Chapter 2: Alone
A/N: I finaly thought of a title for this story. Yeah! To let my readers no I know that the words in the letter are spelt wrong, its supposed to be like that. Just to let you guys no:) Enjoy!
Flashback Con...
Thunder shook the house as lighting shot through the air. Rain fell down upon the Hollywood home. The lighting lit up the house as if it was in one of those silent horror films. Shadows could be seen from figures and furniture that sat within the home. Little footsteps could be heard throughout the house. The lighting came once more and lit up the room. The footsteps came faster and faster still.
"Daddy, daddy where are you?" Gloria asked as she ran from room to room looking for her father. She had become so scared that she had forgotten where her mother and father's room was. She ran through the home yelling for her daddy. Gloria finally came upon her parent's room.
"Daddy," Gloria asked as she made her way into the room and over to the bed.
"What is it princess?" Irving asked as he turned on the lamp and looked at his daughter who was wearing a little pink night gown with her hair in braids. Within her small hands she held her teddy bear Mr. Snuggles. Gloria's lovely face wore the look of fear and terror.
"I had a nightmare." Gloria answered her father as she clung to the bear. "Can I sleep with you?"
"Climb in princess." Irving said rolling down her mother's side of the bed.
Gloria climbed into the big king size bed and snuggled down into the covers as the storm continued. The covers and pillows smelt like her mother. A sweet perfume lay on the pillows and covers. "Daddy I'm scared." Her small frightened voice came.
"Of what Gloria," Irving asked as he looked at his daughter.
"The storm, and having that nightmare again" She answered her father as she put the covers over her small face.
"The storm will pass in a little while dear. What was your nightmare about?" Irving asked as he began rubbing his daughters back to get her to go to sleep.
Gloria uncovered face small face and looked at her father. "It was all dark and I was running and running looking for you, but I couldn't find you. I looked in every room in the house, but I still couldn't find you. Then I came across this mean lady telling me that you had gone away and that you weren't coming back." Gloria said in a sleepy voice. It always put her right to sleep when her daddy rubbed her back. Of course the rain helped as well.
"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon Gloria." Irving said kissing her forehead. "Now go to sleep."
"Alright daddy," Gloria answered back in a small whisper. She snuggled farther down into the white crisp clean sheets, shutting her eyes and fell into a peaceful slumber. She didn't have that nightmare the rest of the night. However that could not be said for the rest of her life.
"Mr. Andrews the car is here to take you and your daughter to the funeral home." Peggy said as she knocked on Irving's door.
Today was the viewing and the funeral for his wife of ten years. "Thank you Peggy I shall be down in a minute."
"Do you want me to get Gloria for you?" Peggy asked standing in the door as she watched Irving straighten his tie.
"No I will get her on my way down." Irving said as he turned and put on his black jacket and headed out the door. As he headed down the hall to Gloria's room he heard a noise. It sounded like someone had been crying. Sure enough when he opened the white door he saw his little girl lying on her white four poster crying her eyes out.
"Gloria my little girl why are you crying, your mother wouldn't want you to cry." Irving said as he walked over to the bed and sat on the edge.
"Bec…cause mother isn't…isn't here anymore." Gloria answered her father in between sobs. Her little head didn't move from the pillow as the tears fell from her eyes down her cheeks and onto her little black dress.
Irving brushed back the hair that had fallen in his daughter's lovely face. "She's still with you. She's always with you wherever you go."
"Really," Gloria's voice came as she sat up whipping the tears from her young eyes.
"Of course she is forever in your heart. Don't you ever forget that?" Irving said picking his little girl up.
"Alright daddy," Gloria said as she hugged him. Her daddy meant the world to her. If something ever happened to him her world would be shattered.
Irving put Gloria down and she put her small hand in his and they went down stairs. The day was a rainy one. Gloria never thought she would see so much rain, misery and pain in one day. Hundreds and hundreds of people came to the funeral. Many people Gloria didn't know, but they knew her. Many of the people were from the movie business. Within in that line there were aunts and uncles of the family.
