A Forever Love, Part 2

by Sharon Cummin

  A Forever Love

  A Forever Love, Part 1

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  His Assistant

  Prologue

  Brooke

  As I sat in the front row of the funeral home, I could not help but think about her life. My mom passed away just two days before. A chill ran through my body, as I sniffed in the smell that surrounded me. I was glad there were only three flower arrangements delivered. It would have been hard to get any more than that back to the house. People came in and out of the room, letting me know how sorry they were. They all stood around telling stories about my mom. The entire room acted as if they knew her so well. She had been such a good friend to each of them, they claimed. I had to laugh, as I listened to the bullshit going on around me. None of them knew her. Not a single one of them were there for her. I can't remember any of them offering to help through those two long, painful years. If they were such good friends, where the fuck were they when we needed them?

  My mom was an amazing woman. She was a single mom at only twenty. I have no idea how she raised me alone. My father passed away in a car accident before she even had the chance to tell him she was pregnant. She admitted that I was a product of a one night stand but still planned on letting him know. There were no pictures of him for her to show me, and she didn't really know anything about him. My birth certificate did not list anyone as my father. How sad, right?

  I always loved to watch my friends with their dads and wished I could have met mine. I was always Brooke Smith, the little girl without a father. There were so many kids in the world with only one parent, but all of my friends had two.

  My mom worked her ass off making sure I had what I needed. Sure we struggled all the time, but she made sure I had the necessities. I knew there were times she went without so that I could have something I really wanted. She had more than one job at a time for as long as I could remember. I knew she was often tired, but she never let it show. Dinner was always ready. I might have had to heat it up, but it was there each day when I got home from school. Thinking back, I didn't ever remember her dating. She was always so busy working and raising me. It was just the two of us, but we made it work.

  When I was fourteen, we moved to Michigan. That was where my mom's parents lived. We had only visited a few times when I was younger, so I didn't really know them very well. I talked to them on the phone sometimes, but that was about it. They seemed nice enough. We moved into their house with them. My mom said she wanted to be there to help them, because they were getting older. I really think she was tired of working so hard, and it was cheaper to live there. They were very loving right from the start. My grandmother made sure I ate well and rode me every day about my homework. It was nice to have two more people to love.

  Everything was great for four years. My mom worked one job, so I was able to see her more. It was nice to see her with her parents. They seemed so happy to have her home. I often wondered why she moved away in the first place. Mom always said it was better for us to live in Florida. I thought it would have been better with them. She must have had her reasons, right?

  My high school years were great. Keeping my grades up was difficult, but I did it and was looking forward to college. I wanted to go into business and planned to eventually own my own company. Working for someone else didn't appeal to me at all. It felt good planning for the future. I would be able to take care of my mom one day. Then she wouldn't have to work. She would be able to do all of the things she never had time for while she was raising me. I had been accepted to University of Michigan. It was going to be awesome to live in the dorms and be on my own.

  Two days after my graduation, my grandparents were killed in a car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver who had crossed over the line. I never understood how people could make such bad decisions. Why risk other people's lives? I get that they want to drink, but why get behind the wheel of a car? My mom had a very hard time with their death. I did too. She felt bad for not being there for them before and regretted staying away for so long. It was horrible. I had just gotten to know them. They were such wonderful, caring people. I really missed them and always would. It would have been nice to have known them longer. We should have been there.

  They willed the house to my mom and me. We wanted to stay there. It was where she had grown up and where I had gotten to know them. I decided to stay home and commute to school, so my mom wouldn't be alone. It wouldn't have been that long of a drive each day, but my mom was adamant that I still dorm my first year. She didn't want me to miss out on experiencing the fun side of college life. I knew I would make sure to go home most weekends. It was going to be strange being away from her.

  I jumped when I felt someone touch my leg. It was the funeral director. I had almost forgotten where I was. It was easy to block out all of the noise around me. I wanted the day to be over more than you can imagine. It was so hard to sit there while everyone talked about my mom like they knew her. They were all going to leave that day and go on with their lives. By the time they got home, they would be done thinking about her and be busy thinking about what they were going to make for dinner. She deserved better than that. I was relieved when the director asked me to go into his office to sign something. It was tiring being around all of the fake people surrounding my mom's ashes, pretending to care.

  The viewing would be over in fifteen minutes. Then, I would take my mom's urn and ashes home where they belonged. Before she passed, we agreed to only one day of visitation. I wanted her to have a large funeral and burial, but she refused to agree with me. She wanted to be cremated and have just a short visitation. I know she thought it would be easier for me. After sitting all day in a room full of strangers, I had to agree with her. She always knew what was best.

