My Last Regret

I held the plane ticket in my hand and couldn't keep the smile on my face.

I had to call Jack as soon as possible.

I scrambled around the living room after placing the ticket on the coffee table and grabbed my phone from off the kitchen counter and dialed Jack's number as fast as my fingers could manage. I was shaking, I was so excited.

I held the phone up to my ear and listened to it ring. As soon as Jack answered, I was already sat back down on the couch and my eyes were glancing over the ticket on the table.

"Hey." He said and I smirked.

"You didn't send me a plane ticket for my birthday, Jack Barakat."

"I take it you got my present?"

"I did." I replied simply. "You didn't have to get me anything for my birthday, Jack. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I'm tired of the distance between us and that I really miss seeing you every day..." He said in a small voice.

"Awe, Jackery..."

"Hey! It's true. You don't know how much I miss your face, Lexy." He defended.

"I miss your face too, baby." I responded and saw my dad looking at me, out of the corner of my eye.

"I can't wait to see you on the 20th!" He chirped and I smiled.

"I can't wait to see you either! And my flight leaves at 1pm, so that means I get to get out of school early!"

"Yay!" Jack cheered and my dad waved in my general direction, probably signalling me to get off the phone so we could talk.

"Well...I have to go now, babe." I said and he sighed.

"Awe, okay. Talk to you later." He said and I ended the call.

"Yeah?" I asked my dad.

He made his way over to the couch and sat down before beginning to talk, which got me thinking about what he wanted to talk about.

"I have another letter for you," He looked at me. "It's from your mother, and she was kind of sad that it didn't get here on time. But here it is." He said and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope.

He placed it in my hands and I continued looking at him.

"There's also a box in the back seat of my car for you." He told me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. Let me go get it or you." He smiled and nodded before standing from the couch, dusting off his jeans, and grabbing his keys and exiting the apartment.

I stared down at the letter and I read my name, scripted across the front of it in elegant handwriting that I assumed was my mother's. I peeled open the seal and opened up the envelope. I pulled out the card and confetti spilled out all into my laugh. I laughed slightly and read what was inside the card,

Alex,

I hope you're having a great birthday and I hope your father's being good. I miss you so much and I can't wait to see you again.

I also apologize that I could not send you a gift for your birthday, but I'm tight on money this month and I don't want to send you something you won't like.

I love you and I'll see you soon.

-Mom

I smiled and stuffed the letter back into the off-white envelope and set it on the table. I noticed my dad pushing through the doorway with a moderately sized box in his hands.

I hopped up from the couch, shiny, rainbow confetti falling off my lap and into the crevices between the couch cushions and onto the floor. I made my way over to hold the door open while my dad moved inside with the box.

I watched him place the box on the couch and I made my way over so I could see what was inside.

I tore open the cardboard flaps of the box and noticed a folded orange fabric sitting on top.

I pulled it out of the box and held it in front of me, the orange fabric unfolding and hanging from my hands. A smile formed on my face.

The orange sweater dangled in front of me and I had a warm feeling inside of me start to form. I set it on the couch, next to the box, and pulled out the baby blue envelope that was set directly after the sweater. I opened it up and pulled out the card.

To my favourite grandson,

I hope you like the sweater and I hope it's not too loud and outrageous for you to wear. It's the least I could do since your mother couldn't gather enough money to buy you a proper gift.

I love you, sweetie, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you when you come back up here this winter.

-grandma

There was the warmest grin on my face and closed the card back up and set it on top of the sweater.

I peered over the box to see if there was anything that I had missed, and there was. I spotted a rainbow lollipop at the bottom of the box and half-frowned.

It was in the shape of a dick.

I scrunched my eyebrows together and fished it out of the box, noticing that there was a piece of paper tied to it.

I held the lollipop in my left hand and tore the paper off of it. I read the note attached to it and I nearly growled.

Here, so you have something to practice on when you're away from your boyfriend.

After the sentence was the word granddad with a small heart next to it. I groaned and tossed it back into the box.

He sure knew how to be an ass hole, didn't he?