The line of people went out the oak doors of the funeral home. The room was rather large with flowers all around the room with people sending their regrets and sorrows. Two one side of the big room sat the white casket with blue velvet lining it. Within that casket laid Gloria's mother. Anna's lovely face wore a light makeup with her favorite navy blue suit on. She looked so peaceful as if she was sleeping. Anna was only 26.
Gloria and her father stood at the head of the casket as people came to greet them.
A rather big lady with rather dark red hair, tears in her eyes came up to the casket. "I wanted to let you know that if you need anything, anything at all just give my house a call." Mrs. Rebecca Smith said as she held a tissue to her eye. She had known Anna for a very long time in fact ever since they were children.
"I will thank you for coming. It's just been a hard time for me and Gloria both." Irving said with a weak smile.
"What are you going to do about raising little Gloria? You can't possibly do it alone" Mrs. Smith whispered, all the while with Gloria looking up at her father and the lady.
"I will think of something." Irving said in a whisper back to the lady. "I think I've got something that will fix that."
Gloria took her blue eyes off her father and looked out at the crowed. What did her father mean by "I think I've got something that will fix that?" Could it be a pony, more cloths? Nothing would ever replace the pain of losing her mother.
The lady nodded her head and left the room. More people came up and talked to Irving and Gloria. After the first 150 people Gloria saw people she knew.
"Aunt Kelly." Gloria said as a tall lady in a black dress, black hat with dark brown hair came over with her husband Jack Mason.
"Hello sweetheart." Kelly answered as she gave her niece a hug and kiss. "Irving I'm so sorry for the loss of my sister. I had no idea that she was so sick."
"We really didn't know either until…it was too late." Irving said with a look of sadness. This look had been there for the past two days. He really hadn't slept well these past few nights. Just thinking about his wife made things hard.
Aunt Kelly and Jack talked a little while longer then left so Irving and Gloria could see the rest of the people. Two hours later and the rest of the 300 people came and went. Nine O'clock rolled around Gloria began to yawn with her eyes getting heavy. Within the matter of five minuets little Gloria had fallen asleep.
"It appears someone has fallen asleep" The undertaker said as he came into the now empty room only leaving him Irving and a sleeping Gloria.
"Today has been a very hard day for her. I just don't know what I'm going to do about raising her?" Irving said as he picked up his sleeping daughter in his strong, caring and loving arms.
"You will think of something." The undertaker said as they left the room closing the oak doors behind them.
"I hope so." Irving said as the black Ruston-Hornsby 16hp A-1 Tourer came around the corner and picked him up.
Half an hour later they arrived home with Gloria still asleep in her father's arms. "Have my things in the study." Irving said in a whisper to the maid that meat him at the door.
"Yes sir." The middle aged lady said then went away.
Irving took Gloria up to her room to have her maid change her into her night gown. Irving placed his sleeping daughter in her bed and kissed her good night and left the room. Hearing the door shut Gloria rolled over with her sleepy eyes open. She couldn't get it out of her mind about what her father had said earlier. Gloria laid there for a few moments longer thinking and thinking. Finally after not being able to think anymore she closed her eyes once again and fell to sleep.
Irving made his way into his study. The study had white walls, blue carpet, pictures around the walls, a fire going in the corner, a chair sitting in front of the fire. Coffee table sat next to the chair, with a tall glass of scotch. He sat down looking at the blaze deep in thought.
What was he going to do about this? He knew how to raise a child, but he couldn't do it all on his own. Irving put his head in his hands thinking and thinking and still thinking into the wee hours of the morning.
After saying up all night he finally had come up with a solution. Now he just wondered how his little girl would take it.
"What do you mean daddy?" Gloria asked her father as they sat out on the patio eating breakfast. What was her father talking about? None of this was making since. For her to be only four she was very smart, but she was very confused on what her father was saying.
"I've decided that I can't raise you on my own so…" Irving started as he put his cup of coffee down.
"But we have maids and butlers. Couldn't they help?" Gloria asked as she finished the last bit of her breakfast.
