23A/N I'm not going to waste my breathe apologizing for the absolutely terrible updating schedule that's been going on lately, oh wait, I am. I'm so sorry guys, I really am. I hope this super long chpater makes up for it. I'm so tired rn, I can barely type. Anyways, enjoy!
Violet POV
[5 years-old]
As I unbuckle myself, I look out the car window at the nearby sign. "Montauk Park," I sound out in my head.
When I get out of the car, I hold my mom's hand tight when we cross the street from the parking lot to the park.
"Don't be scared, sweetie," my mom says, clearly sensing my discomfort.
The wind picks up and I hold tighter. "Mommy, what if I blow away?"
She laughs and it makes me smile. "Don't worry sweetie. I won't let you blow away."
We make it to the bench on the side of the playground. The tambark scattered across the ground. I look to the left where there's a little lake, likely man-made.
My mom takes a seat. "Go on, my flower," she nudges me, "I'll be here."
"Mommy, I don't want to go." I cling to her side like a stubborn barnacle.
"Okay, honey." We sit together on the bench in comfortable silence, and I enjoy it.
There aren't many kids on the playground, and they are much older than me. I think they are maybe 10 or 11.
I look back to the lake, and there's a little boy swimming around, he looks about my age. His mom is sitting at the bottom of the closest tree and turns her head to me, catching my gaze. I immediately look away and bury my head into my mother's side embarrassed to be caught staring. Then she calls to her son, "Percy, come on out please!"
The little boy groans but emerges from the water. He drags his feet over to where his mom is sitting beside the tree. "Why did I have to come out, mommy?" he asks.
His mom pulls him to sit beside her and lowers her voice enough so that I can't exactly make out what they're saying. I lean towards them the slightest bit and strain my ears to hear their conversation. He looks towards me with curious eyes. His eyes are sea-green and bright probably reflecting his personality.
While they sit and eat their lunch, mommy and I sit in silence. "You sure you don't wanna play on the playground?"
I shrink back and shake my head. Part of me wants to be brave enough to approach someone and play with them, or play by myself, but I'm too shy. I don't even like it when people look at me. I'd much rather watch other people and see how they act.
"Do you want a cookie?" I realize that the 'Percy' boy from the water is standing in front of me, smiling. I blink, trying to comprehend how to answer. "Oh, right. I'm Percy. Do you want a cookie?" he asks again, waving the cookie in his hand a little. Mommy nudges me a little, signaling me to answer.
Instead of responding, like I should have, I find myself asking, "Why is it blue?" I shrink back, embarrassed. I don't even know why.
His face brightens, if that's even possible. "Oh! It's because my mommy and me like blue food, and I love cookies, so she makes me blue cookies!" he exclaims. His peppy personality somehow makes me more comfortable with talking. Maybe it's because I'm not afraid of being bullied, like in my kindergarten class. "That's cool. Can I have the cookie? I'm Violet."
"Sure!" He hands me the cookie and I take a tentative bite.
My eyes widen involuntarily. "It's so good!"
He smiles proudly. "I know, right!"
It's a matter of seconds before I devour the whole cookie. With newfound confidence I ask, "Wanna play on the playground?"
"Yeah! Let's go! I'll race you there!"
We play tag, hide-and-seek, and other games that we make up. I've never had this much fun before. I look over at my mom and she's smiling at me. Then I look over at Percy's mom and she's smiling too.
"Oh no! The bad guys are coming, we have to run!" Percy reports to me through our tambark walkie-talkies.
"Ok, I'll meet you at the monkey bars. Over."
We run over to the monkey bars and laugh the whole way.
Soon enough, the sky turns from blue to pink and the air gets cooler. Percy's mom walks up to us digging through the tambark. "Percy honey, I think we have to go."
"But mommmmmmy," he whines.
She gives us a sad smile. "I know. Maybe we'll see them another day."
He stands up, begrudgingly, and follows his mom. Before he is out of hearing-range he turns around and shouts, "Nice meeting you Violet!"
I smile and wave back at him.
"He seems like a nice boy," my mom says when we get to the car.
"Yeah. I had fun today," I announce.
"I'm so glad," she responds.
[12 years-old]
"Mommy, where are we going?" I ask, in the passenger's seat.
She looks side-to-side and turns the wheel before responding. "To that park we used to go to when you were little."
"Oh, the one with the lake, and the playground and the tambark?"
"Yeah, for old time's sake."
I think back to when she first brought me here. I'll never forget that experience. I was shy and scared of being bullied, but then this little boy(Peter was his name?) came up to me and asked me if I wanted to play. It felt like eons ago, but that was one of the best memories I have. After that, I was much more outgoing and had lots of friends at school. I wonder how he's doing now…
When we cross the street this time, from the parking lot to the park, I hold my book tight to my chest. The wind picks up and I'm worried the jacket of my book will fly away.
