Chapter X: The Past Always Catches Up

The next day, after breakfast, Jaci found herself in the guest room, vacuum, swiffer, and duster in hand. MeMa and Pa had said it would be fine for Drew to spend the summer but she would have to clean out the guest room. No one had been there in several years and it was obvious.

There was a decently thick layer of dust on everything including the floor. When she’d

opened the door, she about walked through a spiderweb. She stuck the duster through first, wrapping the spider web around it so she could enter.

For a moment, she looked around before setting to work. She slipped her phone out of her back pocket and plugged her headphones in. Slipping the over her ears, she set to work.

While her favorite songs played, she worked, cleaning out the cobwebs, dusting

everything off, changing the sheets on the bed, and putting the old ones in the washer.

Around the time her stomach started to rumble, she was all but done. She still had to dust the book shelves and vacuum out the closet but it could wait.

Jogging downstairs, she pulled the peanut butter out of the pantry and spread it onto a

piece of bread. As she put strawberry jam on the other slice of bread, a sheet of paper stuck to the fridge caught her eye.

Jaci, just remembered Pa has a doctors appointment today. Will be back around six. -MeMa

Noting it, she nodded and took a bite out of her sandwich. She leaned up against the counter, thinking.

She had talked to Thomas earlier that day when they had watched the sunrise. He had

to help his mom with some things at their house and probably wouldn’t be able to hang out that day. Jaci only had a few things left to do in the guest room before she was done.

As she finished off her sandwich, she considered quickly finishing everything and going swimming. The day was on the hotter side and a little voice was telling her that the cold water would feel refreshing over her tired body.

She jogged back up the stairs and back into the guest room where she began dusting. She became lost in her own thoughts, not really paying attention to what she was doing when she noticed what she was holding in her hand.

Looking down at the picture frame in her hand, she realized who it was. Her father, a

younger version of him, was cuddled in the arms of a younger MeMa and Pa. Jaci set her dusting cloth down and folded her legs underneath her as she rested her back against the bookshelf.

She’d only ever seen a few pictures of her father but she would be able to recognize him anywhere. Her father had a birthmark on the edge of his right eye, a tiny, yet visible, brown dot that had never gone away. She smiled down at the boy in the picture, aware of the nostalgia that was creeping in.

She set the picture frame back on the shelf and continued on with her dusting, a faint smile playing over her lips. She was happy for some reason. She stopped.

Why am I happy? She asked herself.

Because you’ve forgiven him. Because you were finding comfort in the anger you had against him. When you forgave him, you were actually comforted. She answered herself.

She absentmindedly went back to what she was doing and soon, the guest room was clean. The window was open letting the gentle breeze come in, dancing through the blue and white currents, making them jump this way and that. She let the door stay open, giving the room a more open feeling before heading back down stairs.

She glanced at the clock in the kitchen, noting that it was only a little after one o’clock. If she hurried, she could go swimming for an hour or so and be back before Drew arrived.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, making Jaci jump. She tore her gaze from the clock and walked to the door, confused

There was no way MeMa and Pa were back already and Thomas wouldn’t knock and wait for someone to come to the door. He’d just knock and open it.

As she grasped the doorknob with her hand, she got a sickening feeling in her stomach like something grave stood on the other side of the door.

Jaci turned the doorknob, opening it. Her heart lurched, her breath caught in her throat.

“Jaci!” the woman cooed, grabbing her in her arms. “It’s been so long.”

Who is this? She asked herself, trying to pull away from the woman.

The woman let Jaci go and she took a step back, looking at her.

Who are you? She signed.

The woman gave her a confused look. “Why aren’t you speaking? What are you doing with your hands?”

“Do you not remember me, Jaci?”

Jaci knew who it was. How could she not?

Of course I don’t. I’ve made myself forget you a million times over again. I’ve wiped you out of memory, I’ve tried to forget that you even existed! Jaci signed.

“It’s me, your mom,” the woman gave Jaci a strange look.

The one person Jaci didn’t ever want to see. The one person Jaci couldn’t forgive. And she was standing on her doorstep.

"The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas." -Alfred Noyes