we're going to take you to the police station, okay?" he spoke slowly. I covered my face with my hands and nodded. "Here, why don't you put these shoes on." He moved my shoes that were by the door over to me. I slipped them on and followed Officer Carroll down the sidewalk to the police car that was parked in the driveway. Officer Landenna kept a hand on my shoulder as he guided me. A few of the neighbors were watching from the porch steps, wondering why the police were at my house. I tried not to look at them.
The whole ride to the police station felt like a dream. It didn't even feel like it was real. I felt like I was floating. Officer Landenna asked me something on the way there, but I couldn't make out the words. I felt like I was in a thick fog.
When we got to the police station, they had me sit in a chair in the front room. Officer Landenna said he would be back as soon as he could. I brought my knees up to my chest. The room was cold. There were a bunch of secretaries behind the front desk. Some of them tapped away at a computers. Every few minutes the phone would ring and they would answer. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
It felt like hours later that Officer Landenna finally came back. In his hands he had a blanket. He handed it to me. I wrapped it around myself. He knelt down in front of me.
"Rowan, we looked through your parents' file. Your uncle is being called to come and pick you up, okay?" he nodded. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"I don't have an uncle," I shook my head. He pursed his lips and looked at a folder he had in his hands.
"Grant Alexander D'ambrosio. Your father is Spencer Hugh D'ambrosio, correct?" I nodded. "Well, this is his brother. He lives in Monessen, which is quite a while away. He will be here soon, though, okay?" My bottom lip quivered. I nodded as a tear fell onto the floor. Officer Landenna hugged me. "I'm sorry, Rowan. It will be okay." I held onto him tight, the sobs coming out louder and more painful than ever.
***
My head was killing me and I felt sick to my stomach. My eyes felt dry, but I could still feel the tears staining my cheeks. My whole body was sore from sitting on the chair; the police had insisted that this "uncle" of mine was going to be there within a few hours. But the night came and went, and it was almost eight o'clock in the morning now. I was beginning to lose hope. I had little memory of Dad ever even saying he had a brother. Maybe it was something I'd just made up. But I had little hope of this brother of his coming for me. Why would he? I'd never even met him in my almost seventeen years of living.
About a quarter to nine, the door opened, and a little bell rang. A tall man and woman came, the woman had her hands on the shoulders of a teenage girl. They walked right past me to the front desk.
"Um... I'm looking for my niece?" the old man spoke in a gruff voice. The man at the front desk nodded and stood up, gesturing to me. The family turned around. The man looked at me, and his face fell even more. "Rowan," he breathed, falling to his knees in front of me. He put his hand on my knee, looking at me with pleading eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rowan." I sniffed. "You don't even know who I am," he stated. I shook my head. "I'm your uncle Grant. Your dad's older brother..." He turned around and gestured to the woman and girl. "This is your Aunt Layla, and your cousin Timberland."
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Aunt Layla cooed. Timberland didn't say anything; her face was almost unemotional. I could detect some annoyance in her eyes, though.
"We're going to take you home, Rowan," Uncle Grant said solemnly. We just need to get some papers filled out, then we'll take you home, okay?" I nodded once, more tears streaming down my face. Uncle Grant touched his palm to my face, then stood up and followed an officer into another room. Aunt Layla guided Timberland to sit in the chair next to me, and she sat on the opposite side of her. Timberland stared at the floor in front of her.
"Do you remember Timberland at all, Rowan?" Aunt Layla wondered. I studied the girl next to me. She had shoulder length, wavy dark brown hair. Her eyes matched her hair in darkness. She had a ring through the side of her nose, just like mine. I shook my head.
"No," I murmured. Timberland didn't move at all. She looked about my age. I wondered if she remembered me. Aunt Layla tapped Timberland's knee, getting her attention.
"Timberland, do you remember Rowan?" she asked. I was shocked to see her moving her hands as she spoke. With each word came a new movement. I'd never seen anyone do that before. Timberland looked at me, narrowing her eyes. She scrutinized me for a moment, then shook her head at her mom. Then she moved her hands in a different motion, more quickly than her mother. Her mom nodded, and held up her hand, all fingers out, and tapped her thumb to her chest. "That's fine," she spoke. Timberland stood up and left, walking through a door. I saw her stop at vending machine through the window.
"Is... Is she deaf?" I wondered aloud.
"Yes," Aunt Layla confirmed. I stared at Timberland in awe. I had so many questions, but before I could ask, Timberland came back and sat down. I wasn't sure how much hearing she had, or if she could read lips. Aunt Layla tapped her again, and then began signing as she spoke to us. "Girls, I know you don't remember, but you two used to be good friends," she reminisced, smiling warmly. "You two were still very young, but I remember you both loved being around each other. Now you both can reconnect!"
Timberland signed something to Aunt Layla. I didn't know what she was signing, but she mouthed the words, very faint whispers coming out. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but it sounded like "Hom, hut up." Aunt Layla glared at her daughter, shaking her head sternly. I brought my knees up to my chest, and rested my cheek on top of them, feeling exhausted. Aunt Layla reached over and patted my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," she murmured softly. One more tear escaped. I sniffed, keeping my eyes closed.
We didn't get out of the police station until around noon. Then we had a nine hour drive to wherever they lived. But first, we had to stop at my house, or my old house, to get my things. It was obvious we were all exhausted, but Uncle Grant thought it'd be easier to get all my things now, instead of driving eighteen hours back and forth later. I gave them directions from the police station to the house. I let them in, the house empty, but all the lights were still on from last night. It felt eerie; Mom and Dad and Gavin should be home right now. But they were never coming back. I bit down on my lips, trying not to lose it in front of them.
"Um..." Uncle Grant cleared his throat. "Do you have a suitcase? Or some boxes?" I knew we had a bunch of suitcases from vacations we'd taken, but I had no idea where we kept them. Instinctively, my first thought was to ask Mom where she hid them.
"No, I'll go ask Mo---" I stopped, feeling like the wind had gotten knocked out of me, all over again. I couldn't contain the sobs this time. I covered my face. Aunt Layla wrapped her arms around me.
"Oh, sweetie, it's okay," she sang softly. "We'll find them. Don't worry." She let go of me for a moment to sign something to Timberland. "Timberland, can you help your dad look for the suitcases?" I heard a sigh, then the sound of footsteps leaving. Aunt Layla brought me over to the living room and sat me down on the couch. She sat down next to me, keeping her arms around me. "Tell me what you're thinking," she whispered.
"W---Why did this have to happen?!" I bawled. "Why?! I--- I miss them! I want them here!" She kissed the top of my head.
"I know, sweetie. I know... I am so sorry. I wish I could make this better..." But she couldn't. I knew no one could. And I felt terribly guilty for not going with them. If I had, I'd be dead too. Maybe I'd be better off. I'm sure it'd hurt less. Someone clapped. We looked back to see Timberland standing by the open basement door. She moved her hands, pointing downstairs. "You found them?" Aunt Layla asked, signing along. "Good. Thank you, Timberland." She looked at me. "I'm going to go bring those up. You just wait here." She stood up and followed Timberland downstairs. I laid my head on the pillow of the couch and closed my eyes.
***
I didn't even know I'd fallen asleep until I woke up and saw that it was the middle of the day. I stood up quickly and looked around, but there was no one there. I headed upstairs, nearly running into Uncle Grant. I gaped, trying to find my words.
"I-- I am so sorry, I didn't mean to fall---"
"Don't worry, Rowan," he nodded. "We all took a little nap. You deserved much more sleep than us anyways. Layla and Timberland are packing up your things." I moved past him on the stairs to go to my room. "Rowan?" he stopped me. I turned back and looked at him. "You had a little brother?" I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
"Yeah. Gavin. He was twelve," I answered. Uncle Grant nodded, processing that. Then he turned around, continuing down the stairs. I went to my room, to find suitcases and boxes everywhere. Aunt Layla was folding my sheets and putting them in boxes. Timberland held up a shirt of mine in front of her and snickered quietly. Only then did the notice me. Timberland pursed her lips and put the shirt in a suitcase.
