Letters From Jack
The Box
As planned out the night before, Zoey woke up early the next morning and watched out her bedroom window as her mother's expensive car pulled out of the drive way. She knew she only had a couple of hours before she returned home. Her mother didn't work. She was a 'house wife'. Her father on the other hand was a doctor who worked at the small clinic in town. Once she was positive her mom was out of the picture she hurried out of her room and into her parents room. She began looking through the drawers in their dresses.
She came up empty handed, and then moved on to her mother's vanity. She looked inside each and every drawer inside, but only found expensive make-up and beauty products. She raised her eyebrows, and looked around the room. She knew that her mother wouldn't hide the box anywhere else. Their bedroom would be the only safe place for it. She done a complete spin of the room and stopped when her eyes landed on the closet doors. She slowly walked over and pulled the doors open. Instead she looked at the large spacious closet filled with designer clothes of her mother's, and cheap suits for her father. He wasn't as concerned about money and possessions like her mother. He was more laid back and down to earth. She often found herself wondering how the two of them ever made a marriage work.
She looked around the entire closet and came up with nothing. She was about to give up completely, but then noticed a shelf at the very top. Her five foot six frame was not quite tall enough to reach it. Her height seemed to be giving her a lot of problems lately. Even the agencies wished she were a few inches taller. She walked over and grabbed her mother's vanity chair and then pulled it over to the closet. She climbed up on it, and then slowly stood up. She was eye level with the shelf now and couldn't believe her eyes.
There was what looked like a shoe box on the shelf, dust covering it completely. She placed her hand inside and placed it on the box, and then felt something crawling up her arm. She screamed loudly when she saw the black eight legged spider making it's way up her arm. She used her free arm to knock it off, and then grabbed the dust covered box and jumped off the chair. She couldn't wait to dig inside and see exactly what it contained, but she knew she needed to fix the room first. She placed the chair back, and closed the closet. She also inspected everything else. It looked as if no one had even been in the room. She picked the box up from the bed and rushed off to her bedroom. She walked inside and locked the door behind her.
She knew no one else was home, but she didn't care. She didn't want anyone to interrupt her while she looked through this box. Slowly, she walked over to her bed and settled herself down onto the soft mattress. She starred at the box for several minutes, not moving it an inch. With a deep intake of air, she placed her index finger under the top of the box, and tossed the top back. Dust particles filled the air and her lungs, but she ignored them as her eyes starred inside. The box was full, of not only letters, but pictures, cards, and she could see a necklace inside as well.
She picked the necklace up first and starred at it. It was a golden locket in the shape of a heart. She couldn't help but to smile as she looked at it. After inspecting it for several moments she saw the words "Forever & Always" carved into the front, and on the back were the initials JN&ZA. She couldn't help but to run her fingers over the letters. It felt so surreal to her, knowing that this was hers. This was something she probably wore every day. She placed the necklace down on the bed and then picked up the next item, which was a birthday card. She opened it, and couldn't help but to smile as a birthday song filled the air.
She read over the poem wrote by the card's publisher and then read the chicken scratch signature at the bottom. The words I love you stood out the most. She swallowed hard as she looked at the name wrote below those three words.
Jack Napier.
She breathed in as she looked down at the box. She didn't know what else she could possibly find. Instead of going straight for the letters, instead she picked up the pictures. There seemed to be at least a hundred or possibly even two hundred. She picked the large stack up and began looking at them. She couldn't believe how early some of the photos had been taken. She had saw pictures of her from those ages. The pictures with Jack had been taken between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. She had known him for at least two years. She shook her head as she traced over a picture of him by himself. He was smiling wide, and looked like the happiest person in the world. He was beautiful. His brown eyes were deeper than any pair she had ever saw before. The only thing she could compare them to was coffee. His hair, a dirty brown/blond color hung down in his face a bit, and his facial features made him very handsome.
