Free Ruining You by Nicole Reed

the final time. It’s time to make the call.
    I dial my mom’s cell number,
and butterflies consume my stomach as I listen to it ring. Closing my eyes, I
wait for her to answer.
    “Hello?” she answers, almost
frantic.
    “Hey, Mom.”
    “My God, Jay. Is everything
all right?”
    “Oh, yes. I didn’t mean to
scare you. I’m calling....I’m ready, well...I think it’s time that I come
home.” There is silence, but only for a second, before my mother squeals and
answers.
    “That is wonderful, Jay. Oh
my goodness! Your dad is out of town, but I can come get you. You do want to
come home immediately, right? I can come right now.”
    Her enthusiasm puts a smile
on my face. “Yes, today would be great.”
    “I’m on my way, Jay. This is
wonderful. Love you.”
    “Love you too, Mom. See you
in a little while. Bye”
    “Bye, Jay.”
    Going to pack everything up,
I think about the last ninety-one days that I’ve been here. It’s been hell, but
at the same time, I can’t help but regard this place as a sanctuary from the
storm that looms on the outside. I’m scared to death just thinking about what
waits for me at home, but I can’t stay here forever. Even I recognize that
everything comes full circle. It’s time to face everything and everyone.
    Picking up the letters on
the desk, I pull one from the bottom and open it up. One scribbled sentence.
One statement. One request. One life-changing letter.
    You owe it to me to live.
    I hug it close to my chest
and close my eyes. My heart beats a mile a minute. I will try first to live for
me, but on the days I feel like I can’t go on, I will live for him. No matter
what.
    My eyes fly open when I hear
a tapping sound on my door.
    “Knock, knock.” Eli’s
smiling face fills the doorway. “What did the boy squirrel say to the girl
squirrel before he left?”
    Shaking my head at him, I
take a deep breath and reply, “I don’t know, what?”
    He walks over and stands in
front of me. “I’m nuts about you.”
    Tears fill my eyes as I look
at this boy; he owns a small part of my soul. One drop seeps out, running down
my cheek.
    He raises his hand and
gently wipes the tear from my face. “My beautiful broken girl. You are healing.
Half the battle is committing to waking up every day and living. So, you’re
ahead of the game. There is something in you, Jay, something special. It calls
to people, makes them want to befriend you, help you, even love you a little,”
he says with a grin.
    Moving into his arms, I bury
my face in his neck. “You’re the special one. I’m going to miss you.”
    “Oh, you’ll see me enough.
Just remember one thing as you go home, something I’m learning. It’s not about
who left you here. It’s all about who stayed to make sure you lived to love
again. Those people, Jay, are who you surround yourself with, who you never let
go of, and who you live for.”
    He holds me for a little
while until we hear the nurse, Tami, from the doorway. “Eli, your mom is here.”
    I look up at him and ask,
“Are you going to be okay with your parents?”
    “Oh yes. My dad will be fine
for a while. He always is.” Leaning down, he kisses my cheek and whispers,
“Stay sane.” He glances back one more time and smiles before strolling down the
hallway. My friend. My confidant. My earthly redeemer.

 

     

     
    An hour later, my mother and
I are finally loaded up and on our way home. She is strangely silent. Actually,
looking closer at her, she looks nervous.
    “Mom, is everything okay?”
    “Yes, honey. Everything is
fine. It’s just that there are some people at the house that wanted to see
you.” Peeling her eyes off the road for a second, she looks over at me. “Just a
few friends to welcome you home.” My eyes go wide as I stare at her.
    “Mom, you can’t be serious.”
She sheepishly looks back at me. “You have got to be joking?”
    “Molly and Reed wanted to
plan a coming home party, but with everything being last minute, I