"I hope you don't mind that we already started packing," Aunt Layla murmured. I shook my head.
"No. It's okay. Thanks." I began helping them. My heart felt heavy as I took everything in my room and put it away. We were never going to come back here. I had to start all over; something I definitely hadn't been counting on. Shortly after I'd started packing, the doorbell rang. I hurried down the stairs and opened the door. Standing there was Rena, Avril, and Dante. My heart fell when I saw them. They all frowned.
"Hey, Rowan.." Rena pouted. "We heard about what happened."
"We're so sorry," Avril nodded. Dante put his arm around me, kissing my forehead.
"So sorry," he echoed. I sniffed and nodded.
"Thanks, guys..." I muttered.
"So... Now what?" Avril wondered.
"I have to move in with my aunt and uncle," I shrugged sadly. They all furrowed their eyebrows.
"You have an aunt and uncle?" Dante wondered aloud.
"I guess so," I sighed.
"Are you moving far?" Rena asked. I nodded.
"They live in Monessen... It's nine hours away." Rena and Avril whined.
"Nine hours?!" Rena shrieked. "Rowan, we're never going to see you!!"
"I know..." I sighed. First I'd lost my family, and now I was going to lose my friends. This day just keeps getting better and better. "We're still going to keep in touch though, right?"
"Of course!" Avril nodded. "We'll call you every day. You'll get sick of us." I sniffed and nodded. Dante squeezed his arm around me. I looked up at him.
"We'll give you guys some space... We'll talk to you later, Rowan..." Rena and Avril left, heading to Rena's house down the street. I leaned my head on Dante's chest.
"I'm sorry, Rowan..." he mumbled.
"I'm going to miss you," I whimpered. He kissed my cheek.
"I'm going to miss you too," he nodded. "I'm going to call you all the time. And I promise I'll visit. I promise I will, Rowan." My eyes started to sting.
"I have to go," I rasped, not wanting to cry in front of him.
"I'll call you later, okay?" I nodded and pulled his face down to mine, kissing him soundly on the lips.
"Bye," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I stepped inside, closing the door quietly. I let out a long sigh. That was when I noticed Uncle Grant standing there. My face burned.
"Who was that?" he inquired.
"Dante... My boyfriend," I replied. He nodded.
"Well... We're going to be leaving soon. We'll have movers get your parents' and brother's things later..."
"Okay," I breathed, following him upstairs.
"You guys ready to go?" Grant asked, signing. I wondered if it was annoying for them to have to always sign when they talked. I was sure it'd annoy me after some time. "Timberland, please help us carry some boxes out." Timberland sighed and grabbed two boxes, both stacked on top of each other. Aunt Layla grabbed a suitcase, Uncle Grant grabbed three boxes, and I took another suitcase. We all brought them out to the car, packing them into the van as best as we could.
"You sleep for a while," Aunt Layla instructed her husband. "I'll drive for a while, then we'll switch." He agreed and got into the passenger's seat. Timberland and I got into the back seats. She fell asleep almost right away. I'd never met a deaf person before. I wondered if Timberland and I were going to be able to communicate. Could she read lips? Did she even talk? Timberland twitched in her sleep. I curled up on my side on the seat and closed my eyes.
***
We got to their house around two in the morning. Uncle Grant woke us all up. We each took some of the boxes or suitcases from the trunk of the car and went inside the house. I followed them upstairs to a spare bedroom with a big plain bed in the middle. The room was empty and completely white. I guessed they didn't have guests stay over that much. Right after, Uncle Grant and Timberland went to get ready for bed. Aunt Layla stayed to help me unpack some pajamas and make the bed.
"Are you alright?" she asked as we both made the bed. I shrugged. "Rowan, I am so sorry. You have no idea how much I wish I could fix this... If you need to talk to anyone..."
"I'll be okay," I said, but my voice cracked at the end. She frowned at me, but I didn't say anymore. Timberland walked in, wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Her hands moved quickly in front of her.
"Goodnight," her mom nodded. Timberland's eyes met mine for a second. She frowned and walked out of the room, heading to her room at the end of the hall. We finished making the bed, and I pulled the sheets back, ready to collapse on it still in my regular clothes. "Oh, I have something for you," Aunt Layla muttered. She walked out of the room and came back a few moments later. "I don't expect you to read this tonight, but... It will help you... Become adjusted, I guess..." She handed me a thick book. It was titled The American Sign Language Dictionary. "It's what we used when we were all learning." I looked up at her, feeling rather intimidated. "It's okay. We'll help you a lot," she smiled a little bit. I studied the book in my hands. It was really heavy. She smiled a little bit then kissed the top of my head.
"Goodnight, Rowan. I'm happy you're safe." She left the room and headed down to her room. I turned off the lights and crawled into bed, wrapping myself up tight. Almost instantly, my eyes filled with tears. I hadn't even said goodbye...
***
I woke up the next morning around ten o'clock, feeling groggy and confused. I looked around the room as it all came back slowly. I let out a long breath then kicked the covers off. I opened the door and peaked into the hallway. Timberland's door was closed, but Layla and Grant's door was open. I walked quietly to the side of the balcony that overlooked the living room and part of the kitchen. I heard the banging of pans from the kitchen. I shuffled softly down the stairs to find Aunt Layla, still in her pajamas, getting a pan out of the cabinet.
"Oh! Good morning," she greeted when she saw me. "Did you sleep okay?" I shrugged. "I'm making eggs. Do you want some?"
"Sure," I nodded. I went over to the island and took a seat on a bar stool.
"Do you like them scrambled?" she wondered. I nodded. I watched her as she began making breakfast. Shortly after, the doorbell rang. A bunch of lights flashed, making me jump. Aunt Layla smirked at me and went to get the door. "Hey, Josie! Come on in!" I heard her say. She came back into the kitchen, followed by a girl who looked around my age. She had short, choppy hair that was dyed bright pink purple. We both seemed taken back by each other. "Josie," Aunt Layla spoke a little louder than usually. The girl watched her intently. "This is my niece."
"Hello," the girl spoke. "I'm Josephina, but you can call me Josie." Her voice had a slight accent to it, but I couldn't tell what it was. It seemed like she had a lisp. "What's your name?"
"Rowan," I replied timidly. She furrowed her eyebrows and itched her ear.
"I'm sorry, what?" she asked.
"Rowan," I repeated. Josie frowned and looked at Aunt Layla. Aunt Layla twisted her fingers, moving slowly.
"R-O-W-A-N," she said.
"Oh!" Josie laughed. "Rowan! Nice to meet you!" I looked at Aunt Layla, but she just smiled at Josie.
"I have to go get the laundry away. Rowan, can you just turn the stove off when the timer goes off?" I nodded, and she left.
"So are you staying with Timberland now?" Josie wondered. I nodded. "For how long?" I pursed my lips and shrugged. I cleared my throat.
"Are... Are you you deaf too?" I asked sheepishly.
"Hard of Hearing," Josie nodded. She moved her hair away from her ear, revealing a purple hearing aid. "Without them I have about 30% of my hearing in my right ear, and about 40 in my left. With these I have 50 and 60 hearing. It's still hard to hear things sometimes, but it's not so bad. I'm the only one in my family that can hear at all." she shrugged.
"Is Timberland still not up?" Aunt Layla asked incredulously, coming back. She sighed and shook her head. "I'll go get her up."
"She's a lazy bum!" Josie laughed as Aunt Layla headed upstairs.A short time later, Aunt Layla came downstairs, guiding a drowsy looking Timberland, who had bed-head. Her eyes lit up when she saw Josie. She waved at her and ran down the stairs and hugged her. They began signing at each other, so fast I was pretty sure not even Aunt Layla could keep up. I was expected to learn this language? Wish me luck. Timberland turned to her mom and signed something.
