To the heart

Chapter 19: Standing for a Future

Lily finally arrived home a day later to a quiet, lonely apartment. She called out for Jude but there was silence. She noticed a piece of paper on the counter and picked it up and immediately fell to her knees with tears in her eyes. The note read: Dear Lily by the time you read this, I will be gone, I didn't bother saying goodbye because this isn't forever. You lied to me and even though you think it's for a good cause, it wasn't, you almost died and you put me through the motions' trynna find you. I sacrificed things for you so it's time for you to do the same, it's time for you to choose....me or the sniper rifle?. Don't bother contacting me until you have this sorted out Lily".

Lily sighed and sat down on the floor shaking. She knew she had to quit but she was afraid to face her father. She was afraid of his disappointment and of losing him, she lost mom and she didn't want to lose her own father...she wanted me to make him proud and pretend to still be that once Happy family that existed before her mother died. If she did that though, she would lose the love of her life, the respect of her family and her mother, and possibly her own life so in that moment she had a choice to make. The choice wasn't easy as all the flashbacks of her father laughing at her ideas and speeches of her bright future came to life. In that same instance, she saw her mothers smile and all the people who complimented her and told her about her mother.

Each one went neck in neck until the only thing she saw was her mother's ghostly form staring at her in discontent. She sat up and reached her hand out before saying "mom!" But the ghost stood there before finally saying "be like me" repeatedly. Lily looked at the ghost until it charged her and picked her straight up off the ground and said "Don't disappoint me...if I return, you will feel my wrath". The ghost sat her down giggled and said: "Hehe I'm sorry Sweetie, look I know what you've been doing and I don't like it, the thing your father loved about me was that I never submitted to him, I would fight him to the end with my stubbornness and he respected me for it".

Lily looked at her and said "I'm scared" and her mother giggled and said "his disappointment will be nothing compared to mine and I promise you if you end up here with me, I will make your life hell...I've seen the restaurant, that dashing young man, and the happiness it brought you...do not throw it all away for your father. We lived our happy life and now it's time you get yours, sweetie, now wake up and I promise we will meet again". Lily jolted awake, she had fallen asleep on the floor and it was now midnight but she couldn't sleep in so she sat up all night on the dark web, removing the ads for her services and pronouncing herself as "under government watch" to deter anyone from attempting to seek her out.

After completing that, she went back to sleep and woke up to the sunlight, and got ready to go down to the restaurant. When Lily arrived, she met Oliver there but he didn't say anything except "Morning ma'am" in a cold tone. The two didn't talk the rest of the day and that only helped fuel Lily's drive. Immediately after work, Lily drove over to her father's house and let herself inside. He smiled and said "hey Lily here for a new connection? as lily walked over and slammed her house keys on the table and said "I'm out". Hey sighed and said you can't quit " and Lily said "I just did" and her father burst out laughing. He said "you've always been a quitter" and Lily growled and said, "that's enough!". I'm quitting because I don't want this life anymore...this is your life, not mines, I've already let mom go... I'm happy now and carrying on her legacy at the restaurant I opened.

She looked him in the eyes and said, "that last job almost killed me...I have a boyfriend now and I don't intend to die on him and I don't intend to see mom any sooner than my intended time so if you have a problem with what I want to do then don't come to see me at all, I don't need your approval anymore, all I need is what makes me happy and this life went from slowly Killing me to nearly Killing me!". Her dad paused for a minute before finally clapping and saying "congratulations, you finally stood up to your old man...that's exactly what I been waiting for you really are becoming just like your mother". He smiled, took the keys and said, "I'll take care of the house and get you out, besides I'm tired of sitting around anyways".

He smiled and said "time to get back in the saddle, unlike you I've lived a full happy life, but yours only started...If I meet Lila early then it was all of no consequence...this job brings me purpose and meaning to my life since she died and I was wrong to assume you'd feel the same...I'm sorry sweetie".

Lily hugged him and said "just try not to die and he smiled and said "no promises but if I do, just know that I'm somewhere happy with my sweet Lila". Lily smiled and walked to the door as her father said "oh and tell the boyfriend of yours he better treat my daughter right or hell find one of these scopes on him". Lily giggled and said "alright dad as she closed the door behind her and walked out to her car, relieved.