“Dad, how come you are having me stay home with Rose while all of you go to Grandma and Grandpa’s for Thanksgiving Day? I won’t even be able to see all of my cousins and…”
“Shayna hold your horses a second and let me explain. Rose is attached to you like no other. Your mom and I asked her who she wants and Rose wants you.”
“Dad but I want to have some fun this break off of school.”
“Shay, I know you do a lot for us with Rose but we will do something for you if you take care of her since she has the flu. Promise”
“Ok, dad I will.” I really didn’t want to but I did it to make my parents happy.
“Thanks Shay. Love you tons. Call us if you have any concerns or if Rose gets worse.”
My dad, mom and TJ all left out the drive way towards my grandparent’s house in Ogden, Utah. Rose was lying on the couch watching her favorite movie Pocahontas. She can watch that over and over and over again.
“Shayna can you hold me? I am cold.”
“Yeah Rose I will.”
I walked over to the couch and held her. Rose fell asleep. I carried her down the hall to her bed and put her there to sleep. She slept for a good three hours.
While Rose was sleeping I decided that I might as well get on the computer. I checked my email, updated my blog, and got on facebook. Big surprise! No one was on chat. Well since there was nothing to do on facebook I decided to just run on the treadmill. I guess I will just get in a work out today. Running 4 miles is my limit right now but I want to get higher in my miles.
After I ran I decided to watch some tv even though there would be nothing on most likely. Good thing Rose came out the instant I sat down.
You could tell she felt a little better. I made Rose some jello. The only way Rose will eat jello is if it is freshly made and hasn’t settled. She loves it when it’s liquid. I am so glad that she drank it because she wouldn’t eat or drink anything at all today.
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It was about 8 o’clock at night when my parents and Ty got home. Rose was a sleep and I was reading my scriptures for the night. You know how you get that feeling that something’s wrong and you haven’t heard of anything yet? Well I’ve got that feeling. I began to get butterflies in my stomach and my heart was racing.
My parents and Ty walked in. They were silent with their heads down and they all looked really sad. I could tell mom has been crying for a long time now. Her eyes were swollen and red. Especially when my mom really never cries or at least I have never seen her cry in front of someone before.
“Dad, what happened? What’s wrong? Please tell me.”
“Robert not tonight. She won’t be able to sleep.”
“Lori it’s ok. She needs to know.”
“Shayna grab your coat and slippers and we will go outside on the front porch and talk.”
My heart was pounding so much as I walked down the stairs to my bedroom. I didn’t want to hurry. I figured my dad could use some time. Anyways I got my slippers and my coat. I grabbed my beanie while I was at it just because there is snow outside.
I went back up stairs and found my dad already outside. I opened the door slowly, standing there as if I was frozen in time, staring at my dad. He was sitting there with his elbows on his knees crying into his hands silently. I finally shut the door, walked over and sat right next to him, putting my arms around him. He turned to me wrapping his arms around me also, putting his head on my shoulder and still cried. I just sat there and let my dad cry.
My dad finally sat up and he looked in my eyes. The twinkle in his eyes was gone. He looked sad, alone, and maybe even afraid. I have never seen him this way before.
“Dad what happened? What’s wrong?”
My dad took a deep breath and said, “Shayna we were on the street driving to your grandparents house and we were almost there and”….my dad paused seeming to stare in space and said…”someone blew up their house by explosives. It was in flames by the time we got down the road. Your mom’s side of the family was there too. No one made it out alive. Forty seven people died plus some of their neighbors were injured.
“Dad… is the people that did this coming after us to?” I said crying.
“I don’t know Shay. I just don’t know.”
Dad and I just sat there for the next couple hours in silence. It was about eleven o’clock when I heard the front door open and then shut again. Neither dad nor I looked. I knew it was mom and that she was going to just let us be alone.
I put my head down on my dad’s shoulder. I closed my eyes and was just thinking about everything that happened. Before I knew it I was asleep.
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