"Don't worry, my little flower," I hear my mom chuckle, "Your book won't fly away."
"You can never be too sure," I reply.
We take a seat on the bench in front of the playground. It seems like deja vu, but also not. There aren't many people on the playground, just some toddlers running around and a few families having a picnic. My mom checks emails on her phone while I read my book, it's called, "The Lightning Thief."
"So you used to come here a lot when you were a kid?" a voice says. I look up. Two kids, who look about my age, are walking along the edge of the lake. The guy has messy black hair and the girl has curly blonde hair and is wearing a Yankees baseball cap.
"Well, it's really close to the house that we have, so when I was smaller, mom used to take me here instead of the beach because she was worried I would drown in the ocean," the guy explains.
The girl throws her head back and laughs. "No way, Percy! Was Sally really worried that you would drown?" She jabs her finger at him. No way. Is this the same Percy from when I was 5?
"Excuse me?" he puts a hand on his chest and feigns offence. "Are you not also concerned about my well-being?"
She rolls her eyes. "Seaweed brain, you can breathe underwater, so no, I'm not worried about you." She stomps off and Percy runs after her.
"Annabeth, wait up!" Yep, I'm certain. Though he has changed so much, it's the same Percy from when I was five. As he passes me to catch up to Annabeth, we make brief eye-contact and I'm met with his bright sea-green eyes once more. He doesn't stop though, and continues to run to the girl.
I smile sadly. He doesn't remember me. He doesn't know how much I've changed because of him. I'm not upset though, he was an outgoing kid, so he probably made new friends like me every time he went to the playground. I'm just glad he's here with a friend this time. It doesn't seem like he comes here very often. Maybe he lives in a different town.
I resume reading my book with the white noise of Percy and Annabeth's conversation in the background.
"Ready to go, Violet?" my mom asks after a couple hours.
"Yeah," I shiver, "It's getting cold, too."
She takes off her jacket, exposing her arms, and wraps it around me.
We walk to the car and I turn up the heat as we pull out of the parking lot and drive back home.
[16 years-old]
I pull into the parking spot and take the keys out of the ignition. I grab my computer bag and cross the street from the parking lot to the park.
The smell of the sap and flowers fills the air. I take a deep breath, good old Montauk Park.
I take a seat on the bench, but it feels empty without mom. I pull out my computer. After entering the password, ilovemom, I open up my google drive and make a new doc. I title the doc, Journal Entry #37, and begin writing.
It's nice outside but I wish I felt good on the inside. It's been two weeks since mom was admitted into the hospital. I'm really worried about her since it's always been just me and her. The doctors say she has hepatitis b, and she might need a liver transplant soon. I'm terrified. There are so many things that can go wrong. I can't bear to lose her. I'm only 16!
I stop typing and close my laptop. I need a distraction, so I pack up and walk around for a bit. There are lots of people today, on the playground, having a picnic, swimming in the lake. But no one stops to talk to me, not that I look very approachable to begin with.
Everyone looks super happy, probably because it's summer and the weather's nice. That's the only nice thing in my life right now. The only person who doesn't look happy is a boy who is sitting underneath the tree closest to the lake. His eyes look lifeless as he stares out at the lake. Wait a minute… is that Percy? There's no way it is, so I continue the loop and head back to the playground.
When I get back to the bench, I find someone sitting on one side. After contemplating whether to sit or not, I conclude that benches are public spaces for everyone, and take a seat.
The girl sitting next to me looks vaguely familiar, with blonde curly hair and skinny jeans. I can't quite put my finger on it though. She turns to me, "Hey, have you-" I look up at her, "Woah, are you okay?"
No way, it's that Annabeth girl. I couldn't forget her startling grey eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay," I answer meekly.
"I don't believe that." I grimace. "Listen, it's obvious that you're in pain, emotionally. I've been there, and I know how it feels. I know I'm a literal stranger to you, but I'm here to listen if you want to talk because talking to someone about things really helps, I learned."
"Wow," I breathe out, "Thanks." She smiles and nods. I turn towards her and explain what happened in the last few weeks. "One day my mom didn't feel good. She had a high fever and her skin started turning yellow. She looked really weak and was dehydrated. I got scared and called the ambulance. They rushed her to the hospital. After waiting for hours there, the doctors told me that they think she has hepatitis b," I start to tear up. "A-and, she might need a liver transplant."
Annabeth holds my forearms and gives me a gentle squeeze. "Wow, that's a lot to bear. Though I haven't been in your situation exactly, I know what it feels like to be scared of losing someone," she grimaces, as if remembering something. "Just know that worrying won't do anything but deplete you of your energy and life in general. If you spend your days worrying, you won't be living. Just have faith in the future and carry on strong."
