The Vanity Room

I always had a feeling there was something missing in my life since my mother had passed. I was only five when she died, but I remember her vividly. She had the most beautiful long caramel brown hair that went past her butt, and these eyes as blue as the deepest parts of the ocean. She was young when she passed just twenty-four years old. I can remember she always told us nighttime stories before bed my favorite one being about a princess who was locked in a tower. She reminded me of the princess thinking back on it now. She was always so kind and caring, always putting everyone else before her. When she passed it was unexpected and no warning was given, she passed from a massive heart attack. She had just gotten me on the bus for pre-school that day and was getting ready for work that day. She never made it to work, and I didn’t finish my day at school.

When I got older our dad started to become very particular about where I was in the house when I was alone, like the second-floor vanity room was out of the question to enter without him with me. That was the room where my mother had died so I could kind of understand, but I missed my mother and I wanted to see it again, I used to sit in there with her on the days I didn’t have school and just watch her get ready for whatever it was going on that day. I snuck in there one day just because I wanted to smell her clothes to remember her smell, but as soon as I walked in and closed the door behind me, I saw a small box wrapped in paper sitting on the vanity. I walked slowly up to her vanity mirror and looked at the box. It had my name on a little label with a note: “Give to our daughter on her sixteenth birthday.”

I could hear movement down the hall, so I tried to hide between folds of clothes that still smelt of my late mother. I don’t know how long I was standing there but when I awoke it was late in the night. I quickly tip toed to the door and put my ear to the door to make sure all was quiet, I didn’t hear anything, so I quietly opened the door and snuck to the hallway, as I was just about finished closing the door someone grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. “What are you doing?” asked my father. He was a tall but stubby man with short brown/blond hair that was thinning out on top, his eyes were like steel, just cool light blue color. I jumped in surprise because I hadn’t heard him come up behind me. “I wanted to go in and just look at mother’s clothes. I miss her.” I told him. I for a second thought maybe he didn’t believe me, but he just sighed “You know how I feel about you going in there without me.” “But we never go in there, you always tell me you’re too busy.” I whined. Hoping he’d cave into the puppy dog eyes I perfected when I was young.

He looked at me and said, “Maybe tomorrow after your birthday breakfast.” I had completely forgotten that my birthday was tomorrow, and not just any birthday but my sixteenth birthday, maybe he would give me that box that I had seen. I nodded and padded my way back to my bedroom. Once I closed my door, I held my back against it for just a moment thinking about what could be in that box, but in all honesty, I didn’t have a clue what could be so important it had to wait so long after her death. The weird thing was that I was always told that she had passed away unexpectantly from a heart attack. I crossed my bedroom to my bay window and sat down. Tomorrow was the last day of school, but one teacher still assigned a last-minute assignment.

I didn’t really mind as the class was my literature class and she wanted us to write a fictional story of a favorite mythical being. Mine has always been for as long as I can remember angels and fallen angels. I always believed my mother was an angel, and that she was always looking over our family. I put my headphones in and played Pop goes Punk on my phone and decided to dig into my schoolwork. I finally finished the assignment and looked down at my phone, it was well past midnight by now. I sighed and put the work into my backpack and unplugged my headphones to put it in the front pocket of my backpack when I noticed something strange in the pocket.

There was a note folded up into a very small square shape. “I know how your mother died. It was not unexpected, and it wasn’t a heart attack. If you want to know what really happened find me tomorrow after school at the abandoned green house building behind the football field. Be there before three-forty-five. If you aren’t there you will be in danger.” The note was not signed by anyone giving my any indication on who left me the note. I laid in bed looking at my canopy, thinking about my mother, we had gotten this canopy right before her death and had father put it up. Just laying here with the note still in hand made me wonder why anyone would think her death wasn’t sudden or unexpected. Before long I had dozed off and had awoken to my phone playing a very loud Pan!c at the Disco song.