  I know it wasn't fair of me to think negatively about all of the people who came to pay their respects, but that didn't change the way I felt. She had worked with some of them. A few of them were my grandparents' friends. Some of my mom's high school friends came. I'm not sure how they found out. I didn't put anything in the paper. My mom was strict on her direction for that. It was not to happen. I couldn't figure out why. Again, I'm sure she had her reasons.

  She was never one to explain her feelings over decisions she made. All she ever said was “I have my reasons.”

  When the last person left, I was so relieved. It had finally ended. Everything that I had known for so long was over. What was I going to do with my life?

  Chapter 1

  Brooke

  Two Weeks Later

  As I sat in the reception area of Luke Technologies, I could not stop my hands from shaking. I was waiting to interview for a secretary position. Would I see him? Would he be there for the interview? His company was in a very nice building. I was surprised to find out it was only twenty minutes from my house. It took me a week to gather the nerve to apply for a job there. I was so relieved to find something available that fit with my resume. My legs shook as I waited patiently. Hopefully, I wouldn't start sweating or embarrass myself. I didn't want to give anything away.

  You're probably wondering how I ended up there. I was surprised myself.

  The day after my mother's viewing; I woke up and remembered what she had said to me the night she passed away. I was snuggling next to her in her bed. She hadn't spoken for most of the day and was very weak. I felt her squeeze my hand and looked over at her.

  “I love you so much, Brooke,” she said. “You know that right?”

  I could barely understand her words.

  “Yes, mom,” I answered. “I love you too.”

  “In the attic is a box
with your name on it. It's right inside the door. After I'm gone, I want you to open it. Promise me you'll wait until after my viewing.”

  Her voice was so weak. What could she have in a box? It was probably stuff from my childhood. Maybe it was something she had saved for me.

  “I promise mom. What is it?” I asked.

  “I love you. You'll always be my baby girl. You're my everything,” she said. “Please remember that. Everything I have ever done was for you. I want your dreams to come true, Brooke. I love you.”

  “I love you too. You're the best mom a girl could have. I could never doubt your love.”

  That was the last thing we said to each other, as she drifted off for the last time.

  I hadn't thought about those words since that night. Those few days had passed in a blur. Everything seemed like a dream. As the sun lit up the room, I thought about her words. What could she possibly have in the attic? I missed her so much. She was my best friend. We had grown so close over the past two years. Maybe she had saved memories of us together.

  I couldn't wait any longer to find out what my mother had kept for me. Slowly, I opened the door and turned on the flashlight. On the floor was a box, just off to the right. It had my name on it. That must be the box she was talking about, I thought. I picked it up and carried it out of the attic and down the stairs. Letting out a huge breath, I opened the lid. The box was full. On top of what was inside was tissue paper. Why did she cover the contents? On top of the tissue paper was an envelope with my name on it. I picked up the envelope and sat down on the couch to prepare myself and my emotions. Slowly, I pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. I was not even close to prepared for what I was about to read.

  ***

  Dear Brooke,

  I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart. You are my everything, baby girl. I have something I need to tell you, and this is the only way I could think of. Please remember how much I love you. Everything I have ever done has been for you. I would do anything for you. I think you know that. When you read this letter, you are going to have so many questions. I am so sorry that I am not there to answer them. Hopefully, one day you can forgive me for what you are about to read. I love you and want you to know the truth. It has always been just the two of us, and I know that you are alone. You don't have to be. Please remember how much I love you. I am so sorry to have kept this from you. At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do. I now know that I was wrong.

  Your father's name is Luke Andrews. We met when I was nineteen and he was twenty-three. When we met, he was fresh out of college and just starting his own company. He was a wonderful, handsome man, and I was still a young girl trying to find my way. I wasn't sure what I wanted to be and had taken a year off before college. He had his life planned out and knew exactly where he was going. I'm not sure why we found each other, but I wouldn't have changed a thing.

  We met through a friend and dated for three months. He was my first love, my only love. Luke stole my heart immediately, and I fell hard for him. Everything about our love was perfect. He worked so hard, and I was so proud of him. We saw each other on the weekends and occasionally during the week. I knew he was not ready for marriage. He made it clear that he had to concentrate on running his company before he could think about a wife.

  I found out I was pregnant and wasn't sure how to tell him. We had just talked about taking things slow. There had been a few steamy nights, but we were always careful. At least I thought we were. How was I going to tell him we weren't careful enough? I was nineteen and scared. When we went to dinner one night, I asked him about children. His eyes widened at my question. We needed to wait. He needed to stay focused, was his response. I knew that already but wanted to hear it from him. I didn't want him to be disappointed in me or think I had gotten pregnant on purpose. His business was very important for his future. He had worked so hard for everything he had accomplished. I didn't want to ruin that for him. Would he have given that up for me or taken us in with open arms? That is something I will never know.