"Yes but it wouldn't be the same princess. I've decided to…remarry." Irving answered looking his little girl in the eyes.
"What?" Gloria asked with shock. Weren't they doing just fine…just the two of them? "What about mother?"
"I need someone to help raise you. You need a mother to look up to." Irving said as him and Gloria made their way into the big Hollywood home. "Don't you think mother would want us to be happy?"
"Yes but…daddy you can't get remarried you just can't." Gloria cried as she ran up the stairs and to her room.
"Gloria, Gloria." Irving yelled after his daughter. Nothing came back just the silence. He thought the idea of having a new mother would be good news for Gloria.
"Mr. Andrews a man from Paramount is here to see you." Jeffery the butler said as he walked up to Irving.
"Thank you Jeffery, tell him I will see him in a moment." Irving said as he looked back at the butler.
"Certainly sir," Jeffery said and went into the front hall.
Irving looked back up at the door, but his daughter never appeared. He walked into the hall to find a tall man in a dark suit with brown hair.
"Mr. Miller it's nice to see you." Irving said shaking the man's hand that stood before him.
"Same here Mr. Andrews." Mr. Miller said returning the hand shake. "I'm here to talk to you about the new movie you've been given to produce."
"Oh yes about that…I'm not sure if I will get to do so." Irving said as they sat down on the sofa.
"But you've wanted this picture for two years now." Miller said trying to get him to rethink this.
"I've just lost my wife and I have a daughter to raise." Irving said trying his best to let his boss down easy.
"I understand, but we really need you." Miller said trying once again. This wasn't going well at all.
"I will think about this. Give me a few days to think about it." Irving said finding a reasoning point.
"Aright I want your answer Monday morning." Miller said as he put his hat on and made his way towards the door and out he went.
Irving didn't know what to do. He had to produce this movie…a movie he had been wanting for quite some time. It just wouldn't be the same going to work every day. Midday came around and Gloria still hadn't come out of her room. She had been in there all morning.
"Peggy, could you go see if Gloria will come out of her room? I've tried several times." Irving asked as he finished some paper work.
"Certainly sir." Peggy said as she walked up the stairs. She knocked on Gloria's door. Moments passed finally the door knob turned.
"Yes?" Gloria asked as she opened the door.
"Your father wants you to come out of your room." Peggy said looking down at the small girl.
"But I don't want to come out." Gloria answered back with her arms crossed.
"What if we went outside and you rode your pony?" Peggy asked getting down on Gloria's level. She knew that Gloria loved riding her pony as much as her father loved riding his horse.
"Yeah" Gloria said as her face light up with happiness. She went and got her little blue riding out fit on and was out the door within a few moments.
It was a lovely day out. The sun was shining with the sky being a lovely blue. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Gloria rode her pony around the stable and around the big yard. She knew that whenever she would ride her pony it would always make her happy. Gloria rode for hours upon hours. Soon it began to get dark and dinner was rolling near.
"Gloria it is time for you to come in and get cleaned up for dinner." Jeffery said as he walked out the back door and over to the stable, where he found Gloria playing with her pony.
"Okay Mr. Simons. I will be in, in a moment." Gloria said as she fed her pony a carrot.
Jeffery always liked it when he was called Mr. Simons, not that he didn't like being called Jeffery that was fine. "I will tell your father." He made his way back inside.
Gloria made her way into the house with a smile upon her face. "Daddy." She said as she gave him a hug. She loved her father so very much.
"It's nice to see your face." Irving said with a laugh. "Did you have fun ridding?"
"Yes daddy it reminded me of when me you and mommy would ride together." Gloria said with a smile upon her lovely face. This would bring back so many good memories for her as the years wore on.
"That's nice to hear dear." Irving said. "Go wash up dinner will be ready in five minutes." Irving said looking down at his four year old little girl. To him it seemed she was a teen ager. She knew so much at such a young age.
Gloria rushed up the white staircase and down the hall to wash up. That night Irving read Gloria a fairy tale.
