The rest of my teenage years and most of my adult life thus far, Jake rescued me.
Whenever I found myself alone and in need of someone, he was there. He shared everything with me and made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t feel broken when he was around. I didn’t feel anything other than my love for him. It was all I knew. It took Jake and me, years to realize that we were more than friends to one another, that we were each another’s first true love. We were soul mates.” She smiled at the memory and to her surprise, she was able to go on and not shed the tears that threatened. “The months I spent as Jake’s girlfriend and fiancée were the best months of my life.” She glanced down at the band of strength inked to her finger and then back to the watchful eyes that surrounded her.
“Jake was diagnosed with stage four Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, just a short while after we became a couple. The time we had together consisted mostly of his fight to battle the cancer. I watched him suffer. I watched him become so ill from the chemo that he couldn’t move. I watched him lose his hair and ultimately I watched him die.” Her tears fell freely, unable to hold them back anymore. “I started using prescription drugs, prescribed to him, after his funeral. I needed to escape from the pain I was feeling, Jake wasn’t there to take it away, like he had been since the moment I met him.” She paused for a moment.
“Drugs made me become an ugly person. They didn’t just help me escape the pain I was feeling. They turned me into a selfish person who didn’t care who she hurt. I alienated myself from the only family I ever knew, Jake’s. I didn’t care about their grief or that they had lost him too. I was too consumed in getting high to give a damn about anything else. I knew I was and addict and needed help when I crashed my car on the day that would’ve been mine and Jake’s wedding. I woke up in the same hospital that Jake had died, with his mother at my side, begging me to change my life. Begging for me to be the girl she took in at fifteen years old, the girl who smiled even though she was broken.”
Cara let out a breath and wiped her tear stained cheeks with the backs of her hands and slowly slid back into her seat, signaling to her peers that she had finished her story. Silence filled the room and she heard some sniffles come from some of the listeners. She didn’t want their pity though. She shared her story on her final day of rehab, in hopes that someone would look at her and listen to her story, and find the strength that they needed, to move forward, just as she had.
*
Luke stood outside of Riverdale Elementary, along with the other parents, mostly mothers, waiting for their children to be released for the day. It was Friday, and he had been looking forward to his date with his daughter all day. He lifted his head when the doors opened and the woman he recognized to be Ava’s teacher stood by the door dismissing the children. He grinned when his blonde pigtailed girl, bounded down the steps towards him. He bent down and spread his arms anticipating the collision that would happen when she ran into his arms.
“Daddy!!” She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I didn’t think you were picking me up today.”
“I wanted to surprise you.” He said as he took her book bag from her and slung it over his shoulder. She slid her little hand into his larger one and they walked out of the school yard towards his truck.
“Guess what?” She asked happily, causing Luke to smile. “I got a hundred on my vocabulary test.”
“That’s great, sweetheart.” He bent down and pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I’m proud of you.”
“It was easy.” She said as Luke shoved her backpack into the passenger seat before he opened the back door for her. He helped her climb into the truck.
“Seatbelt.” He reminded her before he shut the door and walked around the truck to the driver’s side. Luke started up his truck and peeled out of the spot. “So here is the game plan. We’re going to go for pizza, because its date night and then you’re going to sleep at Grandma’s. That way you don’t have to wake up early tomorrow when I have to leave to go pick up Cara.”
“Who will take me to Nina’s birthday party?” Ava asked as her eyes met her father’s in the rear view mirror.
“Grandma will but I’ll be back in time to pick you up and then we’ll go back to Grandma’s for dinner.”
“Will Cara be at dinner?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” He said as he stole a glance in the mirror at her.
“I hope she feels better now that she went on vacation.” She said as she kicked her feet thoughtfully. “She was so sad all the time before she left.”
“You know what? I’ve spoken to her a bit since she’s been on vacation and she sounds a lot better.” He smiled softly.