Rebel 3.11

We'd been living in the new house a few years, an the twins were turning Fifteen, time really does fly. So for their party I went all out, finally I was able to give them a real party.  They both wanted identical cakes, so that made it easy, all their friends from school came as did dad and mom,  Melina couldn't make it, but she sent along a gift.

 I got them both a makeover as a gift. Tanner definitely took after my side of the family, Berlin on the other hand looked just like her father.

  Mom and dad stayed a while after the party to catch up on everything, though I was starting to wish they lived closer. For the longest time all I wanted was to be free of them, but now I realized how much I missed them. Before they left I made sure to apologize for all the crap I had done when I was younger.

In the days following the party, the kids started high school, and I encouraged them to find their path in life. Berlin took after me, she loved music though her taste leaned towards the classical side. She wanted to become a composer, and spent many hours at the piano. Tanner had so many interests that I had no idea what he was going to do next. He did spend lots of time learning how to mix drinks, all non alcoholic of course.

My music career was better than ever, I had recorded several albums, and one even went platinum. I was a well known celebrity, and had branched out on my tours. I still stayed within the country, though I manager wanted me to tour internationally. I had to turn him down, my kids were more important, I couldn't leave them for months at a time, maybe when they were out of school an international tour might be possible.

Late one night, I heard a knock at the front door, I normally didn't answer the door myself, let alone that late at night, but for some reason I did. "Coming!" I shouted towards the door as walked over to answer it. I didn't even make it to the door, I caught a glimpse of the man at my door,  and I couldn't breathe, the room started spinning, and the floor was getting closer. I fainted.  The kids must have heard me faint, because I woke up and both of them were standing over me. "What happened?" Tanner asked visibly upset. I couldn't even get the words out, I just looked out the door.

Tanner saw him too, so at least I wasn't imagining it, he took off out the door before I could stop him. "Who are you?" He shouted at the stranger. "What did you do to my mom?" The shouting continued. The stranger got defensive, "look kid, I didn't do anything, I didn't even get a chance to say anything to Isabella. Just give her this please,  I'll leave now." He handed Tanner a slip of paper, and walked off.

When Tanner came back inside both he and Berlin bombarded me with questions, "who was that, what happened, was I okay, what was on the note".  I told both of them to have a seat at the table and I told them, "That was your father, Nathaniel." They both looked at each other confused before Berlin said, "But you said he was dead, he died before we were born." "That's what I  thought too" I answered. I told them about the phone call I got informing me of his death, how he had been hit by a car while riding his motorcycle, and both had gone off the road over the cliff and by the time help had gotten there the car was on fire, there were no survivors. I told them how we had a funeral, and I had lived every day since missing him. I looked down at the crumpled paper in my hand, reading the words over and over : "I'm not dead, I'm here." Followed by the name of a hotel here in town.