The Roots That Tied to My Feet

It was always the hours that you dreaded that seemed to come too quickly.
Melanie stared at the road in front of her and counted each mile marker as it passed her. With each and every yellow post she was brought closer to the place that she had purposely left behind and she didn’t intend to return as soon as she had to. But, that’s what life was—a challenge. It didn’t care about what you wanted to do or what you wanted to feel. Life was a fight; one that her mother had been fighting hard for since last December.

Melanie remembered the phone call like it was just yesterday.

Melanie ran her hand through her newly dyed brown hair and smiled in the mirror. Ever since she had left Arizona she had become a new person. She was no longer fearful of her every decision and she didn’t care about consequences; she had become reckless. The hair was merely a symbol of the fact that the old Melanie was gone—she now was a new person; and she loved it.

She had pretty much cut everyone out of her life back home, only talking to her sister and sometimes her old-time friend Kennedy Brock, but anything that reminded her of Arizona seemed to put her in a distressed mood and she hated that. She had almost cut that place out of her life entirely and she liked it.

She thought she might never have to go home until reality slapped her across the face.

“Haley, what do you mean?” Melanie asked, worry laced throughout her voice.

“She has cancer, Mel. It’s stage three,” Haley replied and she could hear the sadness in her sister’s voice.

“How-how did we not know? How did we just find this out?”

“It doesn’t run in the family so mom wasn’t getting checked, but she got really sick and so she went to the doctor, and they found it,” Haley said.

Melanie fell onto her couch as a wave of despair ran through her body. She couldn’t lose her mother; no, she refused. “Is she going through treatment?”

“She begins next week,” she replied.

Melanie felt her body go numb. Stage Three was dangerous, extremely dangerous. Stage Three Breast cancer is when the spreading begins; the beginning of the end for many.

“Melanie, do you want anything from the gas station?” The boy asked, shaking her lightly.

She looked at the man that sat in the driver’s seat next to her and observed the way his brown hair messily fell onto his forehead. His blue eyes shone bright in the Arizona sun and he had a light tint of pink of his cheeks. She smiled, “No thanks.”

Ben smiled, “I’ll be right back.”

Melanie nodded her head as he exited the truck that they drove in and began jogging into the 7-11 station. As he approached the door he grabbed it quickly and held it open for an elderly lady.

That right there was why she had fallen in love with Benjamin Reed.

From the first day she had met him he had been a complete gentleman. They sat next to each other in their Liberal Arts class and every time she was unprepared for a test he would slip over a piece of paper giving her the answers she didn’t know.

She knew it was ironic, still cheating after doing extremely hard work to even get into the University of Washington in the first place, but this was a simple 101 class and she didn’t mind the gesture. She preferred to call it using her resources.

Every Friday night for the past three years Ben had taken her out to dinner. They went to a new restaurant every weekend, trying to complete the goal of eating at every food place in the huge city of Seattle.

Melanie would never say she believe in love at first sight; but there was something about Ben that she had felt since the first time she had met him.

He gave her a feeling—one that was completely irresistible. Ben made her feel as if she belonged; he made her feel as if he would love her no matter what mistakes she made. He was the man who she had learned to become dependent on.

In many ways he reminded her of her dad, and they always say you marry a man just like your father; that thought didn’t upset her for one second.

Ben opened the car door and took a seat next to her. He placed his hands on his knees and grabbed his jeans clad legs softly. “Only twenty more miles. You ready?”

Melanie nodded her head silently and Ben grabbed her hand.

“I know you’re nervous to see her,” he said.

“We haven’t visited since before she was sick,” Melanie said softly, regret in her voice.

Ben leaned over and cupped her face with his hand, “It’ll be okay, love. She’s going to make it through.”

“How do you know?”

“Because if she’s half as strong as her daughter, she’ll make it through anything,” he smiled.

Melanie smiled in melancholy, “I love you, Ben.”

He pressed his lips to hers softly, “I love you too, baby.”

He started the car as the two continued their journey. They had been driving for three days taking bonding time in the car rather than the convenient flight.

“So your dad called me and told me I could go down to the hospital tonight with him,” Ben grinned as they drove down the freeway.

“Oh yeah?” Melanie smiled.

Mr. Hendricks had instantly loved Ben. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was enrolled in medical school or just because of his charisma but there was no denying the instant approval he had for the young man.

