Chapter 4. Talk With Dad. Thunderstorm
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I sat in my chair as i looked at all of my family member's sitting in their chairs
Aj scooted next to me and whisper's "Is this ya whole family?"
"Some are running late, So far only a few made it" I whispered back "Each one of them is either a lawyer or owns their own oil company"
"Wow, Ya family line is rich" She said
"I'm the only family member that isn't rich" I said
My father stood up from his seat and held his glass "I would like to make a toast" He held his glass high "I would like to thank everyone who showed up early for this year's family reunion, As many of you know this year will be better than last year's family reunion! So let's all have a fun two weeks!"
Everyone took a drink of whatever they were drinking and started eating
After breakfast was done my stepmother had planed for all of us to go outside and play some party games
I took a seat in a chair as i relaxed, I was tired after that long flight. I saw Aj talking with my step mother and some of her friends, I wasn't really worried about them making fun of her
I felt someone walk up behind me, I turned and look to see my father standing near me
"Mind if we talk in my office" He said walking away
I guess now i'll know why he's being so happy about me being here. I stood up and followed my dad back into the house
He walked over to the bar "I'm surprised you came" He said pouring himself a drink
"Amber really wanted me to come" I said as he handed me a drink, I took it, He took a seat at his desk and i took a seat in front of his desk
"I know i haven't been the best father, I know i have made some mistakes and i wish to fix them" He took a sip of his drink
"And how do you plan on fixing them?" I asked. My Father handed me some paper's over to me "What are these?"
"That's my will" He said taking another sip of his drink
I looked it over and notice he was leaving me with a lot of dough "You think money will buy me back?" Putting the paper's back onto the table
"I'm not buying you back" He placed his drink down and looking at me "I'm dying"
"Your what?" I asked shocked
"I'm dying, I have only three weeks to live" He said sitting back in his chair "I was having headaches more and more, When the Doctor's said they found some cancer cells in my brain, They said i'll have three weeks, This two weeks will be my last time seeing my family, I do not wish for the rest to know and i don't want to die knowing my son hates me, I know i have done wrong to you and i should have let you do as you wish"
"Does Star and Mary know?"
"No, And i want to keep it from them till the time is right"
"Tell me, If you weren't dying, Would you still feel the same as you do now?" I asked placing my drink down
"I was planing on coming to see you before i started getting headaches" He said picking back up his drink and taking a sip
"So... You have two weeks? How come you threw this party?"
"I wanted to see my family before i pass on" He took out something from his pocket "This is your mother's engagement ring" He handed it to me "I know you have your mother's wedding ring, Might as well have the full set"
I looked at the engagement ring, The diamond was small, the ring was silver "This looks cheap" I said looking back at him
He let out a chuckle "When i was in college, I didn't have much money, So i took what little money i had and payed for that ring" I notice the smile on his face disappeared "I guess i turned out like my father after all"
I looked at him with a puzzle look on my face "What do you mean?" I asked
"My father didn't want me getting married at a young age, He boycotted the whole wedding, When your mother passed away he started talking with me again" He closed his eyes for a moment "I still hated the man but i figured he was trying to fix what he did wrong, Turns out i was wrong, He was glad she passed away, This would allow me to better myself as a lawyer"
"Is that why you married Star?"
"No, I knew Star before i met your mother, She was a good friend of mine and when your mother passed away she was there for me and i guess i'm just a fool who falls in love easily" He took another sip of his drink
For some strange reason i felt sorry for my father "I forgive you" "Where did that come from?" I asked myself
He looked at me with a shocked look on his face "W-What?"
"I forgive you" "Okay mouth shut up before i break you!" I yelled at myself, Then it hit me, My mouth wasn't speaking for me.. It was my heart, My heart was speaking for me
"I thought this would take some time before you would forgive me"
"I never hated you dad, No matter how much i thought i did" I said "I may have been mad at you from not speaking with me, But i never hated you"
He looked down at his desk "I'm glad to know that" He looked back at me "I'm still mad you didn't become a lawyer, Star has told me about how good the apple farm has been treating you" He took a drink "I know Mary got married to some boxer" He said looking back at me "That's why i chose you, I know you'll take care of her and help her through this while i'm gone"
"You don't trust her with your money?"
"It's not that i don't trust her, I just think she's not ready for this task"
"And you think i am?" I asked "I use to blow through money like it was nothing"
"You have a business now, You learn how to manage that money"
"Still, Mary needs the money more then me" I said "She was always better with money"
"Yet she married a man who boxes and who has been known to gable"
"Doesn't mean she can't hold onto the money, If anything she needs it"
He pulled his will over to him "How about i split everything 50/50"
I placed my hand to my chin thinking it over "Sounds fair"
"I'll have these changed first thing tomorrow" He placed the paper's in his desk and stood "We better get back out there before Star sends a search party after us"
I stood and followed him outside, He stopped me by the door "Before we go out there, Don't tell anyone i have cancer, I'll tell Star and Mary soon, Just not yet"
"I won't" I said as we made our way outside
I saw Aj talking with my cousin Frank who was born and raised in texas, I knew he would be all over Aj once he heard that southern accent, Don't get me wrong, I like her southern accent, It's just that he will date every girl that has a southern accent
I walked up to the two "Hey Frank! How's it going!?" I asked
"Well if it ain't my little cuz!" He said shaking my hand "How have ya been!?"