I got out of bed and rubbed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, I saw on my bay window a medium sized box the was wrapped in my favorite color. I got up and walked to the window looking down at this pretty box. On top there was a note saying: “Happy sweet sixteen to my beautiful daughter”. It was from my father; I opened the box carefully so that I could keep the paper for something later and opened the box the rest of the way. Inside the box was a cute little note saying “I got these for you because I know you have been looking at them for a long time.” I looked under some tissue papers and inside was this amazing outfit from my favorite online designer, it was all black and purple and studs on the hem of the skirt, it was amazing. Then I noticed something on the bottom of the box, it was tickets! Not just any tickets, but four tickets to see my favorite artists who was touring in our area in the next couple of weeks! I squealed in excitement, I have only been talking about these tickets for months to see Avril Lavigne and P!nk, and they were for front row and backstage! My father must have pulled some major strings to get these tickets as they have been sold out since the first hour that they were on sale.

I get dressed into the outfit my father got me and bounced my way down the stairs to the kitchen, my father was sitting at the head of the table reading his newspaper like every morning but lowered it down to say good morning to me. “Morning father! Thank you for these amazing birthday gifts, I am so excited to bring my friends to see this concert!” He smiled “You’re welcome dear, now sit down and eat your breakfast, it is a big day for you.” I smiled and sat down to eat my waffles, I ate quickly and put my plate in the dishwasher. “Father, you said after breakfast we could go into mother’s vanity room. Can we do that before I go to school?” He cleared his throat “I suppose so.” He got up and we made our way up to the room, once we got to the door way he paused, he looked as if he was unsure of letting me in there. He opened the door slowly and let me in. I looked around at all her stuff and walked up to the vanity mirror and sat in the chair. The box was no longer there. I wonder if father knew that I knew it existed. I tried to show no surprise of it not being there and smiled. “I remember sitting on the side of this vanity watching mom put make up on.” I told him. He smiled and nodded at the thought.

I got up when my phone went off with my text alert, it was Angel telling me she was out front waiting for me to come down to head to school. I pecked my father’s cheek “I love you. I will see you after school, I may be a little late going to tell my friends after school about the tickets.” I said to him as I ran down the stairs. “Remember Ember to come home no later than four-thirty we have plans.” I heard him yell. I ran out the door and hopped into her car. “Good morning beautiful lady” I said bright and chipper. “Good morning and Happy Birthday you brilliant, beautiful lady.” She giggled. We say the same thing every morning aside from the birthday thing, but you can’t start your day with out a bright affirmation as my mother had always said, I didn’t know what it meant until I was older, but this is just how my friends and I greeted each other each morning. “I love the new outfit did your father buy you it for your birthday?” she asked. I just smiled wide and nodded. We headed to school and the day went by normal as always, until last period they gave the school the last hour to get together and sign year books and to say goodbye till next school year.

At that time, I told my three friends the amazing news of our tickets my father got us and we celebrated with a big group hug, when the final bell rang we said our good-byes and I told them I would see them at my party tonight at six. I walked my way to the green house and kept an eye out for anyone suspicious looking. I made it there at about three-forty-six. No one was there, I thought a minute wouldn’t warrant them leaving already but shrugged my shoulders and started on my way home. By the time I got home the house was already decorated to the extreme. I groaned, “Father you didn’t have to go all out. It’s only going to be like ten people here, family and my three friends. We didn’t need all this.” He just smiled and gave me a big hug, “I have a surprise for you, close your eyes and hold my hands.” I did as he told me. As I followed him I could tell we in the back yard but still by the house following the wall. I started to get excited, “Open” he said and when I did I saw a beautiful royal purple 2021 mustang sitting behind our garage, “OH MY GAWD! Is this for me?” I was in disbelief. He did his usual smile and nod in response I gave him a big hug.

The rest of the night was a blur, and after everyone left my father walked towards me with something behind his back. I looked at him with confusion, he smiled and said “One last thing, close your eyes and put your hands out.” I did as he said and he placed a box in my hands, I opened my eyes to find that box that I had seen in my mother’s vanity room. “ What is this?” I asked feigning ignorance. “Your mom had things she wanted to give to you on your sixteenth birthday, obviously she thought she would be the one giving it to you, but I made a promise to her I would give it to you.” He smiled lightly, looking like he was about to cry.

to be continued....