I sniffle and wipe my sleeve over my eyes. "That's helped a lot, really." And it did. I feel much better now that I've got all my feelings out and it honestly feels relieving. It feels like a burden has been lifted off of me.
"I'm glad," she smiles.
"Umm… what were you going to say earlier?" I ask, remembering how she started to say something before asking me what was wrong.
"Oh! Have you seen Percy? I mean, this tall boy with sea-green eyes and messy black hair? I think he's here, but I can't find him." Her eyes fill with concern.
I rack my brain. "I think I might have seen someone that fits the description. He's sitting over there."
She snaps her head in the direction I'm pointing. "Thanks."
Before she leaves I ask, "He looked really sad. What's wrong?" Then, after realizing how intruding that sounds, I add, "I mean, if you feel comfortable answering. Sorry, that was kinda nosy."
She shakes her head. "So you know how I told you that I know how you feel about being sad and losing someone?" I nod. "After I came to terms with it, I moved on, but Percy seems to be having a harder time with coping," she looks down and her eyes start to water. "He thinks it's his fault," she whispers.
"Oh my! That's terrible." She gives me a sad smile and heads down to Percy.
He's still sitting on the ground throwing rocks into the lake. Annabeth approaches him slowly and takes a seat next to him. I can't make out what they are saying, but I can tell that Annabeth is trying to talk sense into him.
After a while, Percy puts his arms around her and rests his head on her shoulder. I can relate; it's draining to be depressed. I wonder if they're dating, or maybe just really close friends. Either way, it's nice that they have each other.
I open up my computer again and continue my entry.
Now that I think about it, I'm okay. I shouldn't let the uncertainty of the future ruin the glory of the present. Mom will be alright, I know it. I will visit her as much as I can, but I won't let the worry and fear take over me. I am strong and I will get through this. Things are going to be okay.
The sun has made its way to the horizon igniting the sky in a mix of pinks and oranges. It's beautiful, and for once I feel good on the inside too.
When I pack up to leave, I look back at the park. I see the silhouette of two people kissing under a tree, and I know that it's Percy and Annabeth. I'm happy for them because they're such nice people and deserve happiness.
They both helped me, and as I get into the car, I conclude that I deserve happiness too.
[18 years-old]
"Where are we going?" Landon asks from the passenger's seat.
I look from side-to-side, just like mom, and turn right. "To Montauk Park. I used to go there when I was a kid."
"Oh, cool. Did you go there with your mom?"
I smile. "Yeah. I have a lot of memories here."
He smiles back. "I bet."
We get out of the car and hold hands while crossing the street. Today, I'm not alone, not like last time I was here.
I look out across the lake, it sparkles as the water shifts.
When we take a seat on the bench next to the playground, I put my head on Landon's shoulder. "Whatcha thinking about?"
"Mom," I say, my voice cracking.
He takes my hands in his and makes me turn towards him. "Hey. Don't be sad, be happy. She's alive and well. The transplant went well and everything is going smoothly. Soon enough, she'll be back to her usual self."
I bury my head in his chest. Sure, the transplant went well, but there is still a chance that her body could reject the new liver at any moment. It scares me. "I-I'm just worried that-"
"Shhh," Landon strokes my hair. "If you keep worrying, you won't be able to enjoy anything. The fact of the matter is, she's doing well right now, and we can only hope that everything will go according to plan."
I part my lips, about to speak, but Landon holds a finger to them. "Ah, I know what you're going to say. But think about it: Your life is going great right now. Your mom's recovering, we graduated and get to spend our college years together. Life is good."
I sigh in his arms. "Yeah, life is good, I guess," I mumble.
I feel him smile against my head. He kisses my temple.
"Wanna go play on the playground?" he asks.
I give him a weird look, sometimes he's such a kid. "C'mon, I'll race you there!"
Before I know it, we're playing spies and cops with tambark walkie-talkies. I climb up to the top of the structure and pretend to look around for enemies.
Something on the lake catches my eye. Two people surface. How had I not noticed them before? They start swimming back to the shore, and for some reason, they look vaguely familiar.
"Violet! What's the hold-up?" Landon shouts.
"Nothing, coast is clear!"
We goof around for a little while until we reside to the bench once more. I'm curled up against him and we're both on our phones.
"Seaweed Brain, if you don't dry me off, I will judo flip you," I hear someone say. I look up in the direction of the voice and see none other than Percy and Annabeth.
Percy looks amused, but Annabeth looks mad, with a twinkle of mischievous in her eye. When Annabeth counts down but Percy stays put, she casually walks over to him and flips him over her shoulder and he slams onto the ground. "Oof, that's gotta hurt," I hear Landon say.
Annabeth has a knee on Percy's chest as water drips off of her onto a surprisingly dry Percy. He holds his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll dry you off."
I smile and look at Landon. He's smiling too. "Those two are quite entertaining," I say.
"Yeah. Do you know them?"
