It's the Little Things in Life

Chapter 15

~The Benji stuffed animal Americus got for Christmas

I stood in front of the bathroom sink staring at my face. I had two big welts on both sides of my face that were turning dark colors. 

I knew that Meghan wanted, needed, to know what had happened, but I wasn't ready to talk yet. The only person I talked to was Delilah. I couldn't talk to anyone else without having to catch myself from crying. 

Since the second Gene's hand connected to my face the first time, I couldn't help but question all that I've been told about God. I had given up on him, too. 

After a couple of days, David and Meghan had grown used to my silence and had stopped trying to get me to talk. 

One day I heard David whispering to Meghan about his wife. I heard him say how this is how she acted before she told him that the doctor told her she had a couple weeks left. I choked up at the sound of his voice as he talked about her. He had said that she forced herself to never cry in front of him and she slowly stopped talking to him. 

When he said this I decided it was time for me to come clean. I walked into the kitchen and all talk about Delilah halted.

"I'm ready to talk," I said to their shocked faces. When no one said anything, I went on, "Seconds after Meghan left... Iris and Gene entered the room... and told me to stop crying... and they slapped me... and I left."

We stood in silence until David came and hugged me. Meghan joined. 

"Then, I was walking in the streets... and heard sirens... and was scared of being taken back to them... and I ran into the woods," I couldn't help but stutter as I told them. I had to will myself not to cry. 

They both looked at me before assuring me that everything was going to be alright. I was pulled into another loving embrace that comforted me and made me feel somewhat whole again.

 Many years later...

We sat watching SpongeBob on the television. Tomorrow was the "Big Day" and none of us could concentrate on the show. 

Five years ago David got the courage to ask Meghan to date him. They had been through hell and back again, but they loved each other and that was easy to see. 

Six months ago David invited Meghan to be apart of his family. By that I mean he finally asked her to marry him. She said yes and ever since then it's been the wedding this, the wedding that, we need this, I don't want that. Nonstop talk about the wedding that will take place on November 1st, 2012.

Yep, tomorrow was my birthday and I was going to be the youngest maid of honor ever. I was nervous to have to walk up in front of everyone, in a dress, as they stared at me. 

So to say the least, we were all nervous for the big day. 

David and Meghan chose November 1st for one reason. Me. I know I don't deserve it, but they said that I never truly celebrated my birthday with an actual party before, so while they celebrate their marriage we were also celebrating my birthday. 

I stood from the couch and walked to my bedroom. I had a speech to prepare for. I had written it and rewritten it and I had just gotten it to sound right. I'm only going to be eleven, but I planned to blow people away with my speech. I slowly read what I had written aloud. I erased it because it just wasn't the right words yet. 

I sat at my desk and tapped my pencil on the paper. 

"Come on, brain. Think. Think," I said to myself.

I stared at the blank wall for an eternity. Delilah sauntered in and rested her head on my lap. I looked down at her and smiled as her eyes twinkled up at me. Then it hit me.

I grabbed my pencil and fired away. For the next ten minutes, all you heard was the sound of lead gliding across the paper and the faint noise of the television. 

Finally, when I finished I held it up and smiled at my hard work. I had to say for an almost eleven-year-old it looked pretty good. 

For the next twenty minutes after that, I paced my room reading it aloud to make it sound right.

The only reason I stopped practicing is that I heard David call my name.

I made my way to the living which was abandoned. I then went to the kitchen where I found another empty room. I looked around and saw the two standing at the door. 

"What did you need?"

"Delilah slipped out," David informed me as we both slipped on our shoes. 

It was almost time for the rehearsal dinner and it was perfect timing for Delilah to escape.

I rushed past them and down the front steps. I bolted down the street calling her name. When I turned the corner of Mistletoe Drive I ran into something. A person. I backed up and apologized before looking the person in the face.

My heart lurched. The blue in his eyes were sprayed with green and his blonde hair curved in a way that made me want to just mess it up. Then I stopped myself and got back to the task at hand. I apologized again and moved around him before calling for Delilah again. 

I heard a bark and turned just in time to see my dog run between the boys' legs knocking him down only to stop right in front of me. I ran to the boy to see if he was okay. I helped him up and apologized yet again. 

"Name's Malachi," he smiled at me.

"Americus," I smiled back, "and this is my dog, Delilah."

He reached down and pet her head.

"I better go," I said even though I knew I truly didn't want to leave. 

He nodded. I called for Delilah and we started our trek back home where the house was as warm as my heart.