Author's note- Much to everyone's dismay, this is the last chapter. But, don't worry, there is going to be a sequel where he may just make up with his family, finally. Please review.
Ch.16
He just had all the flashbacks of his past stop going through his head. All the horrible flashbacks and some of the good ones had finally stopped. The flashbacks of her and how wonderful she was and how much they loved each other. Then, and finally the one he didn't want, the flashback of the day he had to say goodbye. He now sat in the living room of his new apartment, as the two girls quietly slept in the room. He had finally gotten an apartment, even though it took him 7 months. The apartment wasn't big, but was big enough for them. There were two bedrooms and one bathroom. He took the smaller of the two rooms and the girls shared the larger room. The bathroom was pretty big. It had a tub/shower, toilet, and a sink with a counter on either side. The kitchen wasn't too big, but had everything he needed. He had put the table in the small dining room. The table was big enough for 4 people. The living room, though, was the biggest of all the rooms in the apartment. He had put everything else in there. He now sat there, staring off into space, remembering her again. He remembered the first time he saw her. He remembered how beautiful he thought she was in the jean skirt and white blouse that she was wearing. He remembered how beautiful her hair was swaying gently back and forth in the wind as he watched her walk from her friend's car to the table. He remembered it all perfectly clear as if it was just today that he first saw her.
(8 ½ years ago)
"Chris, come on. I don't want to be late," he heard his older brother yell from downstairs. "
Alright. I'm coming," he said, as he straightened out his plain white t-shirt.
"Finally," Matt said.
"You know, you really have to learn how to be more patient. I just woke up like half an hour ago. You could at least give me time to eat and wake up," Chris replied.
"Well, I have to meet my friends there in like 20 minutes," Matt said, as they left.
"Where are we going anyway?" he asked.
"Um, I don't know the name of it, but it's a new diner that just opened up two days ago," Matt replied, as they continued to walk. They walked another 15 minutes, before actually getting there.
"Ok, I'll be over here. You stay about 3 seats down from me. Here's the money that Mom gave for you," his brother said, handing him $20.00. He looked at his older brother with his friends and sighed, before turning around and sitting down. He was sitting for not even 5 minutes when he saw her come in. He was so into staring at her that he didn't even see his brother come back over.
"Chris?" he asked. "Chris?" he asked again, before he too noticed her.
"Wow," they both said. "
She beautiful," Chris added, as he watched her sit down at a booth about 3 feet away.
"Well, go over there," Matt said, pushing him off the chair.
"What? No, I can't. I'm only 10 ½," Chris replied. His brother just looked at him before shaking his head, walking away. For the past hour that they were there, he looked at her about every 5 minutes. He then watched as she got up with her friends as they got ready to leave. He quickly turned back around, not to make it obvious that he was staring. As they walked by him, she stopped and dropped a piece of paper right in front of him. He looked at her quickly and watched as they all walked out and left. After she left, he lifted up the piece of paper and noticed that it had her name and number written on it. He smiled as he read it and went to show Matt.
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They became best friends and eventually fell in love after a year of knowing each other. To him, things couldn't have turned out any better than what they did. It was then that he decided to do it. He knew that he had too. It had been 2 years to long since he had seen it and knew that he would have to again some day. So, as he stood up, he slowly got the courage he needed to go back. He slowly got the courage he needed to face the people that he needed to see and go to the one place that he dreaded to go to. As he stood there and looked around, he knew that he would be back. He knew he had to do this for his daughters, but just hoped that he wouldn't regret this later. It was than that he made up his mind. In the very place he stood, he had decided to go back to San Francisco, to see his family, to prove that he was responsible and could take care of his responsibilities, and to go to finally see his wife, the mother of his two beautiful daughters, and the love of his life, once again after 2 ½ -long and painful years. He knew that he couldn't stand to be living with the pain any longer, and finally made the choice to make it go away.