After running away 6 years ago, Sarah never thought she would be in Maplewood again, much less in the house where she experienced so much grief.
But here she is, 22 years old, back in her childhood home, filled with so many bad memories. At least the perpetrator of those bad memories is no longer here. Her dad, the monster she ran away from, had died from a heart attack, leaving her the house.
As Sarah stepped on the porch, a flood of memories of her father washed over her. She recalled his violent outbursts, drunken rages, and the constant fear that had consumed her during her childhood. A chill ran down her spine, and she couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of the past.
After standing on the porch for almost 5 minutes, she reluctantly opened the door half-expecting for her father to jump out and reveal that all this was part of his twisted plan to lure her back. But the moment Sarah stepped inside, she noticed a significant change in the house. It was no longer cluttered with dust-covered furniture, empty bottles strewn across the floor, and clothes tossed carelessly around. Instead, everything was immaculate, as if the house has been restored to its original, pristine state. It looked brand new, and Sarah couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at the transformation.
Looking around, it was almost like there was no trace of her father, except for old pictures on the wall, pictures before her mom died and her father changed forever.
As she looked at the pictures, she couldn’t help but reminisce about the times they were all happy. Picture of their tip to Disneyland, picture of them fishing, picture at the beach, and so on. Those were happier times.
As she walked into the kitchen, Sarah noticed a small envelope on the counter with her name on it.
Sarah’s hands trembled as she picked up the envelope, she recognized her father’s scrawl immediately. Hesitating for a moment, she ripped the envelope open wanting to know what her father had left to say.
As she read the letter, her heart raced. He, her father, apologized for everything he put her through, he regretted his past behavior and acknowledged the pain he caused her. Sarah felt a mix of emotions as she read his apology, unsure of how to feel about it.
Part of her was relieved that her father recognized the harm he had caused, but another part of her was angry that it took his death for him to finally own up to his mistakes. She stared at the letter for a moment longer, and then tucked it into her pocket of her jeans, unsure of what to do with it. The letter represented closure for her, but at the same time, it felt like a band-aid on a wound that had already scarred over.
But now for the first time in a while, Sarah could finally take a deep breath without feeling suffocated.