"The prince and the princess lived happily ever after." Irving said as he closed the big fairy tale book.
"That's good." Gloria said with a smile. "Daddy do fairy tales come true?" she asked her father. At such a young age she had so many questions she asked.
"No. You know what do come true? Dreams do." Irving said looking at his daughter.
"Oh well to do have one?" Gloria asked with a smile. She was always a happy child.
"Of course I do." Irving answered his daughter. "One day you will grow up and be a lovely young lady and maybe you will be a great actress and marry the man of your dreams."
Gloria sat there for a little while thinking about what her daddy said. She hadn't really thought of her future plans. After all she was only four years old.
"It's time to go to bed sweetheart." Irving said putting the book of fairy tales away.
Gloria rolled over and went right to sleep. Her face wore a lovely smile as she drifted off into a peaceful dream. Irving left and went to bed as well, after all the next day was going to be a hard one.
The sun rose upon the lovely house, waking the people to a beautiful Monday morning. Irving got to the kitchen to get his coffee to go and to tell the cook that he might be late for dinner.
"Have a nice day sir." Jeffery said as Irving walked out the door.
"You to." Irving said tipping his hat.
"Before you go sir, this is for you." Jeffery said handing him a white piece of paper with daddy wrote on it.
Irving to the piece of paper and rushed out the door. Once in his car of many he opened the letter.
Deer Dady;
Have a greet day and work relly herd. Don't four get to take patches out befour you leave?
Lovee you
Gloria
Irving laughed as he read the letter. It was made out in a green crayon with many words wrong. It was very cute that his daughter did this. He picked up the small phone in the car. "Jeffery if you would please let out the dog. I just read the note from Gloria asking me to do so. Since I've already left do you mind doing it?" Irving asked as the car drove down Sunset Boulevard.
"Right away sir," Jeffery said with a small laugh. "That is rather cute of little Gloria to write that."
"Yes it is very cute" Irving said. "Thank you Jeffery."
They got to Paramount Studio's in thirty minutes. It had been a few days since Irving had been back at the studio.
"Good morning Mr. Andrew." The gate man said with a smile. "How's that little girl of yours?"
"Good morning Joe. She's doing just fine, home sleeping in of course." Irving said with a smile as they past the gate.
"Irving thank goodness you're here." Miller said walking up to him as he walked through the door. "Charlie Chaplin is late and Clara Bow says she won't go on unless you are here and-"
"Slow down Miller I never said I would do this. I just came to the studio since I haven't been in a while." Irving said walking with Miller as they walked though the lot.
"Please Irving we need your help." Miller pleaded as they walked. He just had to get through to him.
Irving was handed some papers. "Alright Miller, But I do get time off to spend some time with my mother less child." Irving said pushing the papers towards Miller.
"Of course of course anything you say." Miller said with a sigh. Yes things were going to be saved.
"Now tell me what's going on." Irving said as he arrived at the set of Mine and Ours...
"Has daddy arrived yet?" Gloria asked as she walked into the kitchen with many different things cooking.
"No he hasn't dear," the chief said as he put some spices into a big silver pot. "He said that he might be late for dinner."
"Alright," Gloria said in a sad voice. She made her way out of the kitchen and went up to her room and played with her two story doll house.
"And cut. That's a wrap for today everyone." Irving said as he got down off his chair. "Now I can go home and enjoy a nice evening."
"Before you leave I want to introduce you to one of our new actresses." Miller said as him and Irving met a small lady with short light blond hair. "Irving this is Mary Young."
"It's nice to make your acquaintance Mr. Andrews." Mary said with a smile going across her small lovely face.
"Yes it's nice to meet you Ms. Young." Irving said shaking her hand with a smile upon his face as well.
"Please call me Mary." Mary said with a laugh. She always felt so much younger when people called her by her first name.
"Alright Mary, you may call me Irving." Irving said as they began to walk towards the exit. "Have you been in the movie business long?"
"No I just started out as an extra a few months ago." Mary said. "I started with dance when I was younger and then it got into acting. "Have you been working long?"
