The Sweetest Memory ( A look back ) [2014WC]

Would you allow an old, dying man to indulge and share a story? As I lay here , I can’t help but think of my sweetest memory. Sure, it was years ago ( 2014 to be exact), but I remember it like it was yesterday.

First, a little back story, if I may. I was abused greatly by my dad. Physical, emotional and sexual abuse. In fact my earliest memory is of my dad raping me ( Yes, I am a guy).

Can you imagine that? Never being able to know what innocence is like? Never having a childhood?

Anyway, This all went on until I was 9 and finally some one reported the abuse. I was taken away from my parents pretty much as soon as CPS showed up at the door to investigate.

Over the years I was passed around from foster home to foster home and began to realize that no one wants to adopt an older kid with the background I have. Everyone wants a cute little baby.

I gave up on ever being adopted., Which hurt because all I wanted was a family. A family full of love, rather than the foster homes that simply just put up with me or occasionally beat me( Until I got big enough to fight back...).

Fast forward to 18 years old. 2014. I never was adopted. I was out on my own now. Working as a bank teller. In walks this beautiful girl. I mean, so beautiful that I was practically drooling. The kind that is so hot, you think there is no way in a million years that she would ever like you.

She came to my window to have a check cashed, if I recall correctly. I flirted a bit, but she ignored it, until the end when I asked if there is anything else I can do for her.
She said "yeah, you could give me your number". Needless to say she got it.

We dated , hit it off and eventually got married. What a great day that was. After a while, we decided we wanted to have a baby and we tried and tried.

She wouldn't get pregnant though. We went to the doctor trying to find out if anything was wrong and the result broke our heart. Female infertility. Her Uterus was misshapen and it made it impossible for a fertilized egg to implant itself.

We went home sad, even crying a bit. That night she came to me, and brought up the idea of adoption. I had been thinking about it, but was waiting to bring it up as a possibility until some of the heartache went away.

I think she knew I would love the idea though, considering where I came from.
We talked and decided that we were not going to have a predetermination about what we wanted. Boy or girl, no matter the age, if we clicked, we clicked.

We finally found a beautiful little girl. 7 years old. A similar background to mine. Only she was just taken away from her parents a few months before.

We got along great. But at the same time she was very scared. Which I understood. New place, new people. Not sure what to expect.

I remember she was extra careful to mind her P's and Q's for the first long while. But a part of that was her afraid to come out of her shell and be herself, for fear of rejection.
Gradually she started relaxing but she was not calling us mom or dad yet.

As she started coming out of her shell, she eventually did something to get in trouble. I can't even remember what it was she did now.

So, I am getting after her and she realizes there is going to be a punishment, her lip starts quivering and she begins to cry like a baby and starts pulling her pants off. I asked her " Sweetheart what are you doing?" She looked at me and said "You're going to punish me".

Then I asked “But why are you taking your pants off?” Crying and looking slightly confused she said" Aren't you going to put your thingy in me? I'll be good if you don't, I promise! it hurts too bad. Please?". Her lower lip quivering the whole time, looking absolutely terrified.

Poor thing, thought she was going to be punished with rape! My heart broke for her.
I told her to put her pants back on and she was still crying ( My wife watching to see how I would handle it.) I hugged her and held her and told her that I would never ever do anything like that to her.

I remember saying " Honey, I love you and you are so precious. You are safe here, I promise you. Please believe me."

Then she started crying even more! I asked what was wrong. she shook her head no and looked at me and said " I love you too, Daddy" and she gave me the biggest and most warm hug.

Needless to say, I started crying too. That was the happiest moment of my life. The first time my daughter told me she loved me AND called me daddy.


She has sense grown into a beautiful woman and grows more beautiful everyday and is truly happy with a family of her own. Now, we are ALL truly happy.

I have my girls . My angels...But most important....I have the family I always wanted.

Oh, the sweet memories.

Thank you all for reading. I tweaked a work I already had to make it fit a bit better for this contest. I hope you all enjoy it.

Good Story! What is sad this happens more than we realize.

reply to post by nighthawk1954


Thank you. I am glad you liked it. Yeah, sadly child abuse takes place every day, all over the world and often times it even goes unreported.

There is a whole group of children that often get passed up by couples looking to adopt. Older kids. I can understand the want to have a cute little baby, but the older kids are just as capable of love and are just as deserving of a happy family as well.

In writing this, I admit, I tapped a bit into my own life, though most of it is fiction. I tried hard to convey the pain, love and maybe even anger at the awful abuse that the little girl in this story must have gone through....

I think I went a different direction then what was originally intended for this writing contest, but all writing styles were welcomed, so, I decided to go way beyond 2014 and focus on a single man, on his death bed. Looking back on his life and telling the story of his sweetest memory.... Which took place in HIS past...2014.

Thank you for reading!

I enjoyed this story.
Thank you

reply to post by SLAYER69


Thank you! I am glad you liked it. I admit, I am not normally a fiction writer. I prefer non-fiction. But I enjoyed writing this one and was pleased with how it turned out.

I wish everyone luck who entered this contest and it appears that there were TONS of entries! So...Good luck everyone!

DirtyLiberalHippie
This is one of the best story's Ive read in a long time..Thank you for posting it..
peace,sugarcookie1 S&F

reply to post by sugarcookie1


Wow,what a compliment.

I am so honored and glad to be able to share it with you and the rest of ATS. I admit, I am my own worst critic and often pick apart my own work...Well, usually I write just non-fiction...But if the right inspiration hits....

Perhaps I should try my hand at fiction, more often...Well, I did pull a tiny bit from my own life... So perhaps that made it easier for me to write. But I digress.

I am so glad you liked it. Thanks

reply to post by SLAYER69


Also, for what it's worth, I noticed you have an entry in the contest as well,I am about to head over and read it as well.

I'm trying to read all the entries...But I have my work cut out for me as there are tons of them!

I wish everyone who entered and who will enter, good luck!

Im waiting for them to have a poem contest so i can enter..One we can write about anything we wish

reply to post by sugarcookie1


Oh, now that will be fun! I might have something I have already written for such an occasion... Or if not, Well, I do love to write and I do love poetry....In fact, thinking about it, I kind of wish I had help back on posting one of my threads...

I would have loved to put it in a poetry contest. Ah well, I just enjoy sharing my work, contest or not!

Anyway, looking forward to such a contest and seeing your entry!