"Sure," Aunt Layla replied. "Why don't you take Rowan with you?" Timberland stopped and looked at me. She turned back to Layla and signed something else. "Josie can help translate!" she insisted. Josie nodded. I wasn't sure exactly what they were talking about, but I could already tell I was not wanted. "Rowan, do you want to go to the mall with Josie and Timberland?"
"Um.. No thanks... I think I'll just stay here and unpack." Aunt Layla frowned. Timberland took Josie by the hand and hurried her upstairs.
"Don't you want breakfast?" her mom called after her, but her back was towards her. Aunt Layla sighed and looked at me. "I guess it's just gonna be the two of us today." I pursed my lips and nodded. She took the pan of scrambled eggs and scraped some onto a plate for me. She made some for herself and stood at the island while she ate. When we finished I helped her clean up the kitchen. About an hour later, Timberland and Josie came downstairs, apparently leaving. Timberland waved goodbye to her mom.
"Bye Mrs. D'ambrosio! Bye, Rowan! Nice to meet you!" Josie shouted as they ran out the door. The door slammed shut. Aunt Layla and I stood in the kitchen for a moment, all finished cleaning. I slowly inched backwards to the stairs.
"I'm gonna go unpack," I mumbled.
"Would you like help?" she offered. I stuttered for a moment, trying to find my words.
"I... I'm okay..." I muttered slowly. She nodded understanding.
"Alright. How about... Soon we can redecorate your room. I mean... I know a white room is boring. We can paint it and everything..."
"I'll think about it. Thank you." I hurried up the stairs and closed the bedroom door behind me. I sat down on the floor, my chest aching.
***
Timberland
"Her family died?" Josie signed, her jaw hanging open. She was still leaned back casually in her chair, her salad in front of her. It was just past noon, and we'd decided to get lunch at the food court. I nodded. She pouted. "That's terrible!"
"Yeah. It is," I signed back. "But I still don't want her here."
"You don't even know her, Timber," she shook her head, smiling slyly. I rolled my eyes. "She seems nice. Why don't you like her?"
"Hearing," I signed, shrugging. Josie tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Really?" she shrugged. I took a sip of my soda. "What's wrong with hearing people?"
"You know what's wrong with them! I can bet you ten bucks people are staring at us. Right. Now." Josie pursed her lips and looked around. Her face puckered ever so slightly, and I knew I was right. She frowned.
"You mean it's not my striking beauty that they're staring?" she asked, acting shocked. I smiled and rolled my eyes.
"They're ignorant and arrogant," I continued. "They think they're so much better, just because they can hear. What's so great about hearing anyways?" Josie shrugged, then winced as a kid ran past us.
"Nothing really. It gets rather loud, actually." She turned down her hearing aid. "But news flash, Timber. Your parents are hearing," she reminded me.
"That's different!" I insisted.
"Oh, so there's a difference between them?" Josie smirked. I was starting to get real irritated with her. "There's good hearing people and bad hearing people? Who's the bad?"
"Kids at school," I replied, not missing a beat. "People on the street. Majority of people everywhere. Including Rowan." Before Josie could interrupt, I continued on. "I hate them. They think I'm stupid or something. They don't even try to work with me. They just give up right away and treat me like I'm less than them. I have to deal with these people at school and everywhere else. Now I have to deal with them at home too." My jaw clenched. My eyes were beginning to sting. "Well, now my parents can have the hearing daughter they always wanted." I stared down at the half-eaten hamburger in front of me. The table shook. I looked up at Josie, who looked shocked.
"Timber, your parents love you! You know that! You know they didn't send you to a hearing school to hurt you."
"No, they did so I would be wrapped up in my 'Deaf Bubble,'" I rolled my eyes. "But I still am. I always will be! But now I'm the elephant in the room; the Deaf girl who needs an interpreter babysitting her all day, following her from class to class."
"They just want to help you. Remember, they don't know exactly what it's like. Have you tried telling them about it?" I rolled my eyes and nodded.
"Yes. And they just tell me I should try to make more of an effort to get along with hearing people. Talk more. As if."
"Why don't you?" Josie pouted.
"I'm not talking," I shook my head. My jaw clenched. There was no way I was going to communicate orally to kids at school. "You know I can't do that."
"You're really not that bad, Timber," Josie's shoulders slumped, seeming disappointed. "I can understand you."
"It's still different," I frowned. "And I know people would make even more fun of me."
"You don't know that," Josie shook her head. She was starting to sound like Mom. I knew this was just going to be a back and forth conversation. I tried to think of something else to talk about. I looked over her shoulder.
"There's some guys staring at you," I signed, darting my eyes over to them quickly. Josie smirked and snuck a peak over her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at me.
"Should I invite them over?" she wondered. I stood up quickly, ready to throw out my food.
"I'm leaving," I signed then picked up my tray and jumped it into a trash can. I looked back at Josie. She grinned and shook her head, cleaning up her food as well.
"I'm just kidding. And besides, they were totally checking you out." I rolled my eyes at her.
***
"Good job, Rowan! You're learning quickly!" Aunt Layla praised me. We were sitting on the couch in the living room. It'd been over an hour, and I was almost sure I'd completely gotten down the alphabet in sign language.
"That's great, Rowan!" Uncle Grant called from the kitchen, getting dinner ready. I smiled sheepishly. The front door opened and closed loudly. Timberland walked in, heading straight for the stairs. Aunt Layla waved at her, standing up.
"Timberland! Rowan learned to sign the alphabet!" Her hands moved all over the place, suddenly making me feel like I'd learned nothing at all. Timberland furrowed her eyebrows, seeming confused. She gave me an unenthusiastic thumbs up then continued up to her room, closing her door behind her. A few moments later, I could hear music blasting. The house was almost shaking from the bass. Aunt Layla sighed and looked at her husband who shrugged in response.
A while later, it was time for dinner. Uncle Grant sat at the head of the table, Timberland and Aunt Layla on either side of him. I sat next to Timberland. We were having turkey with mixed vegetables.
"Could you please pass the vegetables?" I asked.
"Timberland, would you please pass the bowl to Rowan?" Uncle Grant asked from across the table. His hands flowed mellifluously in front of him. Timberland didn't look up. He pounded his fist on the table, making me jump. He moved his hands in the same way again. Timberland wrinkled her nose and signed something back to him.
"She did," Aunt Layla replied. Timberland signed something else, and Uncle Grant glared at her. His eyes darted at me, then back at her. His hands moved furiously. This time he did not say what he was signing. Timberland's hands flew around, her breath coming out in shorts staggers as she mouthed the words. I couldn't get enough of the whispers to understand what was being said. I pursed my lips and looked at Aunt Layla, who looked sad.
"Go to your room, now!" shouted Uncle Grant, pointing to the stairs. Timberland glared at him, then stood up, stomping away from the tables. I shrank in my seat as she stormed upstairs, and winced when I heard the door slam. I looked warily at my aunt and uncle.
"...Did I do something?" I barely whispered.
"No," Uncle Grant shook his head, holding it in his hands. He let out a long breath.
"She's just very stubborn," Aunt Layla sighed. She looked pointedly at her husband. "I wonder where she gets that from." He raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't deny it. Aunt Layla reached over the table and passed me the plate of mashed potatoes. I suddenly didn't feel hungry. Feeling responsible for the wasted food at the empty seat next to me, I made sure to eat.
***
After dinner, instead of joining them to watch TV, I went to my room. It still felt weird saying that. It felt even more weird knowing it'd been only three days. It was insane how much things had changed in so little time. I wanted to cry, but my eyes were dry. For the moment I just felt numb. And I didn't know which felt worse. I laid down on the bed, staring at the blank white wall, waiting for it to hit me again. But it just wouldn't come.
A few hours later, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I called. Aunt Layla slowly opened the door, coming in followed by Timberland. They stood in front of me. Aunt Layla watched Timberland, as if she was waiting for something. Timberland looked between the two of us then sighed. She rubbed her fist in a circle on her chest.
