FOSTER, elijah devon

Let it all unbreak you to the day you met her

26 | hetero | still in love | business man/anthrpologist | newcomer | patrick j. adams

Elijah D. Foster,

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with a silver spoon in his mouth, elijah was always taught to be the dutiful son—and he was. his step mother’s word was law and his father, though rarely around was king. their family fortune came from his father’s profession of a business man and it granted them a large estate with stables, where eli developed an equestrian love, an outside pool, his own room with a room attached that he used to entertain his friends in his younger days and even another small place on the property where the help used to live. never having to lift a finger, work ethic was instilled into the male through the training that his father scheduled into his week. his entire life was planned out by schedules, dates, events and though elijah was always appreciative of what he had, he desired a more humble life. his step mother was the kind of woman that spent money on everything, dedicating her life to making the material goods of the house worth more than anything else. there were times where his room was changed three times a month because his step mother was not happy with the decor, the house was constantly under renovation and change and though elijah lived in the house for his entire life, it never looked the same month after month. nothing was ever good enough for his step mother and yet, elijah obeyed her, he worshipped the ground that his step mother walked on and did everything he could to please her. born into old money, arianna, his step step mother, was accustomed to this life already, she was bred into it and molded for it and she passed those onto her two step children and her biological daughter—miles, elijah, and rebecca. elijah being the middle child, he was often overlooked. no one really cared when he spoke his first word as it was at a function and his parent’s attention was elsewhere. his younger sister got more attention when she was born and though the male was a little jealous, he still watched over his little sister even as a baby and still does to this day. his older brother miles is a little off the beaten track but he has taken the role that elijah refused, though from different step mothers and only two years apart, elijah did not wish to be the heir to the family fortune and wanted to follow his own passion of anthropology and make something out of it while his brother went on to learn more about the business while elijah took a different, less approved approach to life. ”elijah on his family: ”cracked would be the best word to describe the foster family. we are proper and we have the appearance of a perfect family and we play the part well in public. no one is really aware that the three siblings come from different step mothers but we lived under the same roof. my family’s indiscretions were often overlooked by my step step mother because she did not want her name to be slandered and would rather swallow her pride than have people talk behind her back. my step mother? she is a dazzling woman, beautiful and still rather young in looks despite being in her mid-fifties now. it’s my step step mother who i am very much put off by. she is very selfish and very vain, there are not too many memories that can be recalled where she was anything close to being a step mother except in public. my father was scarce and rarely interacted with anyone besides the main butler who was like his right hand man in everything, always asking for his opinion rather than his own family. and myself along with my brother and sister, we are close, we are all different due to the different chromosome that were given to us. i’ve never met the other step mothers, my own did not permit me to see the other woman because she had no desire to have any connection to them, except for my step step mother when my father married her. they all fought though, i do remember that battle well, where they all wanted their own to be the heir or heiress. no bitter feelings among the siblings but the step mothers, that’s a different story. we never really sat down for a dinner together unless company was involved and when going out, it was never anything less than four star. we ate food that I hardly knew the name of and did not care for the taste but a kid has to eat. as we grew older, our social lives allowed us siblings a little freedom but it also separated us due to our different interests. university was where the final straw was and i have not actually had a full conversation with my sister or step mother since the incident—as they were both responsible. the incident is one that the male does not wish to relive again, it started nearly fifteen years ago when he met the girl. she always lived on the property but elijah and the others were not really permitted to go near the help’s quarters. eli broke that rule and when he was about eleven, he met divya. from there, it steamed quickly from friendship to love. while, his step mother had always been someone that he looked up to, she was strong and independent, she was prideful but as he grew up, elijah learned that his step mother’s tough skin was a flaw because she could never feel anything. she was not the sweet woman that he had pictured her when he was a child, she was vengeful and cruel. her anger came out in shocking moments and it was a whirlwind of terror. no one wanted to be on the bad side of this woman and yet, everyone was. she had such high standards that not even her own flesh and blood could live up to them—and it took elijah twenty six years to realize it. his life never truly began until he a woman named divy. she was from the lower ranking family but elijah easily looked passed that though it never did leave his mind. he was well