"Well… kind of. It's a long story."
He leans in to listen. I laugh and spend the next 30 minutes explaining how I met Percy and then Annabeth and how neither of them remember me. When I finish, Landon has a thoughtful look on his face. "I see."
We glance back over at Percy and Annabeth. Percy's sitting with his back to the old oak tree they always sit at, and Annabeth is sitting with her head on his chest as he plays with her now dry hair.
I know they are talking, but I can't understand exactly what they're saying. I just hear "life," "war," and "I love you." Something must have happened.
Not gonna lie, I aspire to have a relationship as strong as theirs. It's evident how much they care for each other, ever since they were young. I guess I thought aloud because Landon says, "Yeah, me too. One day, though, one day." He wraps an arm around my shoulders and we watch the sun disappear over the horizon.
[25 years-old]
Landon is at his bachelor's party, so I decide to drive to Montauk Park one last time before our wedding. I can't believe we're getting married.
My phone vibrates so I pull over and answer it. "Hello? Oh hey mom! Nothing much, just going to the park for a bit. Yes, that one. Wanna come?"
I take the nearest exit and head to my mom's house to pick her up.
"I can't believe it's been all these years since I first took you here," she says when we get in the car.
"Me too."
"Remember that first time? You were so shy and then that boy came and offered you a cookie!"
I laugh. "Yeah, I remember."
When I pull up into the parking lot, we both get out. Mom's still recovering a bit, so I hold her hand as we cross the street from the parking lot to the park.
We get to the bench and sit down. "What a nice day," she says.
"Yeah, it's beautiful." The sun makes the lake shine bright, and the trees provide cool shade and a light breeze as they sway.
"Aren't those little kids adorable?" mom asks, pointing to two toddlers playing on the playground. One has black hair, and the other has more blonde hair. Their parents are sitting on the grass. They're both leaning into each other, watching their kids.
"Yeah, they are adorable."
"Percy!" I hear someone yell. "Grab Ethan, he's running towards the lake."
Oh, gosh. It's them? Percy lazily jogs over to the toddler and scoops him up. Annabeth watches from the grass, amused. "Ethan! No swimming today. We didn't bring extra clothes for you." Then he thinks, "Well, not that it would be a problem…"
After playing for a while, the toddlers get tired and Annabeth puts them into their stroller. "Percy, I'm cold," she shivers.
"Here." Percy takes off his sweatshirt and pulls it over Annabeth. He boops her nose when her head pops up. They both laugh.
"Annabeth?" Percy says, with his hands on the stroller handles.
"Yeah."
"I love you," he smiles.
"You too, Percy. But, I know that's not what you mean to say. What's the deal?" she says with a knowingly smile.
Percy smiles sheepishly as they walk along the path. "Can we go get blue ice cream?"
Annabeth throws her head back and laughs. "I knew it! It's always ice cream."
"So, can we go?" Percy pleads, with his hands together and lip pouting.
She sighs, but can't hold back a smile. "Oh, alright. Let's go."
He pushes the stoller towards their car and she follows behind.
"Can you believe we've been here over 10 years? That's more than a decade!" he exclaims.
"I know. We're getting old," she laughs.
As they pass us, Annabeth and I make eye contact. She frowns, as if trying to decide whether she knows me or not. I smile and wave, and so does she.
As they walk away, I hear Percy ask, "Do you know her?"
"I feel like I've seen her before," Annabeth replies, walking beside him.
"Yeah, me too."
My mom turns towards me. "Is that who I think it is?"
I smile. "Yep. It's been a while, huh?"
"No way."
"Yes way."
She sighs. "Look at us, back at Montauk park after all these years, it's been 20 years since I first took you here, my little flower. Well, I guess you're not so little anymore," she chuckles.
"Don't worry mom, I'll always be your little flower." I lean into her and she leans into me and smiles.
"Oh look!" She points towards the little flowers near the pond. "The violets are blooming. They're beautiful."
"Yeah," I breathe. "What a great time to be alive." And I mean it, because Mom was in pretty bad shape for a while.
"You know, Violet... I'm so lucky to have you. I love you."
"I love you too, Mom."
Here we are, at the same bench at the same park. It feels comforting, like an old memory.
I look towards the parking lot and see Percy and Annabeth's minivan pull out of their spot. It's a good life. Though there are bad times, there are good times too. I learned that you've got to choose which parts you spend your energy focusing on. I wasted months of my life worrying about Mom and her health, when I should have been appreciative of what was going right.
My life has been one heckuva ride, but I'm okay with that because I'm embracing every single moment of it.
The End.
A/N Hope you liked it! I didn't get a chance to really revise... but then again, when do I ever? lol! Anyways, I gtg because my mom's gonna come into my room and yell at me because she thinks I'm asleep rn, whoops! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. Just know, I read every single one of your guys's reviews and they mean so much to me.