"I'm sorry," Aunt Layla said, voicing for her daughter. "...It was rude of me to behave that way." She looked up at her mom who nodded in approval. She pursed her lips and left.
"I'm sorry, Rowan," Aunt Layla sighed. "She's just got quite a temper and is very stubborn.. She'll warm up to you soon enough."
"How much longer?" Rena whined, her head on her desk. Her voice was just a raspy whisper, quiet enough to not draw the attention of Frau Abendroth, our study hall supervisor and Rena's German teacher. I looked at my cellphone.
"Three more minutes," I whispered.
"Kill me," she muttered.
"Halt deine verdammte Mündung," Frau Abendroth grumbled from her desk, not taking her eyes away from the magazine she was reading. Rena looked up and glared at her. I held up two fingers. 2 more, I mouthed. The last two minutes of class seemed to drag on. I was sure time had stopped. But finally the last bell of the day rang.
"Let's go, Rowan!" Rena shouted, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me out of the classroom. The hallways flooded with students, everyone eager to get out of here. Thanksgiving break was finally here. Rena and I stopped at each of our lockers, dropping off everything we wouldn't need. "God, can you believe it? Of course, German's the only class I have homework in, and Frau decides to give us a whole freaking project!"
"Maybe she wouldn't if you didn't give her such a hard time," I raised an eyebrow at her.
"The woman needs to learn to forgive and forget," she grumbled. On our way out of the school, we met up with Avril and Dante.
"Thank God it's Friday!" Avril groaned. "And finally! Break!"
"Freedom!" Dante bellowed, wrapping his arm around me. I kissed him to get him to shut up, but couldn't help but laugh.
"I can't wait to get home and sleep," Rena nodded. "Speaking of that, I gotta go. Things to do." Rena swung her keys around her fingers, heading for the student parking lot. Avril nodded in agreement.
"Me too. I'll see you guys. We'll do something awesome over break. Bye!" I followed Dante to his car. He took my hand in his, wrapping his fingers between mine.
"You got any plans for break?" he asked.
"No. We don't usually do much for Thanksgiving; it's always just the four of us."
"That's okay. Neither do we. Then at least we have more time to do whatever we want." I smirked.
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"I don't know... See a movie or something. Maybe I want it to be a surprise." We got in his car and headed to my house. I led him inside to the kitchen. "So you got any homework over break?"
"Not really... Just physics." Dante made a gagging noise. "What about you?"
"Physics, and calculus, and English, and gym..."
"How do you have homework in gym?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Mr. Conrad said he wants me to be able to run the mile in under ten minutes when we come back from break... It was implied."
"So you're going to be spending all break at the gym or something?" I smirked. He took both of his hands in mine and stood close to me, his face only inches from mine.
"No, I'm going to be spending it with you as much as I can," he said quietly. I was sure my face was red and the corners of my mouth were touching my eyes. He leaned in to kiss me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Ew, gross!" Gavin shouted. I quickly pulled away from Dante.
"Gavin!" I gasped at my twelve year old brother.
"Dad said you're not supposed to have boys over when no one's home!" he taunted.
"Well apparently we're not alone," I grumbled. "And you can bug off. Go do your homework or something." Gavin stuck his tongue out at me then hurried upstairs. Mom came in then, a bag full of groceries in her arms.
"Hey Rowan--- Oh. Hello, Dante."
"Hey, Mrs. D," Dante nodded. Mom pursed her lips into a smile and set the bag on the counter, starting to put the groceries away. I grabbed Dante's hand and moved towards the stairs.
"Come on," I mumbled as we left.
"Door stays open!" Mom called after us. I turned around to throw her a warning glance. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I knew she was completely serious. She would have no problem throwing Dante out. We passed Gavin in his outer-space room, playing with his action figures.
"Nerd," I coughed.
"Rowan!" he whined. Dante laughed and sat on the edge of my bed. I sat down in front of my pillow, his hand still in mine.
"Your parents don't like me much, do they?" Dante raised an eyebrow. We'd been dating for almost four months now, and I'd thought my parents were pretty obvious on their opinion of Dante, but he'd never asked before. I felt sort of bad.
"Dad says you could use a haircut," I told him, ruffling his hair. He smirked and shook his head. "But it doesn't matter what they think. I like you." His goofy grin grew bigger.
"A lot?" he asked hopefully.
"Eh," I shrugged. He rolled his eyes and leaned in towards me, kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him closer. My heart was pounding hard against my chest.
"Hey, kiddo, Chinese sound goo--" Dad came into my room. I pushed Dante away quickly, a yelp almost escaping my mouth. My face felt like it was on fire. Dad's smile disappeared from his face. I felt like a deer in headlights. Dante cleared his throat.
"Um... Hey, Mr. D," he attempted to play it cool. Dad pursed his lips. I could tell he was trying hard not to explode.
"Dante," he said slowly. "I think it's time for you to go home."
"Sure. I'll call you later, Rowan." Dante stood up and cautiously moved around Dad to leave the room. "Bye, Mr. D." Dad didn't reply. I could hear the front door open and close a few moments later. Dad folded his arms.
"Daddy--" I began, but he shook his head.
"New rule: no boys in your room. Period. You guys stay downstairs."
"But---"
"Rowan, I don't want to hear it. Your mother went to get Chinese for dinner. Go set the table with your brother." I got up from my bed and went down the hallway.
"Ha ha," Gavin mocked, standing in his doorway.
"Shut up," I grumbled, shoving his shoulder. Gavin and I went downstairs, grabbing the plates, silverware, and napkins. My face was still burning. As I set the table mats in their places, I saw Gavin making faces at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed, making me smirk too. Dad came downstairs, and we both pursed our lips, trying to hide our smiles; we both could tell Dad wasn't in a good mood right now, thanks to me. We both knew Dad had quite a temper. I crossed my eyes at Gavin when Dad's back was turned, making him laugh.
"What's so funny?" Dad wondered. Gavin coughed, shaking his head.
"Nothing," he giggled. Dad chuckled and shook his head at Gavin, but he wouldn't look at me. I sighed. Shortly after we finished setting the table, Mom came home with Chinese.
"That new movie Life of Pi came out today," Gavin brought up during dinner. "Can we go see it sometime during break?" Mom and Dad eyed each other, smirking.
"Sure, Gavin," Dad nodded. "How does tonight sound?" Gavin's eyes lit up.
"Really?" he gasped. Mom and Dad nodded. "Yay! It's gonna be so cool! I heard it got 8 out of ten stars!" I rolled my eyes at him.
"Does that sound like fun, Rowan?" Mom asked. I wrinkled my nose and shrugged.
"I think I'll pass," I replied sheepishly. It didn't sound like the most interesting movie. Plus being home alone for a while sounded pretty inviting. "I got homework to do." Mom nodded understandingly. I finished eating and threw away my trash.
"Wait, Rowan!" Gavin called. "What does your fortune cookie say?" I looked at the little piece of paper I'd stuffed into my pocket. "Mine says 'A lifetime of happiness is ahead of you.'"
"Mine says 'Time is not measured by a watch, but by moments,'" Mom reported.
"'Your days will be filled with sunshine and happiness,'" Dad chuckled, amused at his fortune. "Well that's a relief."
"Rowan?" Gavin asked impatiently.
"'Change is coming,'" I nodded. Dad muttered something to Mom and she laughed. I went and laid down on the couch in the living room, waiting for them to leave. A while later Dad came over, sitting on the edge of the couch.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with?" he wondered. I nodded. "Okay... We should be home around nine... And you're sure?"
"Yes, Dad," I replied sharply. Dad sighed. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head.
"See you later, Roe," he told me, using the nickname I'd had since I was a baby. I didn't look at him.
"Bye, dear. See you later," Mom said, kissing my cheek. "I love you." Gavin zipped up his huge winter coat.
