Protected?

Pain of the Past

     We got back to our place and Jess took me to the bathroom and started to clean my knee.

"This looks really bad Amber. What did you do?"

"I was just walking and I tripped over something."

"Well I can't say this won't hurt So just bear with me for a little bit."

He took a cotton ball, put hydrogen peroxide on it, then put it on my knee.

     "Ah! You weren't kidding were you?"

I was griping the side of the bathtub So hard my knuckles were turning white.

"Sorry. I tried warning you. Just one more...and done. Hand me the band aid."

"Oh my god. That hurt like hell."

"Well now you won't go back to the cliff without me."

     "How was I suppose to know that there were things I could trip over?"

"Next time let me go with you."

Jess placed his hands next to mine and leaned in closer.

"Yeah I'll remember that the next time I storm off."

     "There better not be a next time."

"Well we'll see about that. Now about the box, don't you think we should look through it?"

"Yeah we should. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to do it yet."

"If it helps, I'll be there when you do it."

"Thanks. Well No time like the present. Let's go."

     We walked out of the bathroom and into the living room. I sat down on the couch and Jess grabbed the box from the bedroom.

"You sure you want to do this now? It can Wait till you're ready."

"Then I'd be waiting the rest of my life. It's bad enough I waited five years."

     He started opening the box and Topher jumped up on the couch and put his head in my lap. Jess had the box fully opened but he didn't pull anything out.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

He pulled out what looked like an old football jersey. He held it up and just looked at it.

     "This was my dad's. He gave it to my mom when they were in high school. He was the best if the best. When I found out he left this to me, I just laughed."

"Did you ever play?"

"I tried but I never made it big."

He went back to the box and pulled out two rings.

     "Their wedding bands?" I asked.

"Nah. When they went to college they promised that they would come back to eachother. These were their promise rings."

"How romantic."

"Yeah my dad was a big softie when it came to my mom."

"Like father like son." I joked.

     "Very funny."

The next item was a photo of a young boy with a small brown puppy.

"I think I know who this is. You and Topher."

"Yeah. He was a christmas present when I was about seven."