She wrote...

Dear Michael, 

     Hey, how are you today? I have a question for you. What do you say to a person when you know know you said something that really hurt them? I really hurt my mom and I don't think a simple "I am sorry" would cut it. Ugh! You would not approve of what I have done. There's two people I've disappointed. I'll think some more... 

     Love, Chance

She plopped onto her bed and banged her head on the plush pillow. "What have I done," she yelled, but yet muffled by the pillow,"She will never forgive me!" Chance had been mad but never this angry, especially at herself. Her muffled screams became shaky cries of pain. Hot, streaming tears began to flow like fast rivers down her agitated face. 

Earlier that day:

The bell rang. Gym time. Gym was Chance's favorite class, she is very athletic. She walked into the locker room and changed into her gym clothes.

"Hey Chance," Nicole greeted, "What's up, how was your weekend."

"None much and Painful," she groaned.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Well...My Uncle Sedrick is moving in with us now...," she began, "Oh and I told off my mon this morning. Now she is really mad slash sad slash shocked. I have never said anything like that to her before."

"What did ya say?"

"I blamed her for my father leaving us. I even cursed too. Now I know that had to hurt." She looked down in shame. The guilt was eating her up inside.

"No way," she covered her mouth, "Did you apologize?"

"Yes.... No. I tried talking to her but she is just too disappointed, I'll let her cool off a bit. But I will definitely apologize."

"You better," she said playfully punching her friend's shoulder. 

"Alright girls," Coach Warren announced, "We are going down to the track and I want you to try and run around four times. Now, let's go" She led them outside to the track and they began running.

"Hey Chance," the voice was Nicole again, "Your pace is slower today. Usually you would have the fourth lap completed by now," she exaggerated.    

"Eh... I don't know. I've been feeling kind of weak lately. I thought I should slow down a bit. 

"Well I'll run with you so you don't feel lonely," she laughed caringly.

As they jogged, Coach Warren jogged up beside them. "C'mon girls keep up. Chance, I'd expect you to be done by now. What's up?"

"Uh, I was just a bit weak, thought I'd--," she was cut off by her own cough. Not just a little cough. It was a "smoker who smokes 10 packs a day and is just coughing up enough tar redo half the roads in America" kind of cough. 

"Oh my gosh Chance are you okay," Nicole stressed.

Cough. Hack. Cough. 

"Hold on Chance I'll get you some water," Coach Warren quickly went to get a water bottle.

Nicole brought Chance to sit on the ground and rest. She whispered, "Chance, I thought you quit this time." Chance's coughs eased. She knew exactly what Nicole was talking about. "You promised me that you would quit."

"Well I started back up again." Nicole's eyes widened. "Don't look at me that way. You don't know how hard it is to stop smoking."

"Okay, your right. I don't know hard it is to stop BUT I do know how easy it is to not start." She was right. Chance had started smoking a little after her dad had left the family. It began a cigarette here... One there. Then it became five here.... eight there. Before she knew it, she was addicted.

Coach Warren came back with the water and Chance drank. "Thank you," her voice raspy and soft.

"No problem, but I'll let you sit this one out, okay?"

"Okay."

**********

She banged on the pillow even more, feeling guilty that she started smoking again. Meanwhile, Diane was in her room. Cleaning?

**********

'I can't believe she said that to me,' she thought. 'Was she right? Do I nag too much? Was it my fault?' She began dusting her dresser as she recollected what endured that dreadful night.

**********

"Diane I can't take it anymore, he's got to go!"

"Richard just hold on a minute. He is family, I just can't throw him out. Where is he gonna go?"

"I don't give a damn where he goes as long as he's out of this house! Look Diane, it's not that I absolutely hate him, I just miss 'us'."

"Richard, 'us' is right here and nothing will change that. I'm just looking out for him."

"You don't understand honey, it's between us. You have changed. You don't say 'I love you' anymore, we never make love anymore, you don't laugh the way you used to," his voice was soft and hurt, "baby, we need to work 'us' out. And I don't think bringing Sedrick into the house will be any better for us." Diane's eyes were hesitant. "How about this," he suggested, "how about we go on that cruise that you've been wanting to go on? We could have some alone time and work on our marriage," he said wrapping his hands around her waist.

Diane pondered the thought, but something in her was telling her no. Her eyes filled with anger. How dare he try and push her one and only bother out of the house. She shook her head and unwrapped his hands from her. "Richard, how could you even think that I would rather look past  family to look onto my own pleasures? If you ever thought of other people's feelings, maybe we would have a better marriage. Maybe we would make love more. But as of now, I have family to take care of and if you can't handle that, you can leave."

Richard could not believe the words that came out of her mouth. He now understood where he stood in their relationship. "Alright Diane, I'm leaving..." With those words he left and never came back. 

What they didn't know was that Chance was standing outside their door. She had heard everything, warm tears ran down her face. She had heard her mother and father fight before but this fight was serious. She now understood that she was not going to see her father again.

**********

By this time Diane had tears down her face. It was her fault. She told him to leave. She didn't go after him. Her family was torn apart and she didn't try to mend it. She pretended everything was fine but everything is not fine. She needed to know how Chance really felt. She needed to know what she had to do. Diane ran to her daughter's room and swung open the door. 

"Chance I need to--" She was cut off by a horrible sight. Her baby girl was lying on the floor unconscious. She quickly dropped to the floor and held her daughter.

"Sedrick! Call 911! Hurry!" Her tears were blinding her as she held her daughter.