"Bye, Rowan! It's okay, if it's good we can go see it again." I rolled my eyes at him. They all headed out to the garage. A few moments later I heard the car pull away. I turned on the TV and called Dante. He picked up after a couple of rings.
"Hey babe," he answered, making me smile. "What's up?"
"Nothing. I'm sorry about earlier."
"It's no big deal." I was sure he shrugged. "What're you doing?"
"Just watching TV. They all went out to see a movie."
"Want me to stop by?" he asked curiously, laughing a little. I grinned.
"Yes... But you can't," I sighed. "With my luck they'd be home early and get us busted." Dante sighed on the other end of the line.
"Okay... But I'll see you soon though, okay? I'll think of something fun for us to do."
"Sounds like fun."
"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later. Love you." My heart fluttered.
"Okay. Love you too." I hung up the phone, then went to take a shower. I was able to take a nice, long hot shower, not having to worry about Gavin complaining about using all the warm water. I got out and changed into a tank top and sweatpants. It was already almost eight when I got out. I went downstairs and went to OnDemand to watch Supernatural reruns. After a few episodes, I saw that it was already past ten o'clock. I was pretty sure Gavin had talked Mom and Dad into getting ice cream or something after the movie; or maybe there was just a lot of traffic.
I didn't start to get worried until it was past 10:30. Mom usually called whenever she was runny late for anything. I tried calling Dad's cellphone but there was no answer. I tried Mom's phone. It rang for a few minutes. Right before I expected it to go to voicemail, someone picked up.
"Hello?" a man's voice answered. My heart stopped for a moment.
"Hello?" I echoed.
"Who is this?" he wondered. I was starting to get worried. Why did this guy have Mom's cellphone?
"Um... R-- Rowan... Who is this?"
"How do you know the woman you were trying to call?" he inquired. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"She--- She's my mom," I stammered. There was a brief pause. I could hear other people talking.
"What's your last name, Rowan?"
"D--- D'ambrosio."
"Is there anyone else home with you?" he asked. I didn't answer for a moment.
"No."
"Rowan, what's your address?" he questioned. I didn't answer. He spoke again right before I was about to hang up to call the police. "Rowan, I'm Officer Landenna. It's very important that we get your address, okay? Do you trust me?" I didn't speak. My pulse was pounding in my ears.
"Why?" my voice wavered.
"Rowan because of protocol I cannot tell you right now. Would you give me your address so I can tell you? Myself and another officer will come over. Please, Rowan. You need to trust me." I finally gave in and gave him my address. He said he would be over shortly. I checked the locks on all the doors and windows. I closed all the blinds. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, trying to give myself some comfort. My heart was pounding. I felt like I was going to be sick. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I walked over slowly and quietly to the door, the kitchen knife gripped tightly in my hand. I stood up on my tip toes to look out the peep-hole. Sure enough, there were two officers standing there. I guess that should've made me feel better. I did, for a split second. Then I became even more worried. I opened the door.
"Rowan?" the officer with dark spiky hair raised an eyebrow. I nodded slowly. He took a deep breath and looked at the other officer, with flat blonde hair. "Can we come in?" I reluctantly stepped to the side, letting them both come in. "Rowan, I'm Officer Landenna. This is Officer Carroll..." I held my breath.
"Where's my parents?" I breathed. "Why're you here?" Officer Landenna took another deep breath.
"Rowan, your parents were in a head-on collision. I'm sorry, Rowan, but they didn't make it." I felt like I'd just been hit by a wrecking ball. I shook my head.
"No. That's not possible. They--- They said they were going to come home! They said they were going to be home at nine! They have to come home!" I shouted hysterically. My eyes filled with tears. I could barely see. There was a huge lump in my throat. I looked at the officers. "Oh God. What about Gavin? What about my baby brother?!" Officer Landenna looked down.
"He passed away as well, ma'm," the other officer spoke gruffly. I gaped.
"No. No! No!" I screamed, shaking my head. Officer Landenna touched my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Rowan. I am so sorry." I squeezed my eyes shut, still shaking my head.
"No, this isn't happening." Mom and Dad's faces flashed through my mind. I saw Gavin's face. I felt sick. The next thing I knew, Officer Landenna was holding me up; my knees had given out.
"Rowan, we're going to take you to the police station, okay?" he spoke slowly. I covered my face with my hands and nodded. "Here, why don't you put these shoes on." He moved my shoes that were by the door over to me. I slipped them on and followed Officer Carroll down the sidewalk to the police car that was parked in the driveway. Officer Landenna kept a hand on my shoulder as he guided me. A few of the neighbors were watching from the porch steps, wondering why the police were at my house. I tried not to look at them.
The whole ride to the police station felt like a dream. It didn't even feel like it was real. I felt like I was floating. Officer Landenna asked me something on the way there, but I couldn't make out the words. I felt like I was in a thick fog.
When we got to the police station, they had me sit in a chair in the front room. Officer Landenna said he would be back as soon as he could. I brought my knees up to my chest. The room was cold. There were a bunch of secretaries behind the front desk. Some of them tapped away at a computers. Every few minutes the phone would ring and they would answer. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
It felt like hours later that Officer Landenna finally came back. In his hands he had a blanket. He handed it to me. I wrapped it around myself. He knelt down in front of me.
"Rowan, we looked through your parents' file. Your uncle is being called to come and pick you up, okay?" he nodded. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"I don't have an uncle," I shook my head. He pursed his lips and looked at a folder he had in his hands.
"Grant Alexander D'ambrosio. Your father is Spencer Hugh D'ambrosio, correct?" I nodded. "Well, this is his brother. He lives in Monessen, which is quite a while away. He will be here soon, though, okay?" My bottom lip quivered. I nodded as a tear fell onto the floor. Officer Landenna hugged me. "I'm sorry, Rowan. It will be okay." I held onto him tight, the sobs coming out louder and more painful than ever.
***
My head was killing me and I felt sick to my stomach. My eyes felt dry, but I could still feel the tears staining my cheeks. My whole body was sore from sitting on the chair; the police had insisted that this "uncle" of mine was going to be there within a few hours. But the night came and went, and it was almost eight o'clock in the morning now. I was beginning to lose hope. I had little memory of Dad ever even saying he had a brother. Maybe it was something I'd just made up. But I had little hope of this brother of his coming for me. Why would he? I'd never even met him in my almost seventeen years of living.
About a quarter to nine, the door opened, and a little bell rang. A tall man and woman came, the woman had her hands on the shoulders of a teenage girl. They walked right past me to the front desk.
"Um... I'm looking for my niece?" the old man spoke in a gruff voice. The man at the front desk nodded and stood up, gesturing to me. The family turned around. The man looked at me, and his face fell even more. "Rowan," he breathed, falling to his knees in front of me. He put his hand on my knee, looking at me with pleading eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rowan." I sniffed. "You don't even know who I am," he stated. I shook my head. "I'm your uncle Grant. Your dad's older brother..." He turned around and gestured to the woman and girl. "This is your Aunt Layla, and your cousin Timberland."
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Aunt Layla cooed. Timberland didn't say anything; her face was almost unemotional. I could detect some annoyance in her eyes, though.
"We're going to take you home, Rowan," Uncle Grant said solemnly. We just need to get some papers filled out, then we'll take you home, okay?" I nodded once, more tears streaming down my face. Uncle Grant touched his palm to my face, then stood up and followed an officer into another room. Aunt Layla guided Timberland to sit in the chair next to me, and she sat on the opposite side of her. Timberland stared at the floor in front of her.
"Do you remember Timberland at all, Rowan?" Aunt Layla wondered. I studied the girl next to me. She had shoulder length, wavy dark brown hair. Her eyes matched her hair in darkness. She had a ring through the side of her nose, just like mine. I shook my head.
"No," I murmured. Timberland didn't move at all. She looked about my age. I wondered if she remembered me. Aunt Layla tapped Timberland's knee, getting her attention.
