SOPHIE'S P.O.V.
Why did my mom have to be so difficult? No one's family could be that bad. I heard my mom and aunt Sami walk outside and screamed into my pillow. I've always accepted that my father was just someone I had no reason to know. Why can't I know my mom's family? She always changes the subject. I don't think she's ashamed of her family but I'd at least like to see them or at least hear some stories. I'm an eleven year old girl who does not know her family except my aunts and my mom. Well Uncle Ian counts since he's married to Aunt Alex. I know I shouldn't have pushed the subject but I want to know. I got up ready to go apologize to my mom when the floorboard I was standing on creaked. I looked down at the rug and pushed it off. I found the floorboard and found a little space big enough for my finger to pull it up. I pulled it up and saw a dusty box labeled Nicole's Stuff. I blew off the dust and opened it up. There was a yearbook and some pictures. I picked up some of the pictures and looked through them. I saw a younger version of my mom and Aunt Sam with a bunch of other people some girls and some were boys. I laughed and smiled at my mom's foolish faces and poses. When I got to the one at the bottom I saw my mom and a boy. I looked on the back and saw the date. Troy and Nicole Christmas '07. I turned it back over and saw my mom smiling and in the arms of the boy. She was in a pair of green shorts and a red tank top. The boy was wearing a plain wife beater and jeans. My mom looked beautiful. Her smiled just seemed to radiate off the photo. The boy had brown hair that could be thought of as dirty blond in a very bright light. His eyes were a medium blue and his skin a light tan. He had my facial shape but then again I look so plain this facial shape is probably all around here. I stopped looking through the pictures and went for the yearbook. East High Wildcats 2009. I knew my mom went here so I looked through the book trying to find where she was. The winter ball page was where I saw her first. I saw her in a blue dress with the boy from the picture. They looked as if they were in love. Could he be my father? But no mom said that dad was a one night fling not someone she's known for years. I kept flipping until I found her in the senior section. Her dark brown curls framing her face and that same smile that lulled me to sleep at night when I was a baby, I always loved especially when I was two to look at her smile. I closed the book after seeing a few more pictures. There's more that these pictures and books of mom's past I just need to know where to look.
"I see you found the box," a voice said. I turned to see Aunt Sami leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm sorry," I said closing the box.
"It was not your mother's," Aunt Sami said.
"But then why does it have her name on it," I asked. Aunt Sami stared at the box and shook her head.
"She gave me some of her things asking me to burn them before she left for London then to her backpacking trip," Aunt Sami said coming over and sitting down in front of me. She took some of the pictures from the box.
"Why didn't you burn these," I asked.
"I can't burn her memories she wanted to forget. It was the first time I'd seen her trying to run away from something. But Nicole knew that she couldn't outrun her past she just wanted all material memories gone," Aunt Sami said.
"I know my mother is strong like that but I wish I knew why she doesn't like it here," I said.
"Your mother is the most complicated person I have ever known but it's worth the time to figure her out. I'm close but she always manages to surprise people. Your father is the main reason she stays away from here, him and her family," Aunt Sami said.
"I should go apologize to her shouldn't I," I asked her.
"You should. Your mother almost died once, and I thought I was going to lose my best friend. Your father was to blame for that accident by the way. You never know when you're going to lose somebody," Aunt Sami said.
"Why, did he cause it," I asked.
"No he didn't show up and she waited hoping he would. She waited for someone who would never love her the way she loved him," Aunt Sami said before leaving. I felt tears come to my eyes. The thought of my mom dying and leaving me all alone made me hate myself for the way I acted towards her. I put away the box underneath the floorboards and went downstairs to find my mom.
NORMAL P.O.V.
I kept outside even after Sami left never telling me what she was going too. That angered me to no end but I knew it must have been something she was scared to tell me. I sat drinking form the bottle of water Sami gave me. I looked at her backyard and saw a lone basketball by the basketball hoop that Sami had. I was hit with memories of Troy and those hurt. I got up to go to the Kitchen to make a sandwich. I was hungry even though I ate pizza only two hours ago. I guess that's the price I pay for some of my best friends being boys. I went to the breadbox and went to get the bread but found an invitation. It read:
Danforth Anniversary Party
When: June 17th, 2021
Where: Mike and Karen's
Please come we welcome all of our friends to celebrate this special day.
Call: 581-9257
I knew Sami had something to do with this. The 17th was tomorrow. I heard footsteps and put the invitation in my pocket. I looked up to see Sami.
"Hey Nicole I thought you'd still be outside," Sami said.
"No I came in the kitchen to fix a sandwich," I said. Sami's face went white. I knew she knew about the invitation.
"So have you got the bread out yet," Sami asked.
"Yeah and much more," I stated pulling the invitation out of my pocket. Sami just stared at me.
"Nicole let me explain," Sami said.
"This better be good because I have made it clear since your phone call that I was not under any circumstances going to see any of them again," I said.
"Nicole you need to see them. They're your family," Sami said.
"Sami they're the reason I never came back," I said trying not to shout.
"No Nicole, Troy's the reason you never came back," Sami said in a whisper.
"Sami don't ever mention him," I said.
"Nicole come on you know that Sophie deserves to know who she is," Sami said.
"She does know who she is," I snapped.
"But she doesn't know who her family is besides you," Sami said.
"Sami, Sophie would be devastated when she hears what hell I went through with my friends and family," I told her.
"She at least deserves to know," Sami said leaving the room. I groaned and shut the breadbox.
"Mom," a voice said. I turned to see Sophie. She looked sad and as if she'd been crying or was just about to cry.
"Yeah Soph," I said.
"Mom, I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just I want to know who my family is. It's just I want to know what made them so bad," Sophie said.
"Sophie get in the car I'm taking you somewhere," I said. She looked at me strange before running out to the car. I looked up and prayed to god that I was doing the right thing. I found Sophie in the car with her seatbelt on when I left Sami's House. I just smiled and got in the car. I drove towards the cemetery. When we got there Sophie just stared.
"Mom why are we here," Sophie asked.
"We're here to see my parents," I replied. Sophie got out of the car and I followed soon after. I locked it and I took Sophie's hand and we walked towards their graves. When we arrived Sophie looked at the headstones and touched them.
Darryl Danforth
Born: October 18th,1964
Died: April 16, 1996
Loving Father, Brother and Friend
Evangeline Danforth
Born: May 30, 1968
Died: April 16, 1996
Loving Mother, Friend and Person
I had not visited my parents' graves in many years. Sophie was looking at them as if trying to memorize them so she would remember. I didn't know how long we were there but before I knew it, the moon was out.
"Mom, how did they die," Sophie asked.
"Car accident I was the only one to survive," I said.
"Mom I'm sorry for forcing this on you," Sophie said.
"No Sophie you did nothing wrong. Now we have to make one more stop before we head back to Aunt Sami's okay," I told her.
"Okay Mom," Sophie said as my phone rang. I looked and saw Sami's number.
"Hey Sami, we have to make one more stop before heading back," I said.
"Nicole my mom said they need a doctor at the hospital. They need more help and two doctors are out sick," Sami said.
"I'll be there can you meet me there because I need someone to take Sophie back to your place," I said.
"Yeah I'll come pick her up from the hospital," Sami said before hanging up.
"Come on Sophie we have to go to the hospital," I said as we ran to the car.
"What's going on mom," Sophie asked.
"Nothing bad they just need mommy's help at the hospital. Aunt Sami is going to meet us there to take you back to her place," I said. she asked no more questions as we drove towards the hospital.