True Love Will Survive

[ {:} Chapter Five {:} Family & Food {:} ]


The next morning, Lizzie refused to go to school. All she wanted to do was lay under her sheets and keep the world outside. "Lizzie, come on, you have to go." her mom repeated, for the millionth time that morning. "You have to face your problems head on."

"I can't, mom. I just can't." Lizzie cried, tears still streaming down her face. She cried all night and her face now bared the redness of pain and embarrassment. "It hurts so bad." She said, breathlessly.

"Fine, you stay home today, but on one condition." she paused. "You have to get out of bed, come downstairs, and talk to me about everything." She looked down on her daughter's bed. Lizzie pulled the sheets down and looked up at her mom, defeated.

"Fine." she said, and slowly got out of bed. Just standing up hurt, and walking hurt even more. She slowly worked her way downstairs, as 4 eyes laid themselves on her. Her father was at work, but the eyes of her siblings, Matt and Vivienne, looked at her. "What are you looking at?" she asked, through clenched teeth.

"Nothing." replied 4 year old Vivienne. She bowed her head, her blonde curls hiding her face. Knowing her big sister was in pain made her feel tinier than she really was. "Are you okay?" she asked, in a tiny voice.

"No, couldn't you tell?" asked Lizzie, angry. Little Vivienne's eyes brimmed with tears, Lizzie never spoke to her in such a tone before. Feeling bad, Lizzie walked over to her sister and patted her on her back. She never wanted to hurt the girls feelings, but her own heart was broken. "Sorry Vivi, I didn't mean to be so mean but I just don't want to talk about anything right now."

"Okay." Vivenne replied in a tiny voice. She picked her spoon back up and began eating once again.

"Matt, Vivi, time to go!" their mom yelled from the doorway. Matt and Vivi jumped up and ran to the door. "Lizzie, I'll be back in a few minutes. Eat your breakfast and wait for me in the living room, okay?"

"Alright mom, bye." Lizzie replied and turned to go to the fridge.

Looking at the fridge door just brought back more tears. On it was taped a picture of Lizzie and David from last year's summer vacation in Hawaii. David was invited to go with Lizzie and her family and they spent their days lodging on the beach, reading, sipping on drinks, eating, talking, and sometimes splashing in the water. A million memories from that time at the beach ran through her mind, and she felt like she was suffocating. Ripping the picture from the door, Lizzie ripped it in a million pieces. She swung the door open and began grabbing food.

Food. Just looking at it brought back a little bit of happiness and calm. Food. Now her only friend and love in the world. Food. She walked into the living room with a jug of ice cream, soda, cookie dough, and cookies. She sat down in the middle of the floor and turned on the television. Yanking the top off the ice cream, she began to eat all her pain away.