"Yes I have been. I've been in the movie business for eight years now. I live here in Hollywood all my life. I have a lovely little girl named Gloria who is four." Irving said with a smile. "Do you live here in town?"
"Yes I live just down the block from here. I live with my twin daughters Jacqueline and Virginia who are six." Mary said as she waited for her car.
"Do you need a ride home?" Irving asked as Mary lit a cigarette.
"If you don't mind," Mary said as she put her small cigarette case away. "My chauffeur must have got stuck in traffic."
"Not at all it's on my way home." Irving said as he opened the door for Mary.
Gloria sat at the dinner table with her plate of chicken and noodles. It was her favorite meal in the world, but the person she loved most wasn't there. She looked up from her plate to see the butler going towards the door. "Is he here yet?" Gloria asked as she looked at Jeffery with a smile and happiness in her eyes.
"I'm afraid not dear." Jeffery said as he walked away from the door. Gloria just sighed and went back to her dinner. Maybe he got held up at the studio? Or maybe he got stuck in traffic? Gloria would sit there until her father would walk through that door. Twenty minutes past and the clock read nine o'clock.
"Gloria, it's time for bed," Peggy said as she saw the little girl playing with her food.
Gloria looked up at the woman. "No I want to stay up and wait for daddy." She had never had a dinner without her father in all her four years.
"Alright but if he's not here by nine thirty you are going to bed." Peggy said as she began to clear off the table. "Are you done with your plate?"
"Yes I'm done." Gloria said as she pushed the plate aside. All she wanted was her daddy to be home.
Gloria sat there and sat there waiting for her father to get home. After what seemed forever the door finally opened. Gloria held her breath as she looked at the door. Irving walked through the door moments later.
"Daddy!" Gloria said as she towards her father. Her little legs ran as fast as they could go.
"What are you doing up so late princess/" Irving asked as he picked his daughter up.
"I wanted to see you before I went to bed. You were gone when I woke up." Gloria said giving her father a hug. "Where did you go?"
"I had things to get done before I came home that was all." Irving answered Gloria as she looked at him, but in truth he had been talking to Mary for the past few hours and got to meet her two daughters.
"Oh okay." Gloria said with a smile. She was happy to have her daddy home at last.
"What's this I hear about you not wanting to go to bed at nine?" Irving asked as he carried her into the dining room and sat her down at her spot as he sat next to her eating his dinner.
"I wanted to say up and see you when you got home." Gloria answered as a yawn came to her lips.
"It seems to me that someone is getting tired." Irving said with a smile upon his face.
"No daddy I'm fine really I am." Gloria said with yet another yawn.
"Go on up to your room and I will be up in a few moments to tuck you in." Irving said.
Gloria got up from the table with a word and went on up to bed. Irving sat at the table thinking for a little while about what had gone on to night. Would this work out between him and Mary? He really didn't know. If it did he would ask her to marry him and she would make a great mother for Gloria.
For the next few weeks things went rather smoothly with the two of them. Before long they were in a very serious relationship. By mid December Irving had to tell his little girl.
"Gloria I need to talk to you. Do you want to go and ride are hours?" Irving asked as he found his little girl playing tea party with some of her stuffed animals.
"Sure daddy." Gloria said as she went and changed into her blue riding outfit. Within minutes they were riding in the big valley just outside the house. It was a beautiful day out the sun was shining down upon the place.
"What did you want to talk to me about daddy/" Gloria asked as she sat on Ginger her new horse.
"Remember how I told you I was going to remarry a few months ago. Well I've…" Irving started.
Gloria's eyes got very wide with fear. What was he saying, no this wasn't happening. "Please daddy no." Gloria said with fear.
"Gloria she's very nice and she has two twin daughters." Irving said. "She's an actress."
"I see you're replacing mother with an actress." Gloria said as her hours galloped towards home.
Irving raced after his daughter. "Gloria stop I'm not trying to replace your mother."
"Then why are you getting remarried?" Gloria asked as she got off her horse and faced her father.
