Aerin’s POV

“Aerin-ah, are you done packing up the stuff?”  Mom called to me from downstairs.

“Yup.  I’ll bring down them down now.”  I replied as I lifted the boxes one by one down the staircase.

We were packing up Dad’s old clothes and other items to donate to the Salvation Army.  I knew it must’ve been hard for Mom to give away anything Dad has ever used before.  After Dad died, Mom, Jaemin oppa and I had been struggling to pull ourselves together.  Mom only had Jaemin oppa and me to keep her sane.  She paints a smile on her face everyday just so I wouldn’t have to worry about her, when in truth; her world is held together by thread.  Jaemin oppa distracted himself from thinking of the incident by working nonstop for his last year in university, while I had the BEAST boys to help me get through this rough time.

“Let’s get ready to drop these off, okay?”  Mom put on her shoes and had a cardboard box in her head, getting ready to put them in the car trunk.

 “Okay.  I just have one more box upstairs.  Let me bring it down.”  I quickly hopped up the stairs to where a big cardboard box sat in the middle of my room.

Just as I was bending down to seal the box up with tape, I came across a worn-out teddy bear.  Tears couldn’t help but dribble down my face.  On the day I was born, while Mom was still resting in the hospital after giving birth to me, Dad came by to see Mom and brought along this teddy bear.  It was my first stuffed animal, and my first present from Dad.

As I rummaged through the box, my heart ached more and more.  Flashes of the past kept coming back to me.  Memories of Dad filled my head.  Now, it wasn’t just drops of tears, but a stream was running down.  Dad, I really miss you.

Tucked in at the edge of the box was a delicate bold rim picture frame, holding a picture of our whole family on our last trip to Hong Kong.  It wasn’t that long ago, but it felt as if it was really far back in the past.  Seeing the bright smiles on all of our faces reminded me of all the fun and good times we’ve had as a family.  But now that things have changed, will I ever see those genuine smiles of our family again?

“Aerin-ah, I’m almost done loading up the boxes.  Can you bring your box down please?”  Mom called out again.

I quickly brushed off my tears and replied, “I’m coming now.”

I took out the family picture of us, and placed it in my drawer.  I don’t want to be reminded of what happened to Dad, but I also don’t want to erase him from my life.  This will be one of my last memories of him.  Swiftly, I took the box and headed out of my bedroom door.

“Ow!”  I winced as I bumped my left wrist against the door frame when I walked out.  It hurt even more because my silver charm bracelet clashed against my skin.  I ignored the result of my clumsiness and carried the box downstairs.

Mom came in and was about to take the box from me, but I realized that I didn’t tape the opening, so I left the box at the edge of the steps and decided to go back upstairs.  When I turned around, my left wrist smacked against the railing.  I let out another cry of pain.  My clumsiness gets on my nerve sometimes.

Finally, I sealed up the box after retrieving the tape from my room.  Mom carried the brown cardboard box out to the car, and I silently waved goodbye to the memories that Dad had left us as the trunk closed down, and the box disappeared into the darkness.

Now that Dad’s things will be gone, will I still remember him as much as I did before?  Please don’t let me forget him.