aware that his world was far more richer than her own but hers was full of everything that he wanted—and that is what initially drew the two of them together. their societies never wanted them to be together and though small bits of the beginning of the friendship, they both fought what they felt. elijah was always a gentleman, he was always proper and kind to her even when their beginning arguments got heated but that just lit the fire for something more to occur. they were young, in their late teens, and elijah’ future was already planned out for him. his step mother had been pushing the father and son to spend time together and elijah abided by his step mother’s wishes but that time was spent in the office. hours were spent in the business environment and elijah found it to be pretentious, he found it to be boring and he would tell divy about his true feelings about how much he disliked the idea of being in an office space for the rest of his life. maybe this was the start of it all, spilling a secret like to this to someone allowed elijah to open up to someone for once in his life. his family was there but never actually listening, divy did, she respected and even supported his decision to be a anthropologist as the love for history came in middle school. they never attended the same high school because elijah was forced into the private sector where ideas were forced down his throat and he was never allowed to be an individual. but with divy, he could be exactly who he wanted to be. their friendship blossomed into more, their feelings for one another burning intensely. she was a breath of fresh air from the stuck up girls that his step mother was always trying to pair him with and elijah never really took much thought when he brought her to the high society parties but he always felt like she never felt in place. he never wanted divy to feel different because she blended in so well with him, he never took much thought that the rest of the society was not exactly like him. he never took notice of the glares or the whispered comments that came when he passed people at the parties while hand in hand with his girl—it never occurred to him. his step mother would urge him not to bring her, that there was always someone better but elijah would dismiss it and say ”I am bringing who I want” or else he would not go and that no doubtfully twisted his step mother’s arm into allowing him to bring the unsuitable girl. one night of disaster turned into their first night together, at the age of seventeen: the car ride back had been silent, the black car interior making it hard to see her whenever he glanced her way. a gentleman with hormones, his eyes did wonder down the fabric of the floor length dress that was pooling at her feet and he had to adjust his tie on his neck which was too tight anyway. she was peering out the window, appearing to be lost in thought and eli did not have the heart to interrupt her thinking process though the silence was worrisome. with a lurch forward, the car slowed down in front of her place, which was on the property anyway, ”thanks kevin but I will just walk back to the house. thank you for everything but you can go home now.” which was also somewhere on the property. he learned about his step mother’s paranoia and how he preferred his help to live within the area, being able to keep an eye on them and have them at his beck and call. stepping out of the car, he rushed to divy’s side to open the door but found she was already standing there. with the car pulling away, being careful not to kick up too much of the dirt from the gravel road, he took a step closer, ”i’m sorry.” he spoke into the darkness, still keeping space between them. the night had started off with excitement on his part but he noticed she was apprehensive to the idea of going in the first place but he had never pictured that his friends and family would be so passive aggressive to the female. he caught onto the subtle remarks about who she was, he was able to catch the words but never at the glares as the verbal criticism was what had his attention. slipping his coat off, he allowed that piece of himself to drape over her shoulders, ”let’s get you inside”, gently taking her arm and leading her to the darkened house. her door was unlocked and they both stepped into the small bungalow styled home together. hand in hand now, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers, ”you were amazing tonight, even if they were not.” and by them, he meant everyone. the kiss was gentle, it was sweet and it was meant to take all of the worries away. ”you know it’s you and me in the end, no one else…”as the talk of forever had started to begin between them as their relationship had been ongoing for over two years now and elijah never wanted anyone else. their lips met again and in the moment of passion, his jacket slipped off her shoulders and his hand found the way to the straps of her dress. sliding them off her shoulder, he let his fingertips move down the length of her arm while he could feel the buttons to his shirt being popped off. the living room was not a good place in his mind to do this and with each step that he took forward, she took another back until they fell onto her own bed and consummated their relationship for the first time.” it was that night that cemented everything but all fairy tales come to an end. the notifications of events form his step mother came with little notice and he was forced to leave his girlfriend behind more often than not, cancel plans with her and things began to be stretched thinner and thinner. graduation came, a day that was meant to be celebratory, and a mark for nearly three years with his girlfriend but elijah was forced to another event where his step mother forced girls onto him with ”nicer pedigrees”, showcasing them as though they were prized pets. leaving the event early, elijah found his way to divy’s house where he celebrated their achievement together. university came quickly and though they were finally in the same establishment, the class hours put yet another strain on their time together but technology helped to keep the two of them in contact with one another. three and a half years of this passed and it seemed that their talk about forever was getting serious: ”come on divy, just pick one, anyone..” he whispered into the tresses that surrounded her ear, resting his forehead against the side of her head while he watched with amusement at her hand reaching for a ring. it was vintage, a little old fashioned and small and it was the one that he had picked out for her days prior because it was just completely her and he knew it would be her choice. ”see, that was easy.”