Page 104 of Here's to Tomorrow

“Right. So, my mom…well, she kind of sucked. She wasn’t affectionate at all. Remember that painting of the ocean I told you about?” He nods. “That’s the absolute closest she ever got to showing affection. Haley remembers a different mother up until those last two years. I was too young to remember. All I know is I don’t ever remember her saying ‘I love you’ or even hugging me.”

“Shit. That does suck,” Hudson chimes in.

“It gets worse. The year after my last good memory, we went to the beach for a small vacation to celebrate my mom’s and my birthday—we have the same one. I guess my dad thought it might make my mom happy.” I smile sadly. “My dad was all about making her happy. The sun set with her for him,” I tell him, my voice cracking.

Hudson reaches out and grabs my hand, squeezing it a few times.

“Anyway, the first few days were amazing. My mom smiled often and everyone was happy, or so we thought.”

Memories of that weekend crash into me and tears begin to roll. It was the best and worst weekend of my life. I’ll never forget it.

I wipe at the tears and push through. “Our birthday was on the last day of the vacation. It was also the last day I saw my mother.”

Hudson clears his throat. “Wha…what happened, Rae?”

“She killed herself.”

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