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.Eight months since I was whole.The room smells like her.She loved bold perfumes that lasted for hours on end.Her favorite was Glamorous, and her room smells just like it.Her bedroom is over the top old Hollywood style.A large crystal chandelier hangs in the center of the room.Her purple velvet curtains that start close to the ceiling and puddle on the floor are pulled open.The view of their landscaped backyard and salt water pool is amazing.I’ve never seen a bedroom with a giant window that went across the entire wall.When they remodeled the house a few years ago, they had the window installed.Whatever Andy wanted, she got.She wanted a glass wall to look out to the stars at night.I sit down at her white writer’s desk that she used as a vanity table.She had at least fifty bottles of perfume in perfect rows along the backside of the table.Slowly, I pick up each bottle and smell them.Each of them would evoke a memory of some sort.The blue bottle is the perfume she wore to our junior prom.We went with a couple of other girls from school.The whole limousine smelled like a perfume factory by the time we got to prom.The pink bottle with the glass rose stopper is the one she would wear on her dates.Guys seemed to really like her perfume.“I like the green bottle.It makes me think of her dance recital last year,” Linda said.“Take the perfumes, you’ll get more use out of them than I will.There’s empty plastic bins in the closet for you to use.”“Thank you.” I go over to the closet and pick up one of the smaller bins.It feels strange shopping through someone else’s stuff.A bag full of brand new Bath and Body Works lotions and shower gel reminds me of the huge sale we went to just a week before the accident.She was obsessed with that store.“Do you want these?” I ask.“No, I’m serious, everything in here is yours.I’ve boxed up all the clothes, it might take you a trip or two with your car to pick them up.I labeled them though, so you can take all the summer and fall stuff now.Just take her jewelry box, it was a gift to her from a family friend.”As I go through her things and pack them up, I tell her about my dreams.She’s had a lot of dreams too.It was nice talking to someone who knew her like I did.Andy wasn’t perfect, but she was as close as you can get.Of course she acted spoiled every once in a while, it only took a gentle reminder that she was being a bitch and she’d stop.Linda and I laughed at the pictures of us that are on her bulletin board.I have copies of most of those pictures so I insisted she keep them.“Holland, you’re a part of my family.If you need anything, and I mean anything, please ask.We would love to have you over for dinner.Maybe when you and Tate date a little longer, you can have him over with you.I know how tough things are with your dad.Are you still boycotting boys from meeting your dad?”“Are you kidding? I can’t imagine any guy meeting my father.Especially someone like Tate.My dad will freak out when he finds out that he’s in the Air Force.” I laugh it off and shake my head back and forth.“You know he hates military guys.”She draws in a deep breath before answering.“Oh I remember you telling me about his military fixation.Bring him here, we’ll be your fill in parents.I love you like a daughter.”“Thank you.Your family has always been so kind to me.If Tate works out, I’ll be sure to bring him over.He and I have to date a month before I’ll consider it though.” We laugh at the month mention.Andy was a stickler about her rules and boys.We weren’t allowed to tell the parents or anyone else that they were a boyfriend until a month passed.Most relationships don’t last a month so we find it a good rule to live by.We FOUND it.I remind myself that she’s no longer here.No longer in the present tense.Forever and always, she’ll be past tense.We carry the boxes downstairs and load up my car.Our goodbye is easier than I expected, I think to myself as I drive away.***Chapter Five.Sweet DreamsGoing through Andy’s clothes wasn’t as depressing as I thought it would be.If I’m honest with myself, it brought back so many happy memories.It didn’t take long for me to find the perfect outfit for tonight.It’s classy enough for such a fancy restaurant.Cadiddlehopper’s is the nicest place to eat in Midwest City, the neighboring town to Del City and the town Tinker AFB is located.One of the gates to get on base, and closest to the dorms is two blocks away from where I live.Tate is only two blocks away!***Dad was asleep on the couch when I got back from hanging out with Bethany.I ran to my room to get ready for my date before he wakes up.It takes me less than thirty minutes to get ready, thanks to picking out my outfit earlier today.I grab my purse, a fancy designer one that was in the box of Andy’s things, and I go out to the living room.He’s awake but he’s pacing the floor.This isn’t a good sign.“Hi Dad, are you ready for dinner? I picked up a nice and greasy burger and fries for you.I’ll heat them up.” I barely say the words before he’s standing in front of me.I take a deep breath and brace myself for the next ten minutes of my life.“Who is he?” Dad demands.Paranoia.“What are you talking about?” I keep my words steady, knowing he’s on the edge of freaking out.“You know damn well who I’m talking about!” Spittle flings from his mouth as he screams in my face.Anger.He grabs me by the arms and pushes me against the wall.“You’ve been sneaking around seeing him.Who is he?” Hatred.“Daddy, stop, you’re hurting me.” The tears are threatening to come but I refuse to give in to them.He’s just having one of his spells.“I met Tate this weekend.We’re going to dinner and a movie, nothing else.”He squeezes my arms and give me an extra shove before letting go.“I’m not allowing you to get married until you’re twenty-five.If he comes to ask for your hand, I’m saying no.” He growls out every single word.Hostility.I throw my arms around him, pulling him to me in a hug.“Daddy, it is just a date, not a proposal.I just met him, I promise [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]