I let out a breath “Life has a way of killing you but…. It also has a way of bringing out the best in you. My best…. Was Nick.”, I smiled at my granddaughter who was listening intently.

  “Nick?” She frowned.

  “Did you seriously think my first love would be your grandfather?” I chuckled.

  I continued, “It all began when I turned 16.”

  64 years ago..

  The year of 1995

  As soon as Ms Heckle, our school principal walked in, the noise went down. Why wouldn’t it? She was not only the principal of our school but she also was an ex boxer with a ton of anger issues. All the kids feared her, including me.

  “Good morning Ms Heckle. Is everything alright?” My homeroom teacher Ms Haley asked.

  Ms Heckle forced a smile; I could tell she wasn’t a morning person, “A new student was admitted today. I was hoping your class had space?”

  By the corner of the door, stood a boy with his tie loose around his collar, his sleeves rolled up and messy dark hair falling into his eyes. He looked like..trouble.

  Ms Haley gestured for him to step in but he just stood there. She tried again and he hesitated before walking in.

  “Please introduce yourself.” She smiled.

  “My name is Nick.” He slung his bag over his shoulder.

  “I expect everyone to welcome him. Is that clear?”

  No one answered.

  Nick walked to the back of the class and took the only empty seat–it was the one behind me.

  “Since Nick is new..”Ms Haley scanned the class.”Lillian would you please help him out?”

  I nodded but aIl I wanted was to vanish. I hate to admit it but back then I didn’t talk much. My only friend was my dog, “Steve”.

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  Just then the bell rang and Ms Haley left the class. Other students had left for the cafeteria.

  I stayed back to study and so did someone else.

  “Lillian right?” Nick said behind me.

  “Yeah?” I mumbled.

  He stood up and brought his chair closer to mine “You’re supposed to help me.”

  “I know.” I mumbled again and he held a laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” I looked away and wished I didn’t just ask that. I thought things couldn’t get any more embarrassing then–

  “It’s just that yesterday, when I saw you, you weren’t this quiet at all.” He grinned at me.

  Yesterday?

  “What are you talking about?” And then it hit me. Yesterday I was standing in the middle of the video store, arguing with the cashier because someone had rented the last copy of Titanic.

  “You told me it would be back today!” I had insisted. Back then we didn’t have phones or all those things you guys use today. It was the 90s after all.

  And Nick had been in the line behind me the whole time.

  “That wasn’t my fault!” My voice raised at him and his grin grew wider. I cleared my throat realizing I gave myself away. “I had been waiting so long to get my hands on the copy but someone reached there before me.”

  “That someone was me.” He placed the copy on the desk.

  I reached for it but he caught my hand mid-reach, holding it gently but firmly. “I’ll give it to you….but only on one condition.”

  “What?” My voice wobbled between frustration and desperation.

  “You have to do all my homework starting from today.” He plopped a book on my desk.

  “No.” I clenched my jaw and glared at him.

  “Fine. Then no titanic for you.” He slid the copy into his bag.

  “Wait!” I exhaled, “Fine, we have a deal.” My face heated, and I wanted to yell, cry, and laugh all at once. How could one VHS ruin my entire day?

  -wait a minute

  “I thought you said he brought out the best in you?” My granddaughter squinted her eyes.

  “Well yes. He did. But it was a while after.” I shook my head “ Back to the story.”

  Nick held out his hand and I slapped it away. From that day onwards Nick and I grew closer whether we both liked it or not. Our agreement had eventually come to an end as our class graduation day came. The day after graduation I found him lurking outside my house. Luckily I found him before my parents did.

  I opened the gate,”What are you doing here?”

  He kicked the dirt as he stared at the ground, “Go on a date with me.”

  “What!” My face heated and my feet refused to move.

  He finally looked up, his cheeks flushed, “Will you go out with me?” He held out a bouquet.

  “No!” I turned to leave but he grabbed my hand.

  “I promise you won’t regret it.” This was the first time I had seen him so quiet and calm.

  “Fine.” His eyes lit up at my comment and I pretended as if my pulse wasn’t rising.

  “After a year of dating…” I exhaled and held back my tears.

  “What happened?” My granddaughter placed a cup of tea gently in my hands.

  “Nick got into an accident… I remember that day very clearly. I don’t think I could ever forget it.”

  “Nick, please open your eyes!” I cried and cried until help came.

  The driver was apparently drunk driving and crashed into Nick’s car. It landed Nick in a coma for one year. It was the worst year of my life.

  I waited for him to wake up. I never gave up on him like his family did.

  One day at work, I got a call from the doctor,”He’s awake!”

  Hearing those words made my heart burst with joy. I grabbed my coat and drove there as fast as I could.

  But when I got there the doctor said “He lost two years of his memory. Seeing anything from that time could trigger panic attacks — it might even harm him physically.” My chest felt heavy and tears flooded out.

  I snuck a peek at him from his hospital bed. I was a part of those two years. “Are you saying I can’t see him?”

  The doctor smiled gently, “There’s nothing I can do.”

  During that time I kept my distance from Nick…. but I also watched him at every step from recovering. He got a job and he was doing so much better now.

  “I had decided I’d rather want him alive and happy.. then remember me and suffer.” I took a sip of the cold tea.

  My granddaughter wiped her tears,”What happened next?”

  I had gotten news that Nick had met someone. They’d been going out for two years and got married a year later. I thought to myself.. If Nick moved on, I probably should.

  That night was the night I met your grandfather at the bar downtown. He asked me out on a date and from then on we dated. Three years later, he proposed and I said yes.

  “Thats it?” My granddaughter looked traumatized. “Why on earth would you tell me that?”

  “You asked me.” I sipped my tea.

  “Yeah, but I didn't think it would be this sad!” She wiped her tears away.

  “Life is not always fair honey.” I sighed.

  “So….where is Nick now?” She sat up.

  “I don’t know.” I smiled at her gently.

  “We both moved on with our lives. He became a memory.” I stood up and left for the kitchen.

  Suddenly the door opened and my daughter stepped inside, “Thanks for watching Mia Mom!” She yelled from the hall.

  “No problem!” I yelled in return. I could hear their talk from the kitchen.

  “Did you have fun?” My daughter asked Mia.

  Mia smiled, “Can we come by Grandma more often?”

  “Of course sweetheart.” Her mom sat next to her.

  I returned to the hall with 3 plates of cake. We turned on the tv and watched our favorite show until our eyes wore out.

  Mine didn't.

  After my daughter and granddaughter fell asleep, I left to my room. I took down a box and opened it. My fingers gently touched the VHS tape.

  The end…..