  I made a decision that night. When he dropped me off at home, I packed my car and left town. That was why I moved away, Brooke. I'm so sorry. We moved to Florida, me and my unborn baby. I wasn't going to ask him to change his life's plan he was so passionate about for me. There were single mothers everywhere. I loved you from the second I found out about you. I knew we could make it happen together.

  My parents didn't know I was pregnant and had no idea I was leaving. I left them a note and didn't contact them for over a year. By the time I told them about you, you were five. They said he had come to their house to find me. When they told him I had left, he never came back. They begged me for years to bring you home so they could be a part of our family.

  I worked very hard to keep you safe and make sure you had everything you needed. It was the most important thing I would ever do. Raising you was all that mattered to me.

  When you were getting ready to start high school, I figured it was safe to go home. He had moved on and started a family of his own. I wanted you to know my parents before they were gone. They wanted to know you too. I knew high school would be so much easier if you had the three of us.

  In this box, you will find things about your father. There are newspaper articles about him and his company. He has done very well for himself. I put in a couple of pictures of me and him. They are the only ones I had. You look like him, Brooke. Every time I look into your eyes, I see his.

  There were so many times I wanted to tell you. I just never knew how. I was afraid you would be disappointed in me. You deserve to know the truth. You don't need to be alone. I am so sorry I kept it from you. I never planned to leave you this early.

  I loved him very much. When I found out about you, I was so happy. You are a part of him. I still love him to this day. He will always be the man I love.

  Please forgive me, Brooke. I truly am sorry.

  Love,

  Mom

  ***

  The paper fell from my hands as tears poured from my eyes and down my cheeks. My father was alive. How could she have kept something like that from me my entire life? She never even gave him the chance to decide if he wanted to know me or not. I wasn't sure how that made me feel toward her. It was such a shock to find out that she had lied to me. The one person I trusted and loved lied to me.

  I lifted the tissue paper and looked into the box. My mouth dropped open, as I picked up a frame. There was a picture of my mom and a man. It was him, and she was right. I looked just like him. He had the same color hair and similar facial features. Sobs escaped me as I touched his face. It was my dad. I really had a dad.

  I spent two days with that box full of stuff. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and my eyes were swollen and red. Everything I had about him was spread out across the table. I read every article and looked at every picture over and over. Was it a dream? Was he really my father? I spent hours on the computer trying to find more information on him. He was an extremely successful man and owned a large technology company. It seemed to be involved in many different things. He donated money to many charities and spent time helping others. I could not believe how amazing he seemed. He had been on television. I had seen things about him in the past. How could he have been my father, and I never realized it?

  For the next three days I thought about my parents. I was so angry with my mother. How could she lie to me my whole life. She was the most amazing woman I knew. I thought she would do anything for me. That couldn't be true. How could she let me go all those years thinking my father was dead? She worked two jobs and struggled for years. It didn't make any sense. Why would she do that when she could have had help? Could she have had help? Would he have taken care of us, or would he have walked away? My thoughts spun out of control for days. I had no idea what to think. Everything I had known had been a lie. I had lived a lie. What else did she keep from me? How could she do that to me? He should have had the choice of knowing me or not. I was
so angry at her.

  I wondered what our life would have been like if she would have told him she was pregnant. We could have possibly been a happy family. I could have known my grandparents better. She took me away from them as well. I knew she was young, but that didn't make it any better. He ended up getting married and having a family. How did she know he wouldn't have married her?

  I had nobody to talk to about any of it. What was I going to do? She was gone, and I was alone. There was no reason for me not to work anymore. I needed to go back to school and get my business degree. If he could own his own company, then so could I. Why not, right? I had to take care of the bills we had accumulated, so I needed a job. I needed to register for school. There was no reason for me not to.

  All I could think about was my dad. What was he like? Would he have wanted me? What were his hobbies? Was he the reason I wanted to own my own business? I wanted to meet him. How could I do it? It's not like I could just walk up and introduce myself as his daughter. He would freak. The man owned a large company and probably had more money than he knew what to do with. Would he think I wanted his money? I didn't want anything except to meet him. It would sound crazy telling him I was his daughter. He would never believe me. I couldn't say I would blame him. It sounded outrageous to me. It didn't even matter if he knew I was his daughter. I just wanted to see him in person. That would be enough for me. Was he as nice as they made him seem, or was he really a jerk that everyone made sound good? Who was he? I had to know.

  Then it hit me. That's what I needed to do. I needed to get a job at his company. His employees would talk about him. They would be honest. I would be able to meet him as a boss and see the real him. He wouldn't know who I was. With a last name like Smith, I would be fine. Would I even be able to meet him? It was worth a try. I found a job opening on the computer. It took me days to talk myself into actually applying for the job. I was so glad I had gotten an office job to help take care of my mom. That way I had some experience. It didn't matter what I had to do there. I just wanted to meet him. It would all be worth it for one moment of his time.