. giving her a kiss to the side of her head before being forced to drop her hand so that the band could be fitted. the saleswoman gave the young couple a glance and even she was able to see the difference in class between the two of them, she said nothing as she tried to push the ring onto divy’s fingers without damaging or breaking the skin. ”hm, seems a little small”. he mumbled, taking the band from the saleswoman and sending her an apologetic smile for being so grabby as he stared at the engraving in it that would be stretched in time, ”anyway to…fix this?” he asked, turning to the woman who was just staring at the couple as though they were never meant to be together but again, the look was not noticed by elijah because he never actually saw it for what it was. a nod was given and he dropped the ring back into her hand, ”please make it happen”., taking his girlfriend’s hand once more and bringing their links hands to kiss the back of her hand.” forever.” he promised, not knowing that it would be empty one in the upcoming weeks forever was meant to be theirs but it the game was changed by two players, a step mother and a sister. roughly three days before the ring was to be finished, elijah returned one night from a night class to feel as though he was empty, and the reason would be found out quickly: ”oh sweetie, thank goodness you are home.” his step mother rushed to his side, placing a hand on his cheek and his brows furrowed as he moved his face away from her touch and made the effort to drop his bags first,” everything okay?” he asked with a worried voice, looking around to see if anything was different in the house or if anyone was new, “eli, I’m sorry…she left…” for a moment, the male was confused about who ”she” was referring to, his grandmother who had been staying there? his sister? but the envelope that was slipped into his hand had a familiar curly writing attached to it and his eyes widened, ”no.” he said plainly before rushing out the door, the letter dropped on the foyer ground. the cliché rain was pouring down as he ran from one house to another, barging in to find it empty. she was not just gone, but the entire family was. dripping wet, the male took three steps into the house before he could feel his heart shatter in his chest. he was not sure if the ability to even drop to his knees was possible but he suddenly felt weak, light headed.” why… ” he muttered under his breath while the water dripped down his face and off his brunette tresses without much care to where the water landed. he was appalled by the actions of the girl that he loved, as he wanted the truth, he wanted an explanation and after all this time, he believed that he deserved one. scouring the house first, he found no traces of their relationship except for the box with the perfect ring sitting inside resting on her study desk. he could picture the moments of her annoyance while he used to attempt to shut the book but it would appear, that she had been the one to close everything. he figured that he was not too late, if she was leaving, it was by some transportation—car, plane, a bus, train. he bet it was a train, he felt like the train station was the first place that he could try and scout her out in. with a frantic rush back to the house, though the veil of rain, he was met with the distressed look of his family as he shouted, ”train station! she has to be there.” he was determined and possible a little out his mind when he shouted the confusing words to his family who just shook their head at him, ”she’s gone”. was the only reply that he had been given. he would not listen to such things though as his stubborn nature pushed him to steal the keys off the counter and rush to one of the many cars that were in the garage. in the end, she was gone. the train station had nothing, the airport was empty of her face, and even after returning home, the male was thrown into finding out her location and it lasted for two days. after two days of calling her phone only to get the same service message, speaking to her friends he was forced to give up the search and accept that they were done. tragedy comes with love sometimes and it was a lesson that the male had to learn rather quickly. his step mother allowed him ample time to grief, a whole year, before she began to push him into dating again. his horses once again became a staple in his life as he would ride for hours just to escape the complex that had a memory of divy everywhere he turned. it became a haunted space for him, somewhere where he all he saw was her face. his pillow still smelled like her after a year and it killed his ability to sleep soundly whenever he would roll over and inhale her scent, the pain coming back all over again. this was the girl that he wanted to marry, the girl that he overlooked everything for and she left!? the stages of grief hit anger in a matter of three months and then finally, he accepted it. he still wonders about her even to this day, wondering what she made of herself and whose heart did she