She looked over the picture one last time and then placed it down on the bed. The next thing she picked up was the letters, but upon picking up the letters, she heard something hit the box. She looked inside and saw a small ring. She grabbed it and inspected it. It was a very small silver band. No diamond, or any other sort of jewel on it. It was just a silver band that had the words "Always and Forever" carved into the inside of it, much like the locket had. She smiled, and placed it down on the bed with the pictures and locket. She then turned her attention to the first letter, and opened it up. She read it out loud to herself in a quiet voice.
My Dearest Zoe,
I just left your house moments ago and I'm already missing you terribly. I hate being away from you. Your parents can't keep us away from each other. I don't care that I'm eighteen now, It's not right for them to take you away from me. Your mother doesn't understand us. We love each other, and we're going to be together. Always and Forever.
Zoe, I promise that one day I will give you everything you could ever want. I'll never be a doctor like your dad, but I promise I will be good for you. I know you're disappointed in me that I didn't finish school, but It was nonsense for me to be there. I needed to be working and saving money for us. I couldn't do that there. Please, trust me. I have a plan for our future.
I'm moving in with my grandma Susie tomorrow. It'll be a lot better than this dump my fuck up of a father lives in. I know he's part of the reason your mom hates me, but she shouldn't hold him against me. I'm not him, and one day I'll show her that.
I've kind of rambled off as I always do. I'll drop this off to you tomorrow at school before I head to work. Just know that no matter what I love you more than anything. That ring on your finger, and locket around your neck should always remind you of that.
I would go insane without you, Zoe. I need you in my life to keep me together.
Love always,
Jack Napier.
She had tears in her eyes as she folded the note and placed it down on the bed. She ran her fingers through her hair and starred at the white wall in front of her. She had believed that she never had a serious boyfriend. She had believed she had never experienced true love, and apparently she had believed wrong. It was obvious to her that this boy was crazy about her. She began reading the next couple of letters. Some were sad, some were happy, and some were a mixture of both. One thing was apparent by the end of her reading session. She had also been in love with Jack Napier.
She heard the door in the living room shut, and knew that her mother was home. She decided to confront her. She picked up a few of the letters and then walked out of her bedroom.
She came up empty handed, and then moved on to her mother's vanity. She looked inside each and every drawer inside, but only found expensive make-up and beauty products. She raised her eyebrows, and looked around the room. She knew that her mother wouldn't hide the box anywhere else. Their bedroom would be the only safe place for it. She done a complete spin of the room and stopped when her eyes landed on the closet doors. She slowly walked over and pulled the doors open. Instead she looked at the large spacious closet filled with designer clothes of her mother's, and cheap suits for her father. He wasn't as concerned about money and possessions like her mother. He was more laid back and down to earth. She often found herself wondering how the two of them ever made a marriage work.
She looked around the entire closet and came up with nothing. She was about to give up completely, but then noticed a shelf at the very top. Her five foot six frame was not quite tall enough to reach it. Her height seemed to be giving her a lot of problems lately. Even the agencies wished she were a few inches taller. She walked over and grabbed her mother's vanity chair and then pulled it over to the closet. She climbed up on it, and then slowly stood up. She was eye level with the shelf now and couldn't believe her eyes.
There was what looked like a shoe box on the shelf, dust covering it completely. She placed her hand inside and placed it on the box, and then felt something crawling up her arm. She screamed loudly when she saw the black eight legged spider making it's way up her arm. She used her free arm to knock it off, and then grabbed the dust covered box and jumped off the chair. She couldn't wait to dig inside and see exactly what it contained, but she knew she needed to fix the room first. She placed the chair back, and closed the closet. She also inspected everything else. It looked as if no one had even been in the room. She picked the box up from the bed and rushed off to her bedroom. She walked inside and locked the door behind her.