"I need help raising you. I can't do it on my own, with me at the studio and everything." Irving said as him and his little girl sat down on the couch.
Gloria sat there for a little while and then spoke. "When do I get to meet them?" She wasn't trying to be a bad daughter honest she wasn't, but this was very hard to swallow.
"In a half an hour" Irving said. "Be the little girl that I know you are."
"Yes daddy." Gloria answered her father with her little smile. She knew that her father couldn't rase her all on his own.
"That's my girl." Irving said giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Now go get changed into a dress."
Gloria went up and got on her new blue dress with the white collar. Her daddy had gotten her that the last time he had to go overseas to England to work on a film. She put her little Mary Jane shoes on while Peggy did her hair. Gloria made her way out the door when all of a sudden she heard voices.
"I just now told her." She heard her daddy's voice.
"Alright then it will be much easier than I thought." A woman's voice came. This woman sound young. Even younger than her daddy and he was 27.
Gloria walked down stairs slowly as she saw people standing in the living room she didn't no.
"Gloria this is Mary your new mother." Irving said as Gloria came and stood beside her father.
"It's nice to meet you." Gloria said as she stepped forward.
"She's so cute and sweet." Mary said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you sweetheart." Two girls stayed quit as their mother talked.
"These are your new sisters. Jacqueline is the older two of the sisters." Irving said as the taller twin with the dark brown eyes and hair. A pink suit stepped forward. Her face was that of a six year old. Her little ears were pierced with little diamond studs, a little pink hat to complete the outfit.
"It's nice to meet you Gloria." Jacqueline said as a smile came across her face.
"This is Virginia." Irving said as the smaller and younger of the sisters stepped forward who had black short black hair with her green eyes shining back. Her little blue suit complemented her outfit along with her slander body.
"It's nice to meet you both." Gloria said with a smile. These were her new family. They seemed very nice just like her father said.
After quit some time the three of them left and Gloria went to bed. "Do you like them?" Irving asked as he tucked Gloria in.
"Yes very much." Gloria said with a smile. "It will be cool to have sisters…who are twins."
"I told you were going to like them." Irving said tickling his little girl.
"Aw daddy, stop it." Gloria said as she laughed. Her daddy always did this.
"Go to sleep we have a very busy day tomorrow." Irving said kissing his daughter good night.
The next day was the wedding. Even though it was kind of sudden Gloria got to know her new family well. Weeks went by and nothing changed they all seem to get along very nicely. That was until one dreadful day ten years later.
It had started to rain while Irving was at work. By the time he left for home the roads were starting to flood and what not. Irving was half way home when he turned a corner to sharp causing his car to slid off the road and hit a tree.
Later that night a knock came to the door. "Can I help you sir?" Jeffery asked a man standing in a rain coat at the door.
"This is for the owner of the home." The man said as he handed Jeffery the letter.
"Thank you." Jeffery said as he shut the door.
"What is it Mr. Simons," A fourteen year old Gloria asked as she walked down the stairs in her night gown.
"This just came from a man." Jeffery said handing the letter to Gloria, but before Gloria could get it Mary took it from Jeffery.
"We are sorry to inform you that…" Mary read. "What how could this happen?"
"What is it?" Gloria asked as she stood next to her stepmother. She wanted to know what was going on.
"It's your father he has been…killed." Mary said looking at Gloria.
"What? No this can't happen no it hasn't." Gloria said as her finger tips brushed the wet paper stating her father's death. Gloria ran towards the door looking out as it rained and thundered.
"You can't go out there now it's far too dangerous." Jeffery said as he grabbed her left arm.
"But he's out there…alone." Gloria cried as Jeffery led her way from the door and sat her down on the couch.
Gloria cried her eyes out as her step family walked into the room.
"What has happened mother?" Jacqueline asked as her and Virginia came into the room.
"It appears that your father has been killed." Mary said looking at her daughters. "Now I have to take care of his brat of a daughter."
"What do you mean brat of a daughter?" Gloria asked in a mean voice. She couldn't believe her ears. "I'm no brat it's your own daughters that are brats."
