" 9th August, 1998.

                                     Today is the last day of summer vacation. I'm still in Ohio staying with my grandmother. We won't be going back to Indiana in another week. Yes, I'll be missing a week of school but at this present situation, I don't really care. Grandma's health is getting better but mom still looks discouraged. One more week with my Grandma, Aunt Karen and Lilly is what my mom needs. My dad always used to say that family comes first, and that family is the herb that heals us when we are wounded. He will definitely help Mom heal just like how he healed me. 

Love you Dad. "

Heather closed her diary. She turned around to see her cousin Lilly lying on bed. It was only ten 'o'clock but she was already fast asleep. It was Lilly's first day as a high schooler tomorrow. 

Being a freshman was not easy for Heather but she knew that wouldn't be Lilly's case. Unlike Heather, Lilly is remarkably friendly and never had trouble mingling with new people. Heather was the quiet kid in class who only cared about getting good grades and making her parents proud.

Heather turned off the table lamp and went back to bed, thinking about how her father would have felt about her missing the first day of her junior year of high school.

   *   *   *   

The morning was pleasant with ample sunlight. Though it was the start of the fall season, the leaves didn't seem to fall and the day was bright as ever. However, even on this cheery day, Linda's life didn't seem to get any brighter. Her family was the only thing that was helping her cope with the loss of her beloved husband.

It was nine in the morning and Heather was in the kitchen scrubbing one of the few dishes left in the sink. Overlooking the kitchen window, she saw her Grandma watering the plants while her mother was looking at the chrysanthemum in the garden.

Her mother wasn't into flowers much, it was her father who loved them. Back at their house in Indiana, they had a small backyard where they planted a lot of flowers. Among all of them, the orange chrysanthemum was her Dad's favourite. 

Once she had finished cleaning the last dish, Heather decided to walk out into the garden to get some fresh air. Just as she opened the front door she saw that her Aunt was back from the grocery store. 

"Oh Heather honey, could you please help me get these bags to the kitchen," Karen said while opening the trunk of her Honda. 

Heather stepped towards the car to take the groceries.

"It's okay Aunt Karen, I'll take all of these by myself. Could you just go and speak to my mom," Heather's gaze shifts to her mother. "She doesn't look like she's doing good."

"Honey, it's not your mom that I'm worried about." Karen placed her hands on Heather's shoulder. 

"You don't always have to hide how you feel just to make other's around you happy. Both your mother and your grandmother are getting better day by day. But you? I know you are hiding your emotions for your mother."

This was the talk Heather was trying to avoid. It was never easy for her to open up and communicate her emotions. Karen sensed Heather tensing and chose to let it go. 

"Okay, I'll go talk to your mother. But I just want you to know that I'll be here for you whenever you need me. Got it Heath?"

Heather gave her aunt a small smile and bent down to take the bags. 

"Make two trips, there's too much stuff in it."

"Okayyy".

Karen walked away from her car toward the garden but stopped halfway through and turned back to face Heather, " And... I also bought your favourite butter cookies from Massie's. Help yourself once you have done arranging the groceries."

Once she finished putting away all the items that her aunt bought, she took out her cookies. She ripped off the cover and started eating it with Karen's words still playing in her mind. 

Why couldn't she open up to her family? 

Why couldn't she let them know how she actually felt?

She didn't know the answer to that. She wanted to talk to her Aunt just like she told her too. But still, something was stopping her from doing it. She was really close to her father but even to him, she couldn't get herself to open up. She was never the one to share her feelings to someone. That was because she never felt the need to do it. 

But now it was different. Her father's murder and her mother's abrupt depression was too much for her young teenage mind to process. All of this was new to her. She needed someone, not to listen to her but to help her communicate her feelings. Because at that point it was what she needed the most. 

Someone to teach her how to express her emotions.

   *   *   *    

Lilly and Heather were strolling through a park located a few blocks away from the house, talking about Lilly's first day. 

"I'm glad that Emily and I have two classes together. I'm not really good at math so Em and I can study together."

 "If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask me. I'm pretty good at math."

"Sure Heath, hey why don't we go get some ice-cream?" asked Lilly pointing to an ice cream vendor.

Both of them walked towards the ice cream vendor. 'Another Day In Paradise' was playing from a small radio there.

"I'll take chocolate. What about you Heath?"

Heather was too lost to catch Lilly's voice. She was lost in the memory of another day, another day in paradise with her dad.

"Oh princess, it is okay don't cry. I'm not mad."

"I was trying to fix it daddy but it slipped," tears were falling down that eleven-year-old girl's eyes.

"It is okay, accidents can happen. Now it's time for daddy's little princess to wipe her tears so that we can listen to some good quality music."

Heather brushed her cheeks, a small smile forming on her face. Her dad then picked her up from the floor in a swish earning a cute giggle.

He then played a record and started snapping his fingers along the rhythm of the song.

"Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for you and me in paradise
Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for you
You and me in paradise. "

Her father kept on snapping his fingers and swaying along the rhythm to cheer Heather up.

Bending down to the level of his daughter he said, "Now come on, let us clean up this mess and sneak into the kitchen to eat some cookies before your Mommy finds out."

"Jesus Heather, where on earth are you?"

That was when she snapped back to reality, the reality where her father didn't exist anymore.

"Oh, I- I'm sorry. Umm... What were you asking?"

"I asked which flavour you wanted."

"Huh, for what?"

"For the Ice cream Heath!"

At this point, Lilly was pissed off by her cousin acting weirdly.

"Oh yeah, I'll get a chocolate ice cream."

"Didn't you hear the man saying he doesn't have any chocolate ice cream left.  So I ordered strawberry," Lilly gave an exasperated sigh.

"Okay then I'll just take vanilla."

Holding their ice cream cones, Heather and Lilly were walking back to the house. On the way Lilly asked Heather why she seemed so lost in thoughts at the ice cream vendor.

Heather thought of telling Lilly about her flashback. Even though it is not that important, sharing that small episode might actually help her with sharing her thoughts and make her feel better.

"Are you listening?" Lilly was still waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, it was just the song. I was so into the song."

"More like completely lost in the song. You looked like you travelled to a different dimension."

Heather couldn't, she couldn't even share such a small memory of hers. But she tried to reassure herself that sharing a small flashback isn't super essential. It's not like it could help them find the culprits who took her dad away from her and her family.

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 Hey guys, hope you liked this chapter. If you did please vote and show support. Feel free tell me your opinions about the story in the comment, both positive as well as negative comments are welcomed here. I always look forward to the constructive criticism as it is what helps a writer grow. 

The second chapter will be published on Sunday.

Thank you for spending your valuable time reading my story.

Bye