She knew no one else was home, but she didn't care. She didn't want anyone to interrupt her while she looked through this box. Slowly, she walked over to her bed and settled herself down onto the soft mattress. She starred at the box for several minutes, not moving it an inch. With a deep intake of air, she placed her index finger under the top of the box, and tossed the top back. Dust particles filled the air and her lungs, but she ignored them as her eyes starred inside. The box was full, of not only letters, but pictures, cards, and she could see a necklace inside as well.
She picked the necklace up first and starred at it. It was a golden locket in the shape of a heart. She couldn't help but to smile as she looked at it. After inspecting it for several moments she saw the words "Forever & Always" carved into the front, and on the back were the initials JN&ZA. She couldn't help but to run her fingers over the letters. It felt so surreal to her, knowing that this was hers. This was something she probably wore every day. She placed the necklace down on the bed and then picked up the next item, which was a birthday card. She opened it, and couldn't help but to smile as a birthday song filled the air.
She read over the poem wrote by the card's publisher and then read the chicken scratch signature at the bottom. The words I love you stood out the most. She swallowed hard as she looked at the name wrote below those three words.
Jack Napier.
She breathed in as she looked down at the box. She didn't know what else she could possibly find. Instead of going straight for the letters, instead she picked up the pictures. There seemed to be at least a hundred or possibly even two hundred. She picked the large stack up and began looking at them. She couldn't believe how early some of the photos had been taken. She had saw pictures of her from those ages. The pictures with Jack had been taken between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. She had known him for at least two years. She shook her head as she traced over a picture of him by himself. He was smiling wide, and looked like the happiest person in the world. He was beautiful. His brown eyes were deeper than any pair she had ever saw before. The only thing she could compare them to was coffee. His hair, a dirty brown/blond color hung down in his face a bit, and his facial features made him very handsome.
She looked over the picture one last time and then placed it down on the bed. The next thing she picked up was the letters, but upon picking up the letters, she heard something hit the box. She looked inside and saw a small ring. She grabbed it and inspected it. It was a very small silver band. No diamond, or any other sort of jewel on it. It was just a silver band that had the words "Always and Forever" carved into the inside of it, much like the locket had. She smiled, and placed it down on the bed with the pictures and locket. She then turned her attention to the first letter, and opened it up. She read it out loud to herself in a quiet voice.
My Dearest Zoe,
I just left your house moments ago and I'm already missing you terribly. I hate being away from you. Your parents can't keep us away from each other. I don't care that I'm eighteen now, It's not right for them to take you away from me. Your mother doesn't understand us. We love each other, and we're going to be together. Always and Forever.
Zoe, I promise that one day I will give you everything you could ever want. I'll never be a doctor like your dad, but I promise I will be good for you. I know you're disappointed in me that I didn't finish school, but It was nonsense for me to be there. I needed to be working and saving money for us. I couldn't do that there. Please, trust me. I have a plan for our future.
I'm moving in with my grandma Susie tomorrow. It'll be a lot better than this dump my fuck up of a father lives in. I know he's part of the reason your mom hates me, but she shouldn't hold him against me. I'm not him, and one day I'll show her that.
I've kind of rambled off as I always do. I'll drop this off to you tomorrow at school before I head to work. Just know that no matter what I love you more than anything. That ring on your finger, and locket around your neck should always remind you of that.
I would go insane without you, Zoe. I need you in my life to keep me together.
Love always,
Jack Napier.
She had tears in her eyes as she folded the note and placed it down on the bed. She ran her fingers through her hair and starred at the white wall in front of her. She had believed that she never had a serious boyfriend. She had believed she had never experienced true love, and apparently she had believed wrong. It was obvious to her that this boy was crazy about her. She began reading the next couple of letters. Some were sad, some were happy, and some were a mixture of both. One thing was apparent by the end of her reading session. She had also been in love with Jack Napier.
She heard the door in the living room shut, and knew that her mother was home. She decided to confront her. She picked up a few of the letters and then walked out of her bedroom.
♠ ♠ ♠
