Not being able to keep myself from staring, I pretended to be busy as I watched this picture perfect family walk through the doors of the gift shop, a boy, a girl and two happy loving parents. I saw families come and go from here all of the time, yet none of them reminded me of mine as much as this one did, that is, before the accident.
"Olivia, it's time for your break." My bosses words snapping me from my trance.
Walking from the aquarium gift shop, I could feel the salty summer air coming in from the front door, deciding to skip the break room today, I sat in a chair by the clownfish tank. Looking across the ways, I saw the photo booth and as I closed my eyes I could almost see her face.
"How about we stop to take a couple photos?" Mom gestured towards the booth.
"That's a great idea honey." My father helped us all step into the box.
"Let's do funny faces!" Sam said as he was sticking out his tongue.
All of us did a funny face pose.
"Kissy faces!" I told everyone.
"Let's do happy faces now." Mom pulled me into her lap as we all smiled.
"Cheese!" We all shouted in unison.
"I think I blinked." Sam announced and we all laughed as we stepped back out into the aquarium.
I smiled to myself as I let the thought of them fill my mind. Summer of '99, when my brother and I learned what a relapse was, and how one small word in the dictionary would change our lives forever.
"Sam, Olivia please take a seat, I have something to tell you." Mom had waited until dad was in the gift shop to give us our first adult talk.
"Years ago, your father would drink alcohol a lot, and this began to become a problem. He had to start going to classes called AA to help him feel better. A couple of months ago when grandpa passed away, he started drinking again and had what we call a relapse. Your dad is going to start going to those classes again, our family will get through this." She took mine and Sam's hand and gave us a loving squeeze.
"Is dad sick?" I asked trying to understand the situation.
"In a way, yes. But not the type of sick you and your brother sometimes get" Mom tried explaining the best she could.
"But daddy looks like he's okay" Sam pointed at his father.
"Yes sweetie, your father is doing okay, he's not touched anything in almost a week." Mom's voice rang true with pride.
Frustration came over me as I dug through the memory crate in my mind. Two months after our last aquarium visit, dad would get behind the wheel while intoxicated, killing my mother in the crash. I hadn't had any sort of contact with my dad in over ten years. Sometimes, I would miss him but I wasn't sure I could forgive him for what had happened, I hadn't tried. In some ways, I couldn't blame him, he had a sickness. But I knew he shouldn't have been driving on that dark, foggy night. Glancing up, I saw the family walking from the aquarium gift shop, and I knew seeing them was a sign from the universe to talk about what had happened, you never know when your last moment with someone is. I didnt want to regret not trying. Feeling a wet, warm tear roll down my cheek, I took my phone from my pocket and hit the dial tone. "Hey dad, it's Olivia..."
About the Creator
hayley
The skies are blue, haven't been for a while
Building Catholic Families in the New Age
In the modern world, with rapid changes in society and culture, building and maintaining a thriving Catholic family become increasingly crucial. The family is not only where we live but also where personalities are formed and children are educated. In this article, we will explore the essential factors for constructing a strong and developing Catholic family in the new era.
By Catholic family communitya day ago in Families
Comments (1)
What a sad but beautifully written story. I loved the imagery of being in the aquarium to fading into a memory. I wonder who Sam is though? There wasn’t a spot light on him. The brother, perhaps? Anyway, great story. I’m giving it a heart. If you’d like to read my entree I’d love to hear your thoughts. :)