Chapter 1: I don't need her
Will's pov
I watched as mom left to go do something. There was a sharp unbearable pain in my chest as I watched her go. "Will, I'm sorry." Uncle Phil said and I turned to him. "Y'know, actually, this works out better for me. Y'know, the slimmes of summer come to class wearin' cool shoes that I wanna buy Y'know what I'm sayin'…" I said acting like I didn't care. Uncle Phil shook his head at me. "Will it's alright to be angry." He told me and I smiled at him. "Hey, why should I be mad? At least she said "goodbye" this time. I just wish I didn't waste my time makin' these stupid presents." I said pulling out a heart with 2 angels inside and put it on the table. The heart was made of glass, and on it, the words read: I love you. The bigger angel was the mother and the smaller one was the child and a small portrait of my family. I made it from art. There was a poem and song attached to the painting. In my painting mom was standing off to the side watching dad and I play. Uncle Phil looked at it in shock. "I'm sorry, if… if there is something I could do…" He said looking at me and I shook my head. I didn't know that Ashely and the others were on the stairs listening. "You ain't gotta do nothin', Uncle Phil. You know, ain't like I'm 5 years old you know? Ain't like I'm gonna be sitting up every night asking my dad "daddy when's mommy coming home?" You know? Who needs her? Where was she when dad died? Why didn't she come to get me when I was bouncing from house to house because the people keep touching or abusing me? Hey, she wasn't she wasn't there when I needed to learn about the changes my body will go through, but I learned the hard way didn't I? She wasn't there for when I was learning basketball and I got pretty damn good at it didn't I?" I asked and he nodded at me. "Yeah you did." Uncle Phil said and I looked down. I looked at him. "I got through my first date without her right? I learned how to drive, I learned how to fight, and I learned the things I know without her. I had 14 great birthdays without her; she never even sent me a damn card!" I turned angrily towards the door. "TO HELL WITH HER!" I shouted feeling helpless for the first time in years. "I didn't need her then, I don't need her now." I said walking past Uncle Phil. I was gonna go in the kitchen and eat ice cream. I wanted to eat my problems away, but I knew not to eat too much. Uncle Phil turned around. "Will… Will…" He said and I turned around and looked at him. "No, you know what Uncle Phil, I'm gonna get through college without her, I'm gonna get a great job without her, I'll gonna marry me a man who will treat me like I'm his whole world and Imma have me a whole bunch of kids. I'll be the best mother I could be, and I'll be a better mother than she ever was. And I'm sure as hell don't need her for that, cause there ain't a DAMN thing she could ever teach me about how to love my kids!" I said my will power breaking as we looked at each other. And I asked the questions that broke me after my dad died. The questions that ate away at me as I grew up through hell. "How come she don't want me man? Ain't I good enough for her? Don't she love me?" I asked breaking down. My heart finally broke after being alone for so long. Uncle Phil hugged me and I heard feet coming down the stairs and I felt arms wrap themselves around me as I cried.
Phil's pov
I watched as Will stared at her mother as she left to go do something, unaware of the helpless and kicked look on her face. There was sharp pain in my chest as I watched the small young girl. Vivian found her looking for food in our trash can. The girl looked so thin. Vivian took her in and gave her food. When we came downstairs, we saw the girl, she was standing behind Vivian looking like a trapped animal. "Will, I'm sorry." I said and Will turned to me. "Y'know, actually, this works out better for me. Y'know, the slimmes of summer come to class wearin' cool shoes that I wanna buy Y'know what I'm sayin'…" She said acting like she didn't care. I shook my head at the girl. She didn't want to show her pain, I knew that. The girl was too wise for her own good. "Will it's alright to be angry." I told her and she smiled at me. "Hey, why should I be mad? At least she said "goodbye" this time. I just wish I didn't waste my time makin' these stupid presents." Will said pulling out a heart with 2 angels inside and put it on the table. The heart was made of glass, and on it, the words read: I love you. The bigger angel was the mother and the smaller one was the child and a small portrait of Will's family. It was hand made. There was a poem and song attached to the painting. In her painting Viola was standing off to the side watching Lou and Will play. I looked at it in shock when I realize that Will's initials were on all of them. "I'm sorry, if… if there is something I could do…" I said looking at her and she shook her head. I didn't know that Ashely and the others were on the stairs listening. "You ain't gotta do nothin', Uncle Phil. You know, ain't like I'm 5 years old you know? Ain't like I'm gonna be sitting up every night asking my dad "daddy when's mommy coming home?" You know? Who needs here? Where was she at when dad died? Why didn't she come to get me when I was bouncing from house to house because the people keep touching or abusing me? Hey, she wasn't she wasn't there when I needed to learn about the changes my body will go through, but I learned the hard way didn't I? She wasn't there for when I was learning basketball and I got pretty damn good at it didn't I?" Will asked and I nodded at her. But it hurt me to know that Will had to find out the hard way to know about the changes to her body. "Yeah you did." I said and Will looked down. She looked at me. "I got through my first date without her right? I learned how to drive, I learned how to fight, and I learned the things I know without her. I had 14 great birthdays without her; she never even sent me a damn card!" Will turned angrily towards the door. "TO HELL WITH HER!" She shouted probably feeling helpless for the first time in years. Like how I was feeling right now. I feel helpless right now. "I didn't need her then, I don't need her now." Will said walking past me. She was going into the kitchen. I turned around. "Will… Will…" I said and Will turned around and looked at me. "No, you know what Uncle Phil, I'm gonna get through college without her, I'm gonna get a great job without her, I'll gonna marry me a man who will treat me like I'm his whole world and Imma have me a whole bunch of kids. I'll be the best mother I could be, and I'll be a better mother than she ever was. And I'm sure as hell don't need her for that, cause there ain't a DAMN thing she could ever teach me about how to love my kids!" Will said and I could see her will power breaking as we looked at each other. And she asked the questions that broke all of us after Lou died. The questions that ate away at us making us wonder where the small girl in front of me was for 14 years. "How come she don't want me man? Ain't I good enough for her? Don't she love me?" Will asked breaking down. My heart finally broke after seeing my niece looking at me with the most heart wrenching look on her face. I hugged her and I saw Vivian and the others coming down the stairs and wrap their arms around Will as she cried. We too were crying for the little girl that grew up too fast.
