A Mega Romance

Emma's backstory

Nine year old Emma Goodall watched as her mother was laid to rest on a rainy spring day. Her mother had passed from an illness that had lasted about four years. Tears poured down Emma's eyes as the priest finished what he was saying. It was now absolute, her mother was gone.

Her father, James, was in rough shape. Once he had learned about his wife's unfortunate passing, he had locked himself in his room, barely coming out unless it was for food, or to go to the bathroom. Emma had wished her father would be around more, rather than locked up in his room.

Next to her was her best friend Gia Moran. They had gone to school together, and lived next door to each other for years, but never really talked. Until the day Emma came home from school and saw her mother on the floor, already dead. Emma had ran outside screaming for help, and Gian and her mother Ann had come over to she what was wrong. Ann took control, and got a hold of 911 while Gia tried to calm a hysterical Emma. The next day at school, Gia sat with Emma, whom normally sat alone, and the two began to bond. After that day, the two declared they were best friends.

After the funeral, Emma stood with her father, while everyone passed, going off to the luncheon. "Daddy, what's going to happen to us now?" Emma asked her father. Her father looked at her.

"I'm going to need you to stay with your Aunt Monica, and Uncle Roger for a bit. There is something I need to take care of." he told her gently.

"Ok." she said.

"I love you Emma. You and your mother are the best things to ever happen to me." her father said, kissing her on the top of the head.

The next day after school, Emma walked home to pick up some things so she could stay at her Aunt and Uncles. She opened the door, and saw her father laying flat on his back, an opened pill bottle in his hand, and pills all around the floor.

"DADDY!" Emma screamed out loud. She heard a door open and close, and Mrs. Moran came running into Emma's house.

"Emma, what is it? Are you OK?" she asked. Mrs. Moran then saw Mr. Goodall on the floor with the pill bottle. "Oh shit." she said. She grabbed the phone and dialed 911. "Hello? Yes, I need an ambulance here right away. The Goodall residence. James Goodall has just tried to attempt suicide." Mrs. Moran said urgently.

"Daddy." Emma said as she fell to the ground, fainting.

Emma woke up, confused as to where she was. She quickly realized she was at the Moran household. "Daddy? Daddy!" she screamed. The door to the room she was in flew open as Gia ran in to comfort her best friend.

"Emma it's OK. They took your dad to the hospital. Mom says she can take you if you want to go. She was just waiting for you to wake up." Gia said. Emma pushed Gia away and ran down the stairs to the living room, where Mrs. Moran sat, already waiting for Emma.

"Mrs. Moran, is my dad OK?" Emma asked, now crying.

"I'm not sure honey, but I can take you to the hospital if you like." Mrs. Moran said sweetly.

"Can Gia come with me? I don't want to be alone there." Emma asked. By this time, she was sobbing horribly. Gia's father, Rick Moran came out of the kitchen.

"We'll all be there with you Emma. You won't be alone." he assured her. The four got into the family van, and headed to the hospital.

Once arriving at the hospital, and being told the room Mr. Goodall was at, the Morans and Emma made their way to the room, and were greeted by Emma's Aunt Monica. "My husband is talking to James right now." Aunt Monica had said. There were then raised voices coming from the room.

"James, be sensible! Emma needs you now more than ever, and you pull this shit? What the hell is wrong with you?" Mr. Goodall's brother Roger yelled.

"She deserves people who can provide for her. Not just one parent who can't even bare to leave his room." James said.

"You're her father! You need to get over this and pull your head out of your ass. She already lost her mother, she doesn't need to lose her father too!" Roger yelled.

"I need to be with my wife. I can't live without her." Mr. Goodall said.

"Would Cindy really want this? You to kill yourself, and abandon your daughter, just to go be with her?

No she wouldn't. You made a promise to her to always be there for Emma. This is how you fulfill that promise? Emma coming home to find you unconscious from trying to off yourself?" Roger argued. "You're lucky you have great neighbors who managed to call 911, and take care of Emma. By the time I had gotten over there, Ann Moran had gotten a hold of an ambulance, and Rick Moran carried a fainted Emma to their house!"

"Get out Roger! I don't need this shit from you! I know what I want. Get out!" Mr. Goodall yelled.

"I really hope you come to your senses." Roger snapped. He stormed out of the room, and saw Emma, and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry sweetie. You didn't need to hear that." Roger told her.

"Can I talk to him?" Emma asked.

"If you want to, go ahead. You should have someone in there with you though." Monica said.

"No. I want to talk to him alone." Emma said firmly. Impressed by her tone, Roger stopped hugging her, and allowed her to go in to the room.

Emma carefully approached her father. "Daddy?" she said quietly. Mr. Goodall turned to her.

"Get out." he said. Emma's sad face then turned into a face of fury.

"No. I will not get out. I come home to Mommy dead, and then days later I come home to you trying to kill yourself? Are you that dumb?" she snapped.

"Don't you talk to me like that. I am your father!" Mr. Goodall yelled.

"Then act like it!" Emma yelled. She then turned and left the room, approaching the group of Morans, and Aunt Monica and Uncle Roger. "I think maybe that helped." she said.

Two weeks later, Mr. Goodall left the psychiatric hospital better than before. He now understood he had to be a parent to Emma, and work through his wife's death. Eventually, he forgot all his anguish, and met a woman, and got remarried.

Emma never forgot one of the things her mother had taught her. Every spring, she would walk through the woods, and sing a song her mother used to sing. And on the day her mother passed, she would always get a hug from Gia. Emma also learned from Mrs. Moran about photography, and took that up as a hobby. She also took up BMX biking as another hobby. Everyday she was on her bike, in the woods, taking pictures.

Emma didn't know that in years to come, her hobbies would make her come across a giant bug alien, and help her meet her destiny with her best friend, and future romance.

Next chapter; the two finally meet