WARNING: UPSETTING CONTENT
Bereavement.

NOTE: PLEASE, PLEASE READ THE BIT IN BOLD AT THE BOTTOM. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. COMMENT HERE SO I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN THIS NOTE PLEASE.

NOTE 2: DON'T READ YET IF YOU'RE LIKE ME AND GET SAD FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AFTER READING SAD CHAPTERS.

I held my Dad's shirt close to my chest, breathing in the memories of his scent.

Tears filled up in my eyes, but I just ignored them. I'd definitely be late for school, but that just doesn't matter to me right now.

I tried so hard to keep my Dad's memory alive, but without actually thinking about him. It was too painful.

Everything of his just reminds me of that day.

"Liar", I said, before ending the call.

I rolled my eyes. I don't know why, but Maya came into my head. With Mary-Anne away, Maya and I had gotten really close.

She's sweet girl.

She's really funny, and she's never judged me.

I was worried she'd get weirded out by my girlfriend comment. It's not like I wouldn't want someone like her as my girlfriend! It's just, we're friends, you know?

She's not even into girls.

I mean, now that I think about it, she's pretty much everything I want in a girl.

I want my girlfriend to be like my best friend. I guess the only difference would be that I'm physically attracted to her.

It sounds cheesy, doesn't it?

It's just, every girl I've dated only likes me because of the way I look. Or the fact that I'm popular in school. I mean, what even is that? Popular?

But with Maya... she doesn't care. She's always asking how I am. She's always there for me.

But I don't have feelings for her or anything! Thank God. Can you imagine if we actually started dating? That would mess up our whole friendship dynamic!

I don't do this whenever I have a new friend that's a girl, by the way. Mary-Anne, for example. I've known Mary-Anne since we were 3 years old.

She's always been like a sister to me.

In fact, Maya's the only girl I've thought about it with.

That doesn't mean anything though. Right?

I shook my head to get those thoughts out of it, but I found myself reaching for my phone and texting Maya.

Mum❤: Come home quick!

Mum❤: It's your Dad!

The journey home was a blur.
But I remember running.

My lungs filled with icy cold air, burning my insides, but I powered through it.

I coughed and spluttered as the running took its toll on me, but I didn't slow down.

I had to get home.

I had to get to my Dad.

______________________

Everything seems to go wrong when you're in a hurry.

In my haste, I dropped my house keys twice. I groaned and started hitting the door over and over again.

My Mum opened the door, tears streaming down her face.
"¡Mi querida!"

She wrapped me in her arms, but I gently pushed her off and rushed upstairs.

My heart started thumping rapidly in my chest when I saw my Dad.
My mouth went dry.

He turned a deep red and the veins on his forehead stood out to me more than anything.

That's a lie. Not more than anything.

His eyes.

He looked so... terrified.

His face softened ever so slightly when he recognised me, and he tried to hold his arm out.

I fell to the ground and crawled over to him, quickly grabbing his hand. A small smile appeared on his face.

And with a strained, whisper like tone, he spoke his final words.

"Mantenerte fuerte. Tu papá te ama."

Stay strong. Your Dad loves you.

______________________

Hi.

Oof, this was an emotional one to write.

My parents have been through a lot, and have sacrificed so much for me, so this storyline resonated with me.

My Dad tells cheesy jokes and although I love my Mum SO much, I do talk to my Dad a lot more.

We don't know when we're going to die. You'll never know what your last words to someone will be.

So, if you take anything away from this storyline, let it be this:

Don't let pride get in the way of forgiving someone.

You might still be angry at them, but don't let harsh words fester.

But here's another thing:

Your last words to someone matter to YOU because it's the last thing you've ever said to them. But to that person? I've never experienced death, but when it's flashing before your eyes, wouldn't it make sense for you to remember all the moments you had together?

Make good memories, cherish the people in your life for all that they've given you. Whether that be laughs, funny stories, advice, lessons, growth opportunities. And so much more.

Thank you all so much for what you've given me. You aren't just my readers. You haven't just given me vessels to work with.

You've given me the chance to tell stories.

DoodleYeet

LeMystical-Puffle

hopefulfirebird

agathokakological_05

italllic