"Been busy with my apple farm" I said trying to get the feeling back into my hand "And to top it off i'm helping plan a wedding"
"Ya planning a wedding!? Ah goin' to start wearing pink on me?" He said laughing
"And what's so wrong with Matt runnin' a weddin'?" Aj asked with a huff
"Running weddings is meant to be for the little lady, Men just sit back drink a beer and just hope that she makes it to the wedding" He said taking a drink of is soda
I could see Aj getting angry "Frank we could sit here talking about me planning a wedding and how girly it is when we know for a fact that the last girl you dated wasn't really a girl"
He shut up and walked away
"What did ya mean the last girl he dated wasn't a real girl?" Aj asked me
"I'll tell you about it later, Right now let's have some fun" I said
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It started getting dark out
I just got out of the shower after the long day i had, I walked out of the bathroom with my pj's on "Bathrooms all yours Aj"
"Took ya long enough" She said walking into the bathroom
I sat down on the bed and pulled out my cell, I dialed Amber's number
After about half an hour of talking with Amber i laid down in bed and soon i was out as a light
I awoke to the sound of thunder coming from outside, I looked at the clock and notice it was 2:23 am, I felt someone move in the bed, I looked to see Aj's eyes shut tight as she held her pillow close
She opened her eye to see me staring at her "Did i wake ya?"
"No, The thunder did" She closed her eyes shut again as the thunder went off again "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" She said
Then there was a flash of light and then some thunder, I saw Aj squeeze the pillow more
"You're not okay" I scooted closer to her "Are you afraid of thunder?"
She looked at me "Ah ain't scared of thunder"
BOOM Some more thunder went off again, Aj squeezed the pillow tighter, I placed a hand onto her hand "You don't need to lie to me"
I saw her eyes open and she looked at me "Alright, I am afraid of thunder"
"You could have told me you were afraid of thunder" I said
She looked at me "Ah might as well tell ya why i'm scared of thunder"
"You don't have too"
"Ya told me about ya story, Ah might as well tell ya bout mine" The thunder went off as she closed her eyes, She then opened her eyes "I was a little filly, Ah was out in the orchard gettin' some apples for my ma, She was pregnant, So i thought she would like an apple pie, I took to long and the storm came, I got trapped in the storm, I found a safe place ta ride out the storm" Another flash then another boom, She closed her eyes, I brought out my hand and squeezed her hand "They didn't find me till morning but during that night, The thunder kept me awake as i sat there scared, As i got older i kept my fear to myself not letting my friends know"
I scooted closer to her as i moved the pillow away from her "So all those storms that have been coming threw, You were in your room holding onto your pillow?"
She nodded, I looked into those emerald eyes and pulled her close to me "Well, You don't need to worry about this storm" I could see she was a little shocked to see me so close to her "Remember what i told you on the plane about finding your happy place?"
She nodded "Close your eyes and tell me about it"
She closed her eyes "I'm back home, I'm out in my favorite spot, Watching the sunset" She took a deep breath "I'm with you" She opened her eyes and looked at me
I blinked "I'm with you in ponyville?" I asked
"Yes, You're with me at my favorite spot in ponyville" She said getting closer to me, BOOM! I felt her head dive into my chest as the thunder went off
I held her close to me as i felt her squeeze my back tight as another boom went off
"Ya got a new ring" I heard her say as she pulled back looking back up at me
"Yeah, Dad gave it to me, It was my mother's engagement ring"
"It's pretty" She said "I'm sorry for waking ya"
"Don't be sorry" I said giving her a light kiss on the cheek "I hope next time a thunderstorm hits and you're scared i hope you wake me so i can help you through it"
She blushed as i saw her smile, Then it disappeared "I'm gonna miss ya when i leave"
I took off the rings off my neck as i handed them to her "Here, I want you to have them"
"Ah can't" She said giving them back
I didn't take them "I want you to have something to remember me when you leave"
She smiled as she put the rings around her neck "Thank you"
She turned around and grabbed something off the nightstand, She then placed whatever it was onto my head "Ah want ya ta have my hat"
"For as long as i've known you, You have never taken off that hat of yours" I said looking at the hat
"It was my father's, Since ya givin' me ya mother's rings, Ah want ya ta have my father's hat"
"I'll make sure i want lose it" I said placing the hat on the nightstand
I laid back down and i saw Aj relaxed as the i heard more thunder. I saw she was looking the rings
"My father died when i was a filly, My mother was all i had left, She missed dad when he passed away" She looked at me "My mother gave me my father's hat, She was pregnant at the time my father passed away, I don't really remember how he died but i do know it had something to do with a fire" She then looked back at the rings "My mother passed away after giving birth to Applebloom" I could see tears forming in her eyes "She passed away giving birth to her... And when i look at Apple Bloom ah see a lot of my mother in her"
I didn't know what to say "I'm sorry"
"Don't be" She said looking at me "I'm just glad they are in a better place now"
"I guess i'll be like you soon" I said
She looked at me with a confused look on her face "What do ya mean?"