"Timberland, do you remember Rowan?" she asked. I was shocked to see her moving her hands as she spoke. With each word came a new movement. I'd never seen anyone do that before. Timberland looked at me, narrowing her eyes. She scrutinized me for a moment, then shook her head at her mom. Then she moved her hands in a different motion, more quickly than her mother. Her mom nodded, and held up her hand, all fingers out, and tapped her thumb to her chest. "That's fine," she spoke. Timberland stood up and left, walking through a door. I saw her stop at vending machine through the window.
"Is... Is she deaf?" I wondered aloud.
"Yes," Aunt Layla confirmed. I stared at Timberland in awe. I had so many questions, but before I could ask, Timberland came back and sat down. I wasn't sure how much hearing she had, or if she could read lips. Aunt Layla tapped her again, and then began signing as she spoke to us. "Girls, I know you don't remember, but you two used to be good friends," she reminisced, smiling warmly. "You two were still very young, but I remember you both loved being around each other. Now you both can reconnect!"
Timberland signed something to Aunt Layla. I didn't know what she was signing, but she mouthed the words, very faint whispers coming out. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but it sounded like "Hom, hut up." Aunt Layla glared at her daughter, shaking her head sternly. I brought my knees up to my chest, and rested my cheek on top of them, feeling exhausted. Aunt Layla reached over and patted my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," she murmured softly. One more tear escaped. I sniffed, keeping my eyes closed.
We didn't get out of the police station until around noon. Then we had a nine hour drive to wherever they lived. But first, we had to stop at my house, or my old house, to get my things. It was obvious we were all exhausted, but Uncle Grant thought it'd be easier to get all my things now, instead of driving eighteen hours back and forth later. I gave them directions from the police station to the house. I let them in, the house empty, but all the lights were still on from last night. It felt eerie; Mom and Dad and Gavin should be home right now. But they were never coming back. I bit down on my lips, trying not to lose it in front of them.
"Um..." Uncle Grant cleared his throat. "Do you have a suitcase? Or some boxes?" I knew we had a bunch of suitcases from vacations we'd taken, but I had no idea where we kept them. Instinctively, my first thought was to ask Mom where she hid them.
"No, I'll go ask Mo---" I stopped, feeling like the wind had gotten knocked out of me, all over again. I couldn't contain the sobs this time. I covered my face. Aunt Layla wrapped her arms around me.
"Oh, sweetie, it's okay," she sang softly. "We'll find them. Don't worry." She let go of me for a moment to sign something to Timberland. "Timberland, can you help your dad look for the suitcases?" I heard a sigh, then the sound of footsteps leaving. Aunt Layla brought me over to the living room and sat me down on the couch. She sat down next to me, keeping her arms around me. "Tell me what you're thinking," she whispered.
"W---Why did this have to happen?!" I bawled. "Why?! I--- I miss them! I want them here!" She kissed the top of my head.
"I know, sweetie. I know... I am so sorry. I wish I could make this better..." But she couldn't. I knew no one could. And I felt terribly guilty for not going with them. If I had, I'd be dead too. Maybe I'd be better off. I'm sure it'd hurt less. Someone clapped. We looked back to see Timberland standing by the open basement door. She moved her hands, pointing downstairs. "You found them?" Aunt Layla asked, signing along. "Good. Thank you, Timberland." She looked at me. "I'm going to go bring those up. You just wait here." She stood up and followed Timberland downstairs. I laid my head on the pillow of the couch and closed my eyes.
***
I didn't even know I'd fallen asleep until I woke up and saw that it was the middle of the day. I stood up quickly and looked around, but there was no one there. I headed upstairs, nearly running into Uncle Grant. I gaped, trying to find my words.
"I-- I am so sorry, I didn't mean to fall---"
"Don't worry, Rowan," he nodded. "We all took a little nap. You deserved much more sleep than us anyways. Layla and Timberland are packing up your things." I moved past him on the stairs to go to my room. "Rowan?" he stopped me. I turned back and looked at him. "You had a little brother?" I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
"Yeah. Gavin. He was twelve," I answered. Uncle Grant nodded, processing that. Then he turned around, continuing down the stairs. I went to my room, to find suitcases and boxes everywhere. Aunt Layla was folding my sheets and putting them in boxes. Timberland held up a shirt of mine in front of her and snickered quietly. Only then did the notice me. Timberland pursed her lips and put the shirt in a suitcase.
"I hope you don't mind that we already started packing," Aunt Layla murmured. I shook my head.
"No. It's okay. Thanks." I began helping them. My heart felt heavy as I took everything in my room and put it away. We were never going to come back here. I had to start all over; something I definitely hadn't been counting on. Shortly after I'd started packing, the doorbell rang. I hurried down the stairs and opened the door. Standing there was Rena, Avril, and Dante. My heart fell when I saw them. They all frowned.
"Hey, Rowan.." Rena pouted. "We heard about what happened."
"We're so sorry," Avril nodded. Dante put his arm around me, kissing my forehead.
"So sorry," he echoed. I sniffed and nodded.
"Thanks, guys..." I muttered.
"So... Now what?" Avril wondered.
"I have to move in with my aunt and uncle," I shrugged sadly. They all furrowed their eyebrows.
"You have an aunt and uncle?" Dante wondered aloud.
"I guess so," I sighed.
"Are you moving far?" Rena asked. I nodded.
"They live in Monessen... It's nine hours away." Rena and Avril whined.
"Nine hours?!" Rena shrieked. "Rowan, we're never going to see you!!"
"I know..." I sighed. First I'd lost my family, and now I was going to lose my friends. This day just keeps getting better and better. "We're still going to keep in touch though, right?"
"Of course!" Avril nodded. "We'll call you every day. You'll get sick of us." I sniffed and nodded. Dante squeezed his arm around me. I looked up at him.
"We'll give you guys some space... We'll talk to you later, Rowan..." Rena and Avril left, heading to Rena's house down the street. I leaned my head on Dante's chest.
"I'm sorry, Rowan..." he mumbled.
"I'm going to miss you," I whimpered. He kissed my cheek.
"I'm going to miss you too," he nodded. "I'm going to call you all the time. And I promise I'll visit. I promise I will, Rowan." My eyes started to sting.
"I have to go," I rasped, not wanting to cry in front of him.
"I'll call you later, okay?" I nodded and pulled his face down to mine, kissing him soundly on the lips.
"Bye," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I stepped inside, closing the door quietly. I let out a long sigh. That was when I noticed Uncle Grant standing there. My face burned.
"Who was that?" he inquired.
"Dante... My boyfriend," I replied. He nodded.
"Well... We're going to be leaving soon. We'll have movers get your parents' and brother's things later..."
"Okay," I breathed, following him upstairs.
"You guys ready to go?" Grant asked, signing. I wondered if it was annoying for them to have to always sign when they talked. I was sure it'd annoy me after some time. "Timberland, please help us carry some boxes out." Timberland sighed and grabbed two boxes, both stacked on top of each other. Aunt Layla grabbed a suitcase, Uncle Grant grabbed three boxes, and I took another suitcase. We all brought them out to the car, packing them into the van as best as we could.
"You sleep for a while," Aunt Layla instructed her husband. "I'll drive for a while, then we'll switch." He agreed and got into the passenger's seat. Timberland and I got into the back seats. She fell asleep almost right away. I'd never met a deaf person before. I wondered if Timberland and I were going to be able to communicate. Could she read lips? Did she even talk? Timberland twitched in her sleep. I curled up on my side on the seat and closed my eyes.
***
We got to their house around two in the morning. Uncle Grant woke us all up. We each took some of the boxes or suitcases from the trunk of the car and went inside the house. I followed them upstairs to a spare bedroom with a big plain bed in the middle. The room was empty and completely white. I guessed they didn't have guests stay over that much. Right after, Uncle Grant and Timberland went to get ready for bed. Aunt Layla stayed to help me unpack some pajamas and make the bed.
