what a gala was. It sounded like an event for stuck up rich people. But this was for Jeb.
Once we pulled into my driveway, I saw that both of my parents were home. “Great.”
“You will do good, babe. I will be here tomorrow to pick you up. Oh, hold on.”
He opened the glove box and got out a cell phone. “This is for you. My number is stored in there. If you need anything, please text me or call.”
I smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him. He placed both hands on my face and kissed me back. I had no idea how long we were kissing, but I felt like crying out in protest when he pulled away. “Mrs. Jacobs, if we don’t stop, I am going to want to make love to you in this car.”
I giggled. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“Bye Toria.”
I got out of the car and headed up to the house. I was on cloud nine, but when I walked into the house, my mother got off the couch and started to yell at me. “I told you to stay away from that man.”
“Mom, I am old enough to see who I want.”
She tried to grab my arm, and I pulled it away from her in one swift movement. “You are under my roof; you listen to me.”
“Well, maybe I will go live with him. At least he wants me to remember my life. Unlike you two. God, what was so horrible that you don’t want me to remember?”
“You heard what the doctor said. You were a drug addict. We don’t want you to remember that.”
I sighed. “Mom, I am trying to get better, but I highly doubt that Jeb was the reason I was an addict. He is good to me. I think I love him.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
I went to sit on the couch. “Mom, Dad, you have to let me grow up. Let me make my choices. Let me remember.”
My dad spoke up. “What if what you remember destroys you again?”
“I will not let that happen. I might have liked being high, but these withdrawals from the drugs suck. I sweat and shake all the time. It feels as if my insides are being ripped about. Dad, I promise you, I don’t want this anymore. I want to turn my life around.”
He pulled me into a hug. “I love you, baby. I just don’t want to lose you again.”
“I promise you that you will not lose me… unless you keep me away from Jeb. That I would not be able to forgive you for.” Both of their faces fell, and I felt horrible, but it was my life and I should be able to make my own choices, my own mistakes, my own everything. My parents raised me, but as an adult, I needed to finish life by my own standards and my own decisions. I might have made the wrong ones the first time, based on what I had been allowed to know, but everyone should get at least one second chance. “Now,” I continued, “his parents invited me to a gala of some sort, and I am going to go.”
My mother walked out of the room, but my father spoke up. “Okay, baby girl. I want you to be able to have fun.”
“What about Mom?”
“I will talk to her.”
After talking to my dad for a bit, I went upstairs to my room. I went to my closet, to scour my clothes for the gala. I ended up finding a black velvet strapless dress that had a note on it.
For my senior prom
It still had a tag on it. I wondered why I didn’t wear it to prom. Maybe I wore another dress. I shook off the thought. After getting stuff together for the gala, I went to eat dinner. The table was quiet, and my mother didn’t even look at me once. Brianna was talking to Dad about school. After we ate, I went up to my room and looked through more of my stuff. I didn’t find anything that triggered my memory. I looked at the clock and noticed it was almost eleven. I went to bed. I couldn’t get comfortable, and I got the urge to go sleep outside. I had no idea why, but I got my pillow and blanket and went downstairs. I quietly went out the door and made my bed on the front porch. I found being outside more appealing and comfortable. I fell asleep fast.
***
“Toria, what are you doing outside? Did you sleep out here?”
I was
Once we pulled into my driveway, I saw that both of my parents were home. “Great.”
“You will do good, babe. I will be here tomorrow to pick you up. Oh, hold on.”
He opened the glove box and got out a cell phone. “This is for you. My number is stored in there. If you need anything, please text me or call.”
I smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him. He placed both hands on my face and kissed me back. I had no idea how long we were kissing, but I felt like crying out in protest when he pulled away. “Mrs. Jacobs, if we don’t stop, I am going to want to make love to you in this car.”
I giggled. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“Bye Toria.”
I got out of the car and headed up to the house. I was on cloud nine, but when I walked into the house, my mother got off the couch and started to yell at me. “I told you to stay away from that man.”
“Mom, I am old enough to see who I want.”
She tried to grab my arm, and I pulled it away from her in one swift movement. “You are under my roof; you listen to me.”
“Well, maybe I will go live with him. At least he wants me to remember my life. Unlike you two. God, what was so horrible that you don’t want me to remember?”
“You heard what the doctor said. You were a drug addict. We don’t want you to remember that.”
I sighed. “Mom, I am trying to get better, but I highly doubt that Jeb was the reason I was an addict. He is good to me. I think I love him.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
I went to sit on the couch. “Mom, Dad, you have to let me grow up. Let me make my choices. Let me remember.”
My dad spoke up. “What if what you remember destroys you again?”
“I will not let that happen. I might have liked being high, but these withdrawals from the drugs suck. I sweat and shake all the time. It feels as if my insides are being ripped about. Dad, I promise you, I don’t want this anymore. I want to turn my life around.”
He pulled me into a hug. “I love you, baby. I just don’t want to lose you again.”
“I promise you that you will not lose me… unless you keep me away from Jeb. That I would not be able to forgive you for.” Both of their faces fell, and I felt horrible, but it was my life and I should be able to make my own choices, my own mistakes, my own everything. My parents raised me, but as an adult, I needed to finish life by my own standards and my own decisions. I might have made the wrong ones the first time, based on what I had been allowed to know, but everyone should get at least one second chance. “Now,” I continued, “his parents invited me to a gala of some sort, and I am going to go.”
My mother walked out of the room, but my father spoke up. “Okay, baby girl. I want you to be able to have fun.”
“What about Mom?”
“I will talk to her.”
After talking to my dad for a bit, I went upstairs to my room. I went to my closet, to scour my clothes for the gala. I ended up finding a black velvet strapless dress that had a note on it.
For my senior prom
It still had a tag on it. I wondered why I didn’t wear it to prom. Maybe I wore another dress. I shook off the thought. After getting stuff together for the gala, I went to eat dinner. The table was quiet, and my mother didn’t even look at me once. Brianna was talking to Dad about school. After we ate, I went up to my room and looked through more of my stuff. I didn’t find anything that triggered my memory. I looked at the clock and noticed it was almost eleven. I went to bed. I couldn’t get comfortable, and I got the urge to go sleep outside. I had no idea why, but I got my pillow and blanket and went downstairs. I quietly went out the door and made my bed on the front porch. I found being outside more appealing and comfortable. I fell asleep fast.
***
“Toria, what are you doing outside? Did you sleep out here?”
I was
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