"Earlier today, My father told me he has brain cancer" I said looking down at the rings "Doctor gave him three weeks, Now.. It's two weeks"
"I'm sorry"
"He told me he was sorry about what happened and he didn't want what happened between him and his father to happen to us, So when he found out he got this family reunion together so we could talk"
"How did the talk go?"
"It went well, I brought some apples here with me, I'm going to make him one of your famous homemade apple pies"
She smiled "I'll help you out"
"Thanks" I heard the thunder outside again and i saw Aj hold the rings in her hand as she looked at me
"If i was dragged back home without saying goodbye, What would ya do?"
"One, I would wear that hat every day till the day i die" I said looking into her eyes "Two, I would keep living the life i do now" I could see she had a faint smile "What would you do if you went back?"
She took a little bit longer to speak then i did. I've already had a plan on what to do if she left, The hat was a new one.
"One, I would wear these rings around my neck till the day ah die" She said quoting me "Two, I would try to live my old life i had in ponyville" She then asked me something i wish she didn't ask me "If ya had a chose to come with me back home, Would ya?"
I took a moment trying to think, Would i really go or would i stay? I really didn't know "I-I don't know"
I could tell she was waiting for me to ask her the same thing but i knew deep down she wanted to go home and be with her family "If i did chose, I would go" She looked shocked "As long as i had time to say goodbye to all my friends and family"
"Why would ya leave?" She asked
"I would like to see ponyville and meet your family and friends" I let out a chuckle "And maybe i could get a job working on your farm"
"What about the farm here?"
"Amber is the real owner, Her grandfather wanted her to own it, I'm just the caretaker till she's ready"
"Why did her grandpa live it to ya?"
"He knew i was a good man and i would take care of his farm, He died of cancer too, He had lung cancer, Doctor's said it was years of smoking that gave it to him"
"It must have been hard seeing him like that?"
"It was, But he was happy to go, He wanted to see his wife again"
There was another loud boom, She looked out the window "Do you hate thunderstorms?"
"I love thunderstorms" I said with a smile "I love watching thunderstorms roll through, The power of the storms, The roar of the thunder"
She turned away from me and scooted close to me, She grabbed my hand and pulled it over her and held it close "Thank you for watching over me"
I couldn't see her face but i could tell she was happy "You would have done the same"
I felt her squeeze my hand "I'm glad Amber brought me to you"
"I'm glad she brought you to me as well" I squeezed her hand back
"Matt" She quietly said
"Yes?" I asked
"Will ya keep me safe?"
I wondered why she asked me this, I pulled her close to me "I'll keep you safe"
I may not be able to see her face but i could tell she was smiling, I heard thunder again and i felt her hand squeezed mine "I'll keep you safe from the storm"
I felt her hand relax
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Morning came sooner than i hoped, I felt the rays of the sun pouring into the window and onto my face, I opened my eyes then closed them once the sun hit my eyes, Once my eyes got use to the light, I looked down to see Aj sound asleep in my arms, She looked so beautiful while she sleeps, I moved a strand of hair away from her face
I laid my head back down and just laid there with a smile on my face "Thank you for watching me"
"You're welcome" I said
She turned herself around and looked at me and gave me a light kiss on the cheek "Thank you for bein' my knight in shining armor"
I started blushing "I'm glad i could help"
I heard a knock at the door "BREAKFAST! My step mother said from the door as i heard her walk away
"She knows how ta kill a mood" Aj said sitting up
I sat up as well "Yeah she does" I said "I'll let you get a shower first"
"Alright" She went to stand when i reached out "Oh and Applejack"
She looked at me with a shocked look on her face, It's been a long time since i called her by that name "Y-Yeah?"
I gave her a light kiss on the cheek "I wanted to thank you for being with me on the plane"
It was her turn to blush "Y-You're welcome" She hurried and grabbed herself some clothes as she made her way into the bathroom
After we both got our shower's we made our way down stairs and had breakfast with the other's, I notice more of our family member were here
My step mother stood up with a smile "Now that we are all here now, I would like to thank everyone for coming here! I have the day planned out for all of us!" I notice a piece of paper that was next to my breakfast "Everyone has a piece of paper that has lots of things to do! After all our fun has been had we will be holding a party tonight!' My step mom was really happy now "Around noon all us girls will be going shopping! While the guys do whatever they like"
Aj looked at with a horror look on her face
"Aj shopping with a bunch of girls who love fashion...... She's going to hate it" I thought to myself as i watch the other girls chat it up
To Be Continued