Restoration III: Life after 25 years

Chapter 15: Guilt

Belle is so worried about her daughter Ashley who didn’t go home last night. She and Kevin have no idea where she went. She is just waiting for her outside the school yesterday with her son Skyler but it didn’t show up. It was the first time for Ashley not to say anything about where she is going and Belle thought that something bad might already happened to her. She was supposed to go to the police station last night to file a report about her daughter Ashley as a missing person but Kevin stopped her. Kevin convinced her to wait for 24 hours before considering their daughter as a missing person. He thought that it might just went somewhere around their town with friends and forgot to inform them about it. She felt restless in their living room waiting to hear from their daughter Ashley who may go home anytime of the day in their house. Many things are running through her mind and she doesn’t know what to think of. She sat on their sofa for a few minutes trying to calm down. She was supposed to go to school today for work but didn’t because of her daughter Ashley. If Belle forced herself to work today in school, she is 100% sure that she won’t be able to focus on her teaching inside the classroom so she chose not to be present in class. Her family is more important to her than work especially Ashley who is her only daughter.

She will do anything to protect her whole family as long as she could from anyone. Belle didn’t sleep well last night and she deprived herself in resting. She can’t stop thinking about Ashley and she forgot the time starting last night. She also didn’t eat dinner because of having no appetite. She waited in their living room for several hours hoping that Ashley will suddenly show up in their doorstep. After a few minutes, someone knocked on their door and it made Belle quickly stood on the sofa in their living room. She was hoping that it’s her daughter Ashley and stood in front of the door not uttering any word. When she opened their door, she was glad that it was her daughter who is obviously having a nervous look on its face. Belle hugged Ashley so tight and cried in front of it. She thought that she already lost her. Belle thought of keeping an eye on her family especially starting today. Belle felt like she lacks something as a parent to Ashley and Skyler. She wanted to know her two children better by knowing its thoughts. She thought of talking to them so that they will be able to have a bonding time with her on having a serious conversation. It is important for a parent to talk with their children about serious matters so that they will be able to guide them along the way to avoid making them lead the wrong path in life. She is so happy to see Ashley once again who is safe but at the same time mad for what it did last night of not showing up and not informing them on what happened to her. They won’t be strict on her as a parent in going out and the only thing that they want is for her to always inform them on what she does every day in school so that they won’t get worried. Belle just wants her daughter to be responsible enough in telling them every hang out she will be at with friends if ever she won’t go home straight after school. It’s still Ashley’s responsible to inform her parents about what she wants to do after school and when she got home today, she expected her mother to be so mad. Ashley was speechless as she entered their house and sat first on the living room. Belle frowned at her who joined her in the sofa of the living room and told Ashley that they need to talk about what happened last night. Belle wants to know where she had been to last night. Belle wants to know what the reason was for her to make a no show outside the school.

When Belle asked Ashley about its whereabouts yesterday, it took her daughter a long time to answer back. Ashley wanted to tell her mother what really happened to her last night. She wanted to tell Belle the truth about her inappropriate relationship with her teacher Fred Walls. She can no longer handle her big secret alone with Fred. She wants to tell someone about it but if she does this thought on her head, everything that she dreamt of will disappear like a blink of an eye. She is so guilty for being tempted by her science class teacher from the first place. She didn’t think straight and just realized all of her mistakes right now as a student and a daughter. Ashley realized that she failed her parents to become the daughter that they want her to be. She thought of hiding behind her shadow as of this moment who can’t reveal who she really is. She thought of her mother who she doesn’t want to cause any trouble in school. If she tells her the truth about her relationship with her own teacher Fred, their family’s name will be put to shame and the good reputation that she is taking care of for a long time will be ruined. All of her classmates will turn against her and she might also get kicked out on school for good carrying a bad record anywhere she goes. Her mother Belle will also be affected by the complicated world she had entered. She doesn’t want her mother to be involved on the wrong doings that she did. The school may fire her mother because of the scandal that she had caused. Her ex-boyfriend Trevor Mckinley may find her disgusting once it finds out about the truth and won’t love her anymore for the rest of its life. Ashley is still hoping that she can get Trevor’s love back. She is still hoping that everything will be back to normal on their past relationship. She is still thinking about Trevor and he is the only guy that she had loved so much. Ashley is sure that what she feels towards Trevor is true and how she wished to gain his trust back. She changed her mind on telling the truth about the inappropriate relationship she is having right now with Fred Walls and decided to keep her mouth shut. She thought about her parents and brother Skyler who will also be affected by her own actions. She thought of just carrying the burden feeling inside her heart alone as long as she can handle it. She wants to take responsible for everything that she did and her family doesn’t deserve to get involved.