Ben nodded his head grinning, “Yes ma’am. Apparently he has a huge surgery tonight and he offered me to come in and observe.”

“He loves you more than me I think,” she teased.

“That’s impossible, he adores you. You’re his little girl,” he smiled. “I’m surprised he’s letting us sleep in the same room.”

“We’ve been dating for three years now, Ben. And, I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m twenty-one now. I can have a boy in my room,” she giggled. And it wasn’t as if boys weren’t in her room all of high school; one boy in particular.

Melanie looked out her window and looked at the scenery around her. Her neighborhood was the same as it always had been. Children ran through the streets playing with basketballs and jump ropes laid everywhere. The sidewalks were all colored with chalk, saving the temporary images on eight year olds minds.

Ben pulled into the house that she had lived in since she could remember. The white paint still shone vibrantly, the green grass in the front yard was still bright green looking as if it was just planted thanks to the gardeners.

Melanie stepped outside of the car and stretched her body, the cooling autumn air hitting her skin. She couldn’t stop her eyes as they looked in front of her at the house that sat there. It looked the same as it had always looked and it still gave her the same sentimental feeling it always had.

She turned her body away from it slowly before walking around to the other side of the vehicle to where Ben stood. “We’ll grab the bags later, let’s just go see Mom,” she said.

Ben enlaced their fingers tightly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. They walked hand in hand to the door, giving it a light knock when they arrived.

The door opened just seconds after and revealed a small brunette. “Melanie!” Haley exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her sister. “Our hair matches now!” She laughed.

“Haley,” she replied, squeezing her sister’s thin frame. “I missed you little sis.”

Haley scoffed. “Little sis, shoot. I’m eighteen now.”

“Oh how could I forget?” Melanie said rolling her eyes.

“Hi Ben,” Haley said, a small smile on her lips.

“Haley,” he grinned, and pulled her into a quick hug. “It’s been a while. You look beautiful.”

The girl laughed, “You’re already approved of by me, no need to butter me up.”

Ben laughed as he took off his coat. “Good to know. Where is everyone?”

Haley nodded, “The living room. Come on.”

The couple followed her into the sitting room where Melanie’s entire family sat. “Daddy! Mom!” She yelled, running over and embracing her parents.

They said their quiet hellos and looked adorningly at their eldest daughter. “You hair looks…different, Melanie. It’s very nice,” her mother grinned.

Melanie looked at her mom’s abnormally thin frame. She was losing hair from her radiation appointments and her skin was becoming frail. She was very obviously sick. “Thanks, Mom.”

She looked over to where her father and Ben were already engaged in conversation and she savored the way that Ben’s eyes followed her body as she spoke to her mother and sister.

“When is that boy going to ask you to marry him?” Her mother giggled happily.

Melanie shrugged, “I do not know.”

“I want to see you married before I die,” she replied.

She and Haley both looked at her mother with a disapproving glare. “That’s not funny, Mom.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just being honest.”

They sat in an awkward silence before Melanie spoke up, “So, Haley. How’s your love life?”

Mrs. Hendricks laughed and cleared her voice. “Yeah Haley, how’s your love life?” She echoed.

Haley’s cheeks turned a crimson red, “Good.”

“What am I missing?” Melanie chuckled nervously.

“I-I have a boyfriend,” Haley started nervously.

Melanie felt her insides begin to tighten in anticipation. “Who is it?”

Haley looked at her sister timidly out of the corner of her eye. “Don’t be mad.”

“Of course not…I could never be mad,” Melanie lied. She would be mad if she said one certain name.

“I’m kind of dating Garrett,” Haley said at last.

Melanie felt her breathing go back to its normal pace in relief. She laughed, “Garrett? Oh my gosh are you for real?”

Haley nodded her head, “Yes.”

“That’s kind of weirdly adorable.”

“So, you’re not mad?” Haley grinned.

“Of course not, sis.”

Haley smiled, “Good because I’m going to their show tonight and I wanted to bring you. The boys all wanted you to come.”

Melanie looked at Haley knowingly, “All of them?”

“Well, not all of them, but majority of them,” Haley replied.

Melanie knew before Haley even spoke that those were the words she would say. All of them would not want to see her. All of them didn’t like her.

In fact, she was ninety-nine percent positive that one of them hated her—and she could never blame him for that.