Shelf Love

https://www.quotesaga.com/quote/70          The last three months have been an absolute train wreck filled with lots of meltdowns and drama. Ever since I found out his secrets, I seemed to be running into Sophia more often at school. A lot of times I would be late to my classes because I would take a different way just to avoid her.           My whole family now knows everything. I didn't tell them right away though because I didn't have the strength to and they understood. I didn't want to see the horrified and broken looks on their faces. I didn't want to be the one to deliver the news, but I had to. Finally once I was ready, I told them everything. Their expressions are images that will forever be burned into my brain. They had no idea what to say or how to react. Everyone just sat there uncomfortably, trying to take everything in. However, telling Paige was the worst because we finally explained everything to her. My mom and I s...

          "Are you sure you want to do this?" Aidan asked me.           I nodded and took a deep breath. My legs felt extremely weak. I made my way slowly up the steps, looked back at the car and saw Aidan give me a reassuring nod, and rang the doorbell. The door opened and there he was, holding a female version of himself. His smiling face immediately went cold.           "Mia," was all he said.           He gestured for me to come inside and I accepted. I took a seat in the living room while he put the baby back down in her crib. He came and joined me on the couch and we sat there in an awkward silence.           "Why are you..." he started. https://www.pinterest.com/simonecolsen/dad/           "So this is it? This is the reason you left mom, Paige, and I? To have two new daughters, fall in love with someone else, and have that ...

          "Sophia."           Silence. She either knew that it was me and had no idea what to say or didn't recognize the voice.           "Is this...Mia?" https://www.callcentrehelper.com/how-to-support -employees-handling-emotionally-challenging- calls-with-empathy-89536.htm           "Let me talk, do not cut me off or hang up. I know everything. I know why you ended our friendship after all of those years in sixth grade. You were trying to protect your mother and my father! We had been friends for so long the last thing I expected from you, of all people, was to keep this from me! Something so big! He ruined our Christmas and if you were to have told me, things could have been different! I could have confronted him before we all lost him! I could have told my mom so she wouldn't have to lay in bed crying for months wondering why she wasn't good enough! I could have warned...

          Instantly, my phone and body dropped to the ground. Paige screamed and my mom came rushing downstairs as I continued to sob on the cold kitchen floor. My mom hurried to my side and held me tightly to her chest. She let me cry and cry and cry. She didn't ask what was wrong or anything, she let me have the moment. Paige stood over us with tears in her eyes, not knowing what to do. https://divorcedmoms.com/blogs/divorce -whirlwind/stopping-the-guilt-now/           "It's okay," my mom whispered. "It's all going to be okay." She was stroking my hair and rubbing my back. I couldn't stop. What I had seen was an image I could never forget no matter how hard I tried. It hurt so bad. Why? Just why? Why did he have to do this? Especially with her? Of all people, why her?           I sat up and looked her in the eyes. Without saying anything, I grabbed my now cracked phone and showed her what I had just see...

https://www.citrusbocc.com /pubworks/swm/recycling /christmas- tree.htm           Christmas was fun. We ate all the traditional foods, ham, lasagna, cannolis, christmas tree shaped brownies, and an ice cream cake in the shape of a yule log. I tried as hard as I could to not think about my father for the rest of the night, and I did pretty well. I knew that if I showed any hints of sadness, Paige would immediately be able to tell and I didn't want to ruin her favorite holiday, or mine for that matter.           When we got home around ten, Paige wanted to play with her new doll. She always stayed up as late as she could over winter break because she was never allowed to stay up past eight on a school night. My mom came in the living room and kissed us both goodnight. Once my mom was in her room, Paige started to open the box to her new American Girl doll.           "Mia," Paige said. "Will we ever see D...

          Christmas morning 2007, I ran to wake up my four year old sister, Paige. Together, we ran down the hall to my parent's bedroom only to see just one person laying in bed. We stood there, confused, while listening to my mothers silent sobs. Photo taken from https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/ relationships/family/dilemma- my-son-doesnt-want-to-marry-the-mother-of-his-children           It has been six years since that day, and I haven't see my father since. However this Christmas morning, my now ten year old sister and I ran downstairs to the living room, knowing my mom would be sitting on the couch and drinking her coffee, while she waited for us to wake up.           "Merry Christmas!" she cheered.           "Finally, the most wonderful day has arrived!" Paige squealed.           My mom and I exchanged glances that asked, "Remember when this da...