Jacqueline and Virginia shot up from their seats and glared at Gloria. "Mother make her stop." They said together. This was not very funny. How dare she say such a thing about them?
Mary went over to Gloria who by now was almost scared to move. What had she done, all she did was take up for herself. Within that thought Gloria found a big red spot across her cheek.
"How dare you speak to my daughters that way?" Mary asked as she turned from that very sweet lady to the bitch at the end of the block. "I don't know where you got the stupid idea that my daughters are spoiled brats. They are the kind of girls that are being ready to be put into satiety. Not something or somebody like you."
Gloria got up from the sofa and began walking away that was until Mary called her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mary asked as she turned and faced her stepdaughter.
"My room," Gloria said as she turned around facing her only family now.
"That is no longer your room. Instead you will move to the attic." Mary said with coldness in her words and heart.
Gloria said nothing and just ran up the stairs to her room shutting the door in the process.
"Jeffery we won't need your help or any of the others from now on." Mary said facing Jeffery.
"Very well madam." Jeffery answered back.
Mary left the room to tell the others that they were no longer needed. The twins followed with their noses held high.
Gloria sat in her window seat and cried as the rain fell and thunder shook the house. Why did this have to happen, first her mother all those years ago and now her father? Now she truly was alone in the world. There was no one to turn to.
The funeral was the next day. Rain all day long and all though the night. More people were here for her father then they were her mother. It was in the same funeral home and same room her mother had been ten years ago. While Gloria stood at the head of the casket with a black dress on with a black hat with a vial covering her face she greeted the people while her stepfamily had gone to the lounge and talked. People came and went from the funeral home. After what seemed forever Gloria saw her Aunt Kelly and Uncle Jack.
"It's so good to see you." Gloria said as she gave her aunt and uncle hugs. "It's just awful I can't do this anymore. I…"
"Gloria!" Mary yelled as talked to her aunt and uncle. "What are you telling these people?"
"Nothing stepmother I was just-" Gloria started as she looked at her aunt and uncle.
"Children they say some of the oddest things." Mary said putting her left arm over Gloria's shoulders. "Gloria could I see you for a moment." Her mean voice came out.
Gloria followed her stepmother over to the corner. "What were you telling them? How I'm so mean to you and how you no longer get your way?"
"No stepmother-"Gloria said as she tried to defend herself.
Mary slapped Gloria yet again a crossed the face."Liar you've always lied your way out of things. Even if your father didn't see it I did. Now get your little smart alec ass back over there."
All the while Aunt Kelly and Uncle Jack saw all what was happening. They looked at one another with wide eyes. Moments later Gloria came back over rubbing her cheek.
"Dear is everything alright?" Kelly asked looking at her niece.
Before Gloria could answer she could feel Mary's eyes burning into the back of her head. "Yes everything's fine."
"Alright Gloria, let us know if you need anything." Jack said as he led his wife away.
Gloria nodded her head and put her hand to her eyes. She had held her composure for quite a long time. When she got home she would let it all out and cry herself to sleep.
After the viewing it was time for the funeral. They made their way to Forest Lawn Glendale Cemetery. Gloria couldn't hold it in any longer, as the preacher talked tears began to flow the surface of her eyes. While her father was being lowered into the ground Gloria lost all her composure and cried all the way home.
The day after the funeral Gloria was forced out of her room by Virginia. Gloria watched as her room was turned upside down into her stepsister's room. Virginia slammed the door in Gloria's face. Gloria let her head hang with a sad sigh. She looked up to see her stepmother pointing up the stairs. Gloria did as she was told and went to her new room. Her new room was much smaller than her other one. A twin size bed lay against the far wall with a small window on the wall next to the bed. Her belongings sat on her bed and dresser all in boxes. While she unpacked her things she came across the story book her daddy read to her. She had so many memories of being read those stories. A little while later she came across a picture of her and her daddy. At the sight of this picture she began to cry all over again. Her life was going to be very different now that she had to do what her stepfamily told her.