Vivian's pov
We watched as Will stared at her mother as she left to go do something, unaware of the helpless and kicked look on her face. There was a sharp pain in my chest as I watched the thin young girl. I found her looking for food in our trash can. The girl looked so thin. I took her in and gave her food. When Phil and the kids came downstairs, they saw the girl, she was standing behind me looking like a trapped animal. "Will, I'm sorry." Phil said and Will turned to him. "Y'know, actually, this works out better for me. Y'know, the slimmes of summer come to class wearin' cool shoes that I wanna buy Y'know what I'm sayin'…" She said acting like she didn't care. Phil shook his head at the girl and my heart. She didn't want to show her pain, I knew that. The girl was too wise for her own good. "Will it's alright to be angry." Phil told her and she smiled at him. "Hey, why should I be mad? At least she said "goodbye" this time. I just wish I didn't waste my time makin' these stupid presents." Will said pulling out a heart with 2 angels inside and put it on the table. The heart was made of glass, and on it, the words read: I love you. The bigger angel was the mother and the smaller one was the child and a small portrait of Will's family. It was hand made. There was a poem and song attached to the painting. In her painting Viola was standing off to the side watching Lou and Will play. We looked at it in shock when I realize that Will's initials were on all of them. Then my heart broke seeing it. "I'm sorry, if… if there is something I could do…" Phil said looking at her and she shook her head. "You ain't gotta do nothin', Uncle Phil. You know, ain't like I'm 5 years old you know? Ain't like I'm gonna be sitting up every night asking my dad "daddy when's mommy coming home?" You know? Who needs here? Where was she at when dad died? Why didn't she come to get me when I was bouncing from house to house because the people keep touching or abusing me? Hey, she wasn't she wasn't there when I needed to learn about the changes my body will go through, but I learned the hard way didn't I? She wasn't there for when I was learning basketball and I got pretty damn good at it didn't I?" Will asked and he nodded at me. But it hurt me to know that Will had to find out the hard way to know about the changes to her body. "Yeah you did." Phil said and Will looked down. She looked at him. "I got through my first date without her right? I learned how to drive, I learned how to fight, and I learned the things I know without her. I had 14 great birthdays without her; she never even sent me a damn card!" Will turned angrily towards the door. "TO HELL WITH HER!" She shouted probably feeling helpless for the first time in years. Like how I was feeling right now. I feel helpless right now. "I didn't need her then, I don't need her now." Will said walking past me. She was gonna go in the kitchen. Phil turned around. "Will… Will…" He said and Will turned around and looked at him. "No, you know what Uncle Phil, I'm gonna get through college without her, I'm gonna get a great job without her, I'll gonna marry me a man who will treat me like I'm his whole world and Imma have me a whole bunch of kids. I'll be the best mother I could be, and I'll be a better mother than she ever was. And I'm sure as hell don't need her for that, cause there ain't a DAMN thing she could ever teach me about how to love my kids!" Will said and I, very much like Phil, could clearly see her will power breaking as we looked at each other. And she asked the questions that broke all of us after Lou died. The questions that ate away at us making us wonder where the small girl in front of me was for 14 years. "How come she don't want me man? Ain't I good enough for her? Don't she love me?" Will asked breaking down. My heart finally broke after seeing my niece looking at him the most heart wrenching look on her face. Phil hugged her and he saw me and the others coming down the stairs and wrap our arms around Will as she cried. We too were crying for the little girl that grew up too fast.