All the small things…

I pulled out my earbud to the sound of yelling. Oh god, another one of their fights. I was used to it by now but today sounded really bad. I hopped off my bed and opened my bedroom door. I tip-toed over to the top of the stairs and crouched down. I looked through the railing bars to see my two parents with cherry red faces screaming at eachother.

It hadn't always been like this though. Its hard to imagine that only a short year ago we were a peaceful happy family. But when he started drinking he became a very angry man. He started treating me and my mother like crap. He would randomly start yelling at us for doing absolutely nothing.

“ You’re a worthless old women who is a waste of space!” my dad said in pure anger and hatred.

My mom stood there silent as he screamed in her face with a broken look on her face.

“ I wish I had never married you or had that worthless child of ours!” he screamed.

That one hurt bad. I knew my mom and dad had problems but I didn’t know he had anything with me. A single salty tear streamed down my face. That’s when mom snapped.

“ You know what? Im so done with you and this family! I’m leaving and im never coming back!” he screamed and ran out the door slamming the door behind him.“ You are a horrible person! You have something wrong with me, you tell me! But do NOT bring our daughter into this!” she screamed while crying intensely.
'

My mom fell to the ground in a puddle of tears. I barreled down the stairs and knelt by her side. I hugged her tightly and we cried together. After a while she pussed away a little and told me she needed to be alone for a while. I obliged and thought I would take a walk to try and take my mind off things.

As I stepped into the cool crisp fall air I wondered where I could go. I wanted to go somewhere that brought happy memories back to me. The sun was setting so I knew I couldn’t go far. Suddenly it hit me; the park. I ran towards the place I always was happy.

As I was running, I thought back to why it made me happy. My mom and I shared this space together many times. We seemed to be the only one who knew about it. It was tucked away in the trees in a lush forest. She would play hide and seek with me, and push me on the swings. I came here through my darkest times.

I sat down on the creaky, rusty, old swing. I held my head in my hands and started crying. I mean like really crying. I didn’t know if my dad was ever coming back. Or if my mom would ever be okay again. Or if I would ever be okay again. After about 10 minutes of me sobbing my eyes down I rubbed the smeared mascara away from under my eye. I got up and pushed off the ground and started to swing. As i got higher and higher and the fall breeze blew through my hair i saw the orange glow of the sun setting. The beautiful colors mixing together to create a bursting of elegant color. I dropped my legs and let the swing slow down. I sat there for a while thinking about my life. Sure some parts were pretty screwed up and bad but I knew somewhere deep down that it was going to get better. My mom would find a man to love her and would treat her like the great women she is. He would be a wonderful dad and husband.

As I thought these things I started to feel happy inside. I jumped up and ran as fast as my legs could take me home.

*Two Years Later*

“Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” June screamed while I pushed her in the baby seat swing.

I chuckled softly as I kept pushing her in the swing.

Two years ago my life was horrible. I had a drunk father and he walked out on me and my mom. I was broken inside. I had to be there for my mom when I was dying inside myself.

Mom had been very emotionally unstable for a while. I made dinner every night and did the household chores while she would sit on the couch and stare into nothing. But she came home one day from work and looked so happy. A major improvement from the night before. I asked her what caused her sudden mood change.

I started to think back on that night.

“ Well I met this man at work.” she said while her cheeks blushed up and she showed a cheeky smile.

“MOM!!! Whats his name?” I yelled while jumping up and down.

“His name is Jim.” she said while blushing even more.

“Jim and Kim. Jim and Kim. Jim and Kim. Mom it’s MEANT to be I mean it even rhymes!”  I squealed.

“You’re so silly.”

“Ha I know. So when is he taking you out?”

“Tonight, actually. I’m sorry that I’m going to be missing our movie night. I can cancel if you-”

“NO! You are going on this date! I mean mom you have too.”

“Okay, I better get ready then, he’s coming at 8.” she smiled and turned on her heels and ran up the stairs like a child on Christmas.

I was so happy for my mom that night.

Her date went perfectly as she had said, and they dated for a good year and a half. Then one day my mom called me and excused me from school as I had a “doctors appointment”. I didn’t remember having a appointment but I went along with it. When I got outside the school building I looked for my mom’s black Range Rover. When I saw it I walked up and opened the door and plopped down on the seat. She started to drive to my doctors office and was kind of flinging her left hand around in my face it was weird because it was casting a glare into my eye.

That’s when I saw it. The ring. The RING. THE RING!

“ MOM! He proposed?” I yelped gleefully.

“Yes, he did earlier today.” she smiled and chuckled.

“Yes finally. I’ve been wondering when this would finally happen!”

“Yeah well we are celebrating tonight.”

“YES!” I yelled.

We had celebrated with a fancy dinner at my mom’s favorite restaurant; Stacy’s. And a short 2 months later she delivered me the news that I would be getting a new baby sister.

As I pushed my younger baby sister on her swing I just thought about how much my life has changed. I went from the worst possible place I could be to the best place I thought I would ever be in. But what made me most happy is how happy my mom looked. The life had returned into her eyes and her persona just seemed I don’t know...better. Jim treated her so nice. He acted like she was the only women he saw and he spoiled her. He took every opportunity he could to show his love for her. He bought her flowers and made her breakfast every morning. He even accepted me. He treated me like his own child and accepted my families sad and dark past and brought us into a bright and exciting future.

“June, lets go home and get some dinner.” I said slowing the swing down so I could help her out.

“Ok big sissy!” she squealed as I picked her up and carried her home.

When we walked in the front door of the house I smelled a wonderful scent coming from the kitchen. I sat down June and slipped off my boots. As I walked into the kitchen I was greeted by my dog Charlie.

I leaned down and said “ Hi buddy.” While scratching his head.

I got up and continued into the kitchen and was greeted warmly by my mom and step dad.

“Hi sweetheart,” my mom said while placing a kiss on both of my cheeks “how was the park? Did you two have fun.” nodding towards my little sister.

“Yeah we did. She had so much fun on the swings.”

“That's good to hear,” my step-dad said while stirring the sauce, “You hungry?”

I nodded fastly and sat down in my chair. As dinner was served my family sat down at the table. I looked around at my step dad and my mom laughing and joking, my baby sister gurgling and clapping her hands, and my dog anxiously waiting for food.

I would never forget my dad but I really did want to move on. I have moved on with my new family and I am very happy. Everything I have ever wanted I have gotten from my new family. A happy mom. A nice and loving father. And I am happy too. I also have a bouncy baby sister and a dog I love. I couldn’t be happier and I’m glad that it all worked out in the end.