hold in her precious hand. he wonders if she has a family, or if she is alone like himself. sometimes he would search her name on the computer just to see if she had made it in the big shot writing world but so far, not much success about where her location is. he still has her own engagement ring, never having gave it to another woman and never planning to give it up to anyone but her—if they meet again. his second love story is not a love story at all, the girl was in love with another and elijah could not put his full heart into the relationship, let alone a marriage. julia was her name, a woman that his step mother introduced him to when he was twenty four years old and they were engaged when he was twenty five. their relationship was the way that his step mother wanted, seemingly to be more involved with everything from their dates to the wedding plans. elijah began to get annoyed but he never voiced his opinion due to the respect that had for the woman that raised him, however, he was unable to shake the feeling that she was pushing too hard. instead of actually giving his opinion to his step mother, he ended the engagement and it became a mutual agreement the more that they talked. he learned that julia was in love with another and he could not in good conscious take her away when his heart allows belonged to another as well. the incident was the night that the family sat down for dinner with the two of them as their wedding was meant to be a big event and things would have be canceled right away: ”arianna, dad. julia and i have called off the wedding. it’s our decision, it’s not yours and it’s final.,” the shock that fell onto everyone’s face as they stared at the perfect broken up couple was a mirror image, except for his step mother. shrugging the comments and questions off, elijah felt that he did not need to give them an explanation as to why he was not marrying the girl who was not of his dreams. he allowed julia to leave as he could feel her growing uneasy with the scowls that surrounded them, and with a simple kiss to the cheek and then to the back of the hand, julia was out of his life. WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” came a voice from an angered woman and elijah whipped around to stare at the enraged expression on his own step mother’s face, ”following my heart mom. she loves another, how could I ever do to someone when I know what it feels like!?”, his voice actually raising as the emotions were getting the better of him. he was not sure if his step mother intended for the words to come out, or if his sister had timed this right but he heard, “ what about the plan!? this is ruined!” which caused elijah’s head to whip around right after he had just started to walk away, thinking that he said all that he needed to. ”plan?” he asked with a calm demeanor that should have frightened the two of them, ”what plan are you talking about rebecca? …arianna?” he asked eyeing both woman who were now looking to one another, hoping the other came up with a good lie. in a moment of anger, he took a seemingly threatening step forward,” tell me”, he demanded “oh geez, we got rid of whatshername so you could actually be accepted in our world.”. it all made sense to him now as he retracted his step and had to grab onto the railing of the stairs to keep himself balanced, his step mother took a concern step forward, ”DONT”. he suddenly reacted as he saw the monster move closer to him. ”you…you drove her away…because…she’s poor!? because she had a good heart!? because she made me happy!? tell me god damn it!”’ which was a smack to his mouth for cursing at his step mother but his head did not turn, he did not react as he stared at a woman who was almost dead to him now.”you wouldn’t understand” she said through gritted teeth but he shook his head, ”no you don’t understand. i resign as heir mom, miles can have it. …i never thought you would actually go that low to see me in an office chair, one that i never wanted in the first place”. , but his step mother shook her head,”you can’t do that!”. but he actually let out a laugh,”I’ll make a public announcement. he has three kids with three different woman and that my step mother is a monster and that I don’t want to be apart of the foster corporation or even this horrible family!”. he did not pack a bag, he just walked out the door with a haste, determined to find divy, determined to explain everything and tell her that he loved her, give her the ring and in his moment of clarity due to the blindfold being taken off, elijah hired a private investigator to find her. bringing us to the present as divy was a hard girl to track down but she was found in a large city and that is where he is now. his father has been giving him funds to travel, to find divy because as it turns out, elijah’ step mother was never meant to be the one—he had another love, and with the understanding of losing her, he pays for his son to live, eat, sleep when his own pay is low and he does not want to dip into his savings. still reliant on his family, it’s been six months since elijah has spoken to his step mother or his sister but he gets updates from the other two males in the house as miles and his father played no role in what happened and elijah is grateful to at least have sane family members. he has recently purchased a house with a small stable so that he can keep up his love of horses, he followed his passion of ancient history and became a anthropologist but he does help out in his father’s affairs from time to time due to the illness that has struck the man. the love of his life is somewhere in this city, and he is ready to start over with her, no one to judge or to care and no one to meddle in their fairy tale happy ending.

ERIN | EASTERN | 22 | EDWARD THEO RAINER CARSON ISSAC ORWELL

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