Free From Deities by Mary Ting Page B

Closing my eyes, I went to the place in my memory when I really did love my dad; the memory I refused to remember before, the memory that had hurt too much to think about after he left.
     

     
    “Dad. Why do you call me Sky and not Skylar?” I was sitting on my dad’s lap. He felt strong, yet soft. He was reading a book to me when I suddenly asked the question out of the blue.
    “Sky is a shorter name for Skylar.”
    “Oh! I get it. You call me Sky because I’m short. And when I’m taller, you’ll call me Skylar, right?”
    My dad chuckled, squeezing me tightly in his arms. “Mommy let me pick your name. I named you Skylar because the sky is beautiful. When I first looked at you when you were born, I thought you were the most beautiful, precious baby I had ever seen. I knew that was the perfect name for you.”
    “Really, Daddy?”
    “Hearts honor,” my dad said, placing his hand over his heart. “When I’m sad or when I’m having a bad day, all I have to do is think of you and Mommy. Then everything bad goes away. You are my heaven, my peace, and my hope. I’ll always protect you from the bad and evil in this world as long as I’m alive. And even when I die, I’ll still watch over you.”
    “I don’t want you to die, Daddy.” There was panic in my tone. I rubbed my eyes to stop the tears from falling.
    “I’m sorry, Sky.” He brushed my cheek and kissed me on the forehead. “Don’t worry. It will be a very long time before Daddy dies. You’ll be old and gray by then.”
    “Okay, Daddy. I’m five now, so when I’m like one hundred years old?”
    “Something like that.”
    “Promise?”
    “Seal the deal.” My dad placed out his thumb.
    I thought this was one of the funniest things he’d ever asked me to do. So I took out my thumb and touched his. Peering up to my dad—the dad I admired, the dad I loved—I said with a giggle, “Seal the deal.”
    How ironic this situation was. One of the bad and evil my dad was trying to protect me from, was himself.
     

     
    My cell phone woke me up, as well as the sun peering through the blinds. It was going to be a beautiful day. Mason must have set the alarm for me. I didn’t remembering doing it. Feeling extremely parched, I went downstairs to get a drink in the kitchen. I was expecting to see a big mess, but everything was spic and span. Wow! I guessed there was a clean-up crew…maybe?
    “Hey, Skylar,” Emily grumbled while she moaned. She was moving in slow motion, massaging her temples. “Ugh, I don’t feel well. I think I drank too much. Did you have fun at the party?”
    My lips protruded, wanting to laugh, but I held it in. She had no recollection that I was in my room the whole time. “Yes. Your sorority sisters were really nice. They also did an amazing job cleaning this place up.”
    “Yeah, we have a clean-up crew. I think I was part of it. I don’t remember.” Emily leaned against the wall, looking exhausted. Her hair was a mess and she still had on the clothes she’d worn yesterday. Not only that, I could tell she hadn’t washed off her makeup either. “Do you have Advil or something to help with this headache?”
    “I do. Hold on.” I went inside the kitchen and brought back a couple of extra strength pills and the last bottle of water. Darn! Well, Emily needed the water more than I did. I can’t believe there was a full case last night, but now it was gone. “Here. We also need some water.”
    Emily gulped it down. “Thanks. I’ll get some today after class. Thanks for being such a great roommate.”
    My heart softened. Just a second ago, I was starting to get upset. “Sure.” Then I headed back to my room. The only thing left to drink was the punch Ian had given me. Holding the lukewarm cup in my hands, I contemplated whether to drink it, but I was so thirsty that my throat was aching and burning. Hoping it would soothe the pain, I drank most of it. It tasted nasty and left a bitter aftertaste, but it would tide me