Prologue

"Thanks a lot for stopping by, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Of course, Delancy, I'll be sure to come again."

Warmth and weariness filled my chest as I watched the last customer for the day leave.

I went back to the cash register, yawned, and stretched tiredly but I couldn't complain because I knew it was due to all the work I did.

"Dad, we should close up now."

"In a minute." He answered.

I sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder but he didn't budge from what he was doing.

It’s past closing time and all our customers are gone."

"I know, just give me a minute."

"What are you doing?"

"Writing." He told me monotonously.

Curiosity picked away at me and I peeked over at what he was doing.

He was indeed writing something in a brown leather book he had on the counter but that only made me more curious about what it was.

"It's... About me?" I realized this after leaning in closer and taking a glimpse at his writing.

"Yes, but It's just a little something." He confirmed.

"Why?" I inquired but he pulled the book away instead of answering my question.

"You're my daughter, can't I do this? Besides you're quite remarkable and writing eases my mind."

"Um, okay, But I still think it's strange. Why now all of a sudden?"

He ruffled my hair and I laughed a bit but I could tell he was just as frustrated and tired as me.

It didn't matter how much we worked, there was always so much to do.

"I still don't understand why you did that?" I continued as I tilted my head to look at the book.

"Because lately, I've had this feeling." He explained picking it up off the counter.

"What kind of feeling?" I asked and after a few moments of watching him stare at the book and run his hands over it, he smiled.

"That you're going away."

Something about his words hit my heart but I only smiled back at him.

"Dad, you're tired. Let me close up the store so we can go and rest for the night."

He was working harder than usual and I was fearful his health wasn't going to keep up with him, so since it was closing time and all the customers were gone, closing up was the best thing to do.

"Okay, all right." he conveyed before sighing.

As soon as I was finished closing the store, I held him by the arm and lead him up the flight of stairs that brought us to our home right above the store. He wasn't too pleased by my action, leading him up the staircase, but he didn't complain much.

I was well aware that he wasn't old and weak or anything, it just concerned me that maybe he was too tired to make the journey by himself.

When I finally made it to the door, I opened it with my key before leading my father to his armchair where he sat back and sighed.

"Delancy, I think I'm getting too old for this." He bickered and ran his fingers through his greying hair.

"Old?" I chuckled and turned to my father. He thought he was old just because he had a few grey hairs. "I don't think so, you've got at least twenty years left in you. Now let me make you a cup of tea so you can sit back and relax tonight."

I had to admit I loved my father very much even if he sometimes lacked a bit of optimism.

I went to the kitchen and worked over the stove brewing his tea and making dinner but I couldn't help thinking back on his words.

I have this feeling,

That you're going away.

I didn't know why but those words kept gnawing at me. I wasn't sure why he felt that way but we both were working harder than we usually did so thoughts as those would probably cross anyone's mind, but I still felt uneasy.

"Delancy! What's taking you so long?" My father called, from where he was.

"Coming!" I called back picking up the tray of food and bringing it to him.

"Delancy are you all right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"What is all this?" My father questioned looking at the tray and then back at me.

"Oh, I just decided to make a few snacks," I answered with a light smile.

"A few?" My father observed, raising an eyebrow at the food.

"Okay, maybe I made more than a few things but don't worry I'm feeling a bit hungry now, so nothing will go to waste."

Even though I said that I barely picked at my food, I soon found my father's eyes on me.

"Delancy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He nodded and smiled.

"Now I'm worried."

"Why did you say I was going away?"

He blinked back and scratched his head.

"It was just a feeling."

"Oh."

"You know it wouldn't be bad for you to go out. I think it would be nice for you."

"Yes, but not now, sometime in the future probably."

"Ah, yes if that is what you want." He told me sipping on his tea.

"Dad," I said after a long silence.

"What?"

"Can I see what you wrote?"

He shrugged and passed the book to me.

"Trust me, it's not much."

I ignored him and flipped the book open.

Delancy Monroe;

When she was six years old her mother died in a car crash. Devastated I started drinking and it led to the fall of my business. With the help of my daughter, I overcame my addiction and salvaged the business, but by then the store was in heavy debt.

Growing up was never easy for Delancy. Trouble permeated my life and hers from the day her mother died, but Delancy loved me and loved helping in the store. She worked in the store by helping me check orders and count stock.

When she was old enough, I allowed her to order stock, serve customers and collect money.

As time went by, her main duties were to the store. She usually went to school late and returned early to help me. She spent her summers helping here and even though I tried to persuade her to go to the beach or hang out with her friends, she would always protest and insist that she liked working with me.

Even holidays passed her in the store.

Also after graduating high school, she worked here. She even received a scholarship from a prominent college but she turned it down and insisted her life was in our town, in our store. I tried very hard to convince her to accept it but she declined even though she knew that it could mean a better life for her than the one I had. The day I realized my words had no effect on her and she wouldn't change her mind when she made it up, I could only hold her tightly.

She was a very stubborn girl and also someone I knew her mother would be proud of.

It didn't bother her that she was working in a grocery store. It didn't bother her that she was 21 and still living with her father. Her only fear was losing the store.

My Delancy- A remarkable girl.

"D-Dad-"

"I know, it's quite a lot."

"No," I shook my head. "It's wonderful!"

He laughed but I was taken aback by how well he seemed to know me.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Writing these wonderful things about me."

He shrugged and went back to sipping his tea but I couldn't stop smiling warmly.

***

Later in the night while I was in bed, I was still unable to stop thinking about my father's words. How could he say I would leave the store?

How could I leave him?

The day I received my scholarship my father was so proud of me but I made up my mind a long before I wouldn't be going. If I had accepted it and gone to college my father would've been left working alone in the store and he wouldn't have been able to pay off all the loans in time. We would've lost the store and possibly ended up in a worse situation. How would I have concentrated in college if I knew my father was in trouble?

I loved my father and the store.

I wasn't sure when we were finally going to get rid of all our debts but I didn't ever want to leave him.

I never wanted to leave my father.