"Are you alright?" she asked as we both made the bed. I shrugged. "Rowan, I am so sorry. You have no idea how much I wish I could fix this... If you need to talk to anyone..."
"I'll be okay," I said, but my voice cracked at the end. She frowned at me, but I didn't say anymore. Timberland walked in, wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Her hands moved quickly in front of her.
"Goodnight," her mom nodded. Timberland's eyes met mine for a second. She frowned and walked out of the room, heading to her room at the end of the hall. We finished making the bed, and I pulled the sheets back, ready to collapse on it still in my regular clothes. "Oh, I have something for you," Aunt Layla muttered. She walked out of the room and came back a few moments later. "I don't expect you to read this tonight, but... It will help you... Become adjusted, I guess..." She handed me a thick book. It was titled The American Sign Language Dictionary. "It's what we used when we were all learning." I looked up at her, feeling rather intimidated. "It's okay. We'll help you a lot," she smiled a little bit. I studied the book in my hands. It was really heavy. She smiled a little bit then kissed the top of my head.
"Goodnight, Rowan. I'm happy you're safe." She left the room and headed down to her room. I turned off the lights and crawled into bed, wrapping myself up tight. Almost instantly, my eyes filled with tears. I hadn't even said goodbye...
***
I woke up the next morning around ten o'clock, feeling groggy and confused. I looked around the room as it all came back slowly. I let out a long breath then kicked the covers off. I opened the door and peaked into the hallway. Timberland's door was closed, but Layla and Grant's door was open. I walked quietly to the side of the balcony that overlooked the living room and part of the kitchen. I heard the banging of pans from the kitchen. I shuffled softly down the stairs to find Aunt Layla, still in her pajamas, getting a pan out of the cabinet.
"Oh! Good morning," she greeted when she saw me. "Did you sleep okay?" I shrugged. "I'm making eggs. Do you want some?"
"Sure," I nodded. I went over to the island and took a seat on a bar stool.
"Do you like them scrambled?" she wondered. I nodded. I watched her as she began making breakfast. Shortly after, the doorbell rang. A bunch of lights flashed, making me jump. Aunt Layla smirked at me and went to get the door. "Hey, Josie! Come on in!" I heard her say. She came back into the kitchen, followed by a girl who looked around my age. She had short, choppy hair that was dyed bright pink purple. We both seemed taken back by each other. "Josie," Aunt Layla spoke a little louder than usually. The girl watched her intently. "This is my niece."
"Hello," the girl spoke. "I'm Josephina, but you can call me Josie." Her voice had a slight accent to it, but I couldn't tell what it was. It seemed like she had a lisp. "What's your name?"
"Rowan," I replied timidly. She furrowed her eyebrows and itched her ear.
"I'm sorry, what?" she asked.
"Rowan," I repeated. Josie frowned and looked at Aunt Layla. Aunt Layla twisted her fingers, moving slowly.
"R-O-W-A-N," she said.
"Oh!" Josie laughed. "Rowan! Nice to meet you!" I looked at Aunt Layla, but she just smiled at Josie.
"I have to go get the laundry away. Rowan, can you just turn the stove off when the timer goes off?" I nodded, and she left.
"So are you staying with Timberland now?" Josie wondered. I nodded. "For how long?" I pursed my lips and shrugged. I cleared my throat.
"Are... Are you you deaf too?" I asked sheepishly.
"Hard of Hearing," Josie nodded. She moved her hair away from her ear, revealing a purple hearing aid. "Without them I have about 30% of my hearing in my right ear, and about 40 in my left. With these I have 50 and 60 hearing. It's still hard to hear things sometimes, but it's not so bad. I'm the only one in my family that can hear at all." she shrugged.
"Is Timberland still not up?" Aunt Layla asked incredulously, coming back. She sighed and shook her head. "I'll go get her up."
"She's a lazy bum!" Josie laughed as Aunt Layla headed upstairs.A short time later, Aunt Layla came downstairs, guiding a drowsy looking Timberland, who had bed-head. Her eyes lit up when she saw Josie. She waved at her and ran down the stairs and hugged her. They began signing at each other, so fast I was pretty sure not even Aunt Layla could keep up. I was expected to learn this language? Wish me luck. Timberland turned to her mom and signed something.
"Sure," Aunt Layla replied. "Why don't you take Rowan with you?" Timberland stopped and looked at me. She turned back to Layla and signed something else. "Josie can help translate!" she insisted. Josie nodded. I wasn't sure exactly what they were talking about, but I could already tell I was not wanted. "Rowan, do you want to go to the mall with Josie and Timberland?"
"Um.. No thanks... I think I'll just stay here and unpack." Aunt Layla frowned. Timberland took Josie by the hand and hurried her upstairs.
"Don't you want breakfast?" her mom called after her, but her back was towards her. Aunt Layla sighed and looked at me. "I guess it's just gonna be the two of us today." I pursed my lips and nodded. She took the pan of scrambled eggs and scraped some onto a plate for me. She made some for herself and stood at the island while she ate. When we finished I helped her clean up the kitchen. About an hour later, Timberland and Josie came downstairs, apparently leaving. Timberland waved goodbye to her mom.
"Bye Mrs. D'ambrosio! Bye, Rowan! Nice to meet you!" Josie shouted as they ran out the door. The door slammed shut. Aunt Layla and I stood in the kitchen for a moment, all finished cleaning. I slowly inched backwards to the stairs.
"I'm gonna go unpack," I mumbled.
"Would you like help?" she offered. I stuttered for a moment, trying to find my words.
"I... I'm okay..." I muttered slowly. She nodded understanding.
"Alright. How about... Soon we can redecorate your room. I mean... I know a white room is boring. We can paint it and everything..."
"I'll think about it. Thank you." I hurried up the stairs and closed the bedroom door behind me. I sat down on the floor, my chest aching.
***
Timberland
"Her family died?" Josie signed, her jaw hanging open. She was still leaned back casually in her chair, her salad in front of her. It was just past noon, and we'd decided to get lunch at the food court. I nodded. She pouted. "That's terrible!"
"Yeah. It is," I signed back. "But I still don't want her here."
"You don't even know her, Timber," she shook her head, smiling slyly. I rolled my eyes. "She seems nice. Why don't you like her?"
"Hearing," I signed, shrugging. Josie tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Really?" she shrugged. I took a sip of my soda. "What's wrong with hearing people?"
"You know what's wrong with them! I can bet you ten bucks people are staring at us. Right. Now." Josie pursed her lips and looked around. Her face puckered ever so slightly, and I knew I was right. She frowned.
"You mean it's not my striking beauty that they're staring?" she asked, acting shocked. I smiled and rolled my eyes.
"They're ignorant and arrogant," I continued. "They think they're so much better, just because they can hear. What's so great about hearing anyways?" Josie shrugged, then winced as a kid ran past us.
"Nothing really. It gets rather loud, actually." She turned down her hearing aid. "But news flash, Timber. Your parents are hearing," she reminded me.
"That's different!" I insisted.
"Oh, so there's a difference between them?" Josie smirked. I was starting to get real irritated with her. "There's good hearing people and bad hearing people? Who's the bad?"
"Kids at school," I replied, not missing a beat. "People on the street. Majority of people everywhere. Including Rowan." Before Josie could interrupt, I continued on. "I hate them. They think I'm stupid or something. They don't even try to work with me. They just give up right away and treat me like I'm less than them. I have to deal with these people at school and everywhere else. Now I have to deal with them at home too." My jaw clenched. My eyes were beginning to sting. "Well, now my parents can have the hearing daughter they always wanted." I stared down at the half-eaten hamburger in front of me. The table shook. I looked up at Josie, who looked shocked.
"Timber, your parents love you! You know that! You know they didn't send you to a hearing school to hurt you."
"No, they did so I would be wrapped up in my 'Deaf Bubble,'" I rolled my eyes. "But I still am. I always will be! But now I'm the elephant in the room; the Deaf girl who needs an interpreter babysitting her all day, following her from class to class."
