The very last person I called in, was the one that had broken Melanie's heart in her time of desperate need, Nathan. As he walked in, I rated him a 5 our of 10. She certainly must look passed looks on somethings... Although his eyes WERE those of a deep endless blue. But there was an odd sense of darkness and lifelessness in them, as if extrovertly showing people he'd been through a lot. My impulse to tell him he could leave NOW was very strong, but I kept my composure, "Please, sit."
He obeyed, looking around the room. "I assume you know you're here by Melanie's request," I rhetorically asked.
He held up a slightly callused hand, "Wait-by REQUEST of MEL? I thought this was a mandatory cop thing, not Mel's death wish or something."
"I wouldn't call it a death wish more of a..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mother,
There are so many words I would like to say to you...I know I have always been a little hard to handle at times. Always wanting to do things, but I always did love you-more than you know...I'd like to tell you something though--whenever I went some place else like a friends, or grandma's house I always thought when I came back maybe you'd love me more. Maybe-JUST maybe you'd be so happy to see me you would hug me and apologize for being my worst nightmare. Each time my dreams were crushed, no matter where I was or how long I was gone the reaction was still the same. The way you would make my heart rip and bleed was almost unbearable...But I did not write this to yell or hurt you, I wrote it to show you JUST how much you meant to me.
Mom, no matter what hit me over this year I always (almost always) thought of your feelings first. I always wanted you to make you proud. I know this wasn't the way to do it, but you were my one and only Mom.
I love you,
Melanie

~~~
With the letter I also assed her a beautifully colored conshell with a note. Just by giving it to her made me want to cry right along side her.

Dear Ma,
This is the conshell you gave me when I was
eight...look at the colors, they always made me think of
the warm rising sun-know I am looking down
and watching over Gage IN that sun. Put it
to your ear-it will always whisper "I love
you" along side the whoosh of the ocean.

She looked at me like a puppy who was told it had done something bad, her eyes droopy and tired, "I had no idea."
I had nothing further to say to her as of now, "Please go in room 314 until I have finished with the rest, then I have one more thing to share with you."
~~~

Dear Dad,
Even writing this now I am crying-knowing fully that I have let you down once again. But it's the last time I promise...Your way of dealing with my rebelious stages or mistakes was always to talk it out-to say you love me at the end. Just seeing your face grow older, your voice grow thicker with an edge of annoyment was enough. Every time I let you down a piece of my soul would flow away in even the gentlest of breezes..I'm sorry. I always wanted to be your little girl, I always wanted to be care free and happy like I used to-but I had so many overwhelming problems I couldn't face, and telling you would make you that much more annoyed, that much more...enraged at my feelings. I wish I could go back and have a popcicle stained face, with you twirling me around the backyard...but it's too late for that.
Near the end all I wanted was your trust again, your strong arms to hug me and say
I love you...
That's okay Dad,
I love you more than the world,
Melanie

When I saw he had read it over a couple times, I gave him the things that were left in his box.

Dear Pops,
When Grandma showed me your
identity bracelet from elementry
I've kept it ever since. Knowing
your name was always on my
wrist, kept my head up through
some of the darj days. You were
the one I tried to be like the most.
My very own personal hero.

His big hands engulfed the little silver bracelet. Gently, he turned it inside out to see the writing. he gasped, "She...she engraved her name above mine."
"There's one more thing in the box for you," I said hesitantly, not knowing if he'd seen it or not.
his hand reached in and pulled out a sticker that said 'You be the Mel and I'll be the Daddy' one glance at that and the man burst into sorrowful cries once again.
~~~