"They just want to help you. Remember, they don't know exactly what it's like. Have you tried telling them about it?" I rolled my eyes and nodded.
"Yes. And they just tell me I should try to make more of an effort to get along with hearing people. Talk more. As if."
"Why don't you?" Josie pouted.
"I'm not talking," I shook my head. My jaw clenched. There was no way I was going to communicate orally to kids at school. "You know I can't do that."
"You're really not that bad, Timber," Josie's shoulders slumped, seeming disappointed. "I can understand you."
"It's still different," I frowned. "And I know people would make even more fun of me."
"You don't know that," Josie shook her head. She was starting to sound like Mom. I knew this was just going to be a back and forth conversation. I tried to think of something else to talk about. I looked over her shoulder.
"There's some guys staring at you," I signed, darting my eyes over to them quickly. Josie smirked and snuck a peak over her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at me.
"Should I invite them over?" she wondered. I stood up quickly, ready to throw out my food.
"I'm leaving," I signed then picked up my tray and jumped it into a trash can. I looked back at Josie. She grinned and shook her head, cleaning up her food as well.
"I'm just kidding. And besides, they were totally checking you out." I rolled my eyes at her.
***
"Good job, Rowan! You're learning quickly!" Aunt Layla praised me. We were sitting on the couch in the living room. It'd been over an hour, and I was almost sure I'd completely gotten down the alphabet in sign language.
"That's great, Rowan!" Uncle Grant called from the kitchen, getting dinner ready. I smiled sheepishly. The front door opened and closed loudly. Timberland walked in, heading straight for the stairs. Aunt Layla waved at her, standing up.
"Timberland! Rowan learned to sign the alphabet!" Her hands moved all over the place, suddenly making me feel like I'd learned nothing at all. Timberland furrowed her eyebrows, seeming confused. She gave me an unenthusiastic thumbs up then continued up to her room, closing her door behind her. A few moments later, I could hear music blasting. The house was almost shaking from the bass. Aunt Layla sighed and looked at her husband who shrugged in response.
A while later, it was time for dinner. Uncle Grant sat at the head of the table, Timberland and Aunt Layla on either side of him. I sat next to Timberland. We were having turkey with mixed vegetables.
"Could you please pass the vegetables?" I asked.
"Timberland, would you please pass the bowl to Rowan?" Uncle Grant asked from across the table. His hands flowed mellifluously in front of him. Timberland didn't look up. He pounded his fist on the table, making me jump. He moved his hands in the same way again. Timberland wrinkled her nose and signed something back to him.
"She did," Aunt Layla replied. Timberland signed something else, and Uncle Grant glared at her. His eyes darted at me, then back at her. His hands moved furiously. This time he did not say what he was signing. Timberland's hands flew around, her breath coming out in shorts staggers as she mouthed the words. I couldn't get enough of the whispers to understand what was being said. I pursed my lips and looked at Aunt Layla, who looked sad.
"Go to your room, now!" shouted Uncle Grant, pointing to the stairs. Timberland glared at him, then stood up, stomping away from the tables. I shrank in my seat as she stormed upstairs, and winced when I heard the door slam. I looked warily at my aunt and uncle.
"...Did I do something?" I barely whispered.
"No," Uncle Grant shook his head, holding it in his hands. He let out a long breath.
"She's just very stubborn," Aunt Layla sighed. She looked pointedly at her husband. "I wonder where she gets that from." He raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't deny it. Aunt Layla reached over the table and passed me the plate of mashed potatoes. I suddenly didn't feel hungry. Feeling responsible for the wasted food at the empty seat next to me, I made sure to eat.
***
After dinner, instead of joining them to watch TV, I went to my room. It still felt weird saying that. It felt even more weird knowing it'd been only three days. It was insane how much things had changed in so little time. I wanted to cry, but my eyes were dry. For the moment I just felt numb. And I didn't know which felt worse. I laid down on the bed, staring at the blank white wall, waiting for it to hit me again. But it just wouldn't come.
A few hours later, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I called. Aunt Layla slowly opened the door, coming in followed by Timberland. They stood in front of me. Aunt Layla watched Timberland, as if she was waiting for something. Timberland looked between the two of us then sighed. She rubbed her fist in a circle on her chest.
"I'm sorry," Aunt Layla said, voicing for her daughter. "...It was rude of me to behave that way." She looked up at her mom who nodded in approval. She pursed her lips and left.
"I'm sorry, Rowan," Aunt Layla sighed. "She's just got quite a temper and is very stubborn.. She'll warm up to you soon enough."
this is my first story that i made on here i'm still decideing if i want to make more of this book or not i am still decideing on a tittle name.please do not hesitate to criticize i need it.thank you <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 I Taylor Ann Smith was not happy.I was very mad.How dare them! i thought angrily to myself.how dare them decide who i marry!.this all happened when i came down for breakfast."Good morning mother,good morning farther."i said happily.Mother was cooking eggs and toast while father was waiting."Hello darling"said Mother cheerfully as she sat a plate of eggs and toast in front of me."good morning taylor" farther answered. his plate."what's happening today?"i asked still eating."well.. mom started looked unconfertable...we decided who you were to marry"."What!" i cried almost chocking on my food.
Glance the other way
Rip your heart out
I just don't care anymore
You're useless
And uncaring
You know nothing!
Yet you pretend you do
You're a pretender
A pretender is just a liar in disguise
A pretender is a faker
A pretender hides
A pretender is a maker
Of the dark abyss
You told me once
I told you twice
Now what?
Do we forget the past?
Live for the future?
Or remember and continue on our path?
...Decisions...Decisions...
Left or right?
Up or down?
Wrong or right?
Please give me the answer
For I do not know
Right and wrong any longer
Rip your heart out
I just don't care anymore
You're useless
And uncaring
You know nothing!
Yet you pretend you do
You're a pretender
A pretender is just a liar in disguise
A pretender is a faker
A pretender hides
A pretender is a maker
Of the dark abyss
You told me once
I told you twice
Now what?
Do we forget the past?
Live for the future?
Or remember and continue on our path?
...Decisions...Decisions...
Left or right?
Up or down?
Wrong or right?
Please give me the answer
For I do not know
Right and wrong any longer
Chapter 4: Sunny day
These were the days of peace and happiness.
Days were spent in peace and love.
Jack loved his job, even though he wasn't that patient with children who didn't pay attention on his classes.
But, he knew. He was doing something
important, something useful.
And most of all, he knew that his lovely wife
and beautiful little Gwenny were waiting for him
at home.
Dana was amazing at kitchen.
Jack loved everything she made.
One happy family they were.
Like every morning, Jack would go to work,
and Dana would make a breakfast and some coffee to wake them up.
Morning coffee was something wonderful
for both of them.
After having breakfast, Jack would drink coffee
with Dana, looking at her with the same gentle
and passionate love that never fades.
"I'll see you later, darling." - Jack said and
went to work.
Dana was still sitting and enjoying in the coffee,
watching through the window the sunlight.
She could smell the flowers that were growing
in the yard.
These were the days of peace and happiness.
Days were spent in peace and love.
Jack loved his job, even though he wasn't that patient with children who didn't pay attention on his classes.
But, he knew. He was doing something
important, something useful.
And most of all, he knew that his lovely wife
and beautiful little Gwenny were waiting for him
at home.
Dana was amazing at kitchen.
Jack loved everything she made.
One happy family they were.
Like every morning, Jack would go to work,
and Dana would make a breakfast and some coffee to wake them up.
Morning coffee was something wonderful
for both of them.
After having breakfast, Jack would drink coffee
with Dana, looking at her with the same gentle
and passionate love that never fades.
"I'll see you later, darling." - Jack said and
went to work.
Dana was still sitting and enjoying in the coffee,
watching through the window the sunlight.
She could smell the flowers that were growing
in the yard.
