From the first day I met her I hated her. My grandparents, dad, sister, brother, HER, and I were all in my grandma’s overcrowded living room. I didn’t want anything to do with her. I didn’t want anything to do with her. She was my dad’s new girlfriend, Rosemary. She was just too perfect, and she always looked it. She had long, red, wavy hair, acrylic manicured nails, glasses, always dressed to impress, and just perfect. I hated it. She didn’t belong with someone like my dad, he was completely different. He never cared how he looked and dressed, he has long blonde hippy hair that is always dirty, and half the time he forgets to put in his glass eye since he lost his real one when he was eighteen. But when Rosemary and I met she wouldn’t even talk directly to me or my siblings. She would talk to my dad about us when we were standing right there, and when she did talk to us she would talk down to us like we were four.

She would say, “ahww, aren’t your kids cute, what’s their names? How old are they? They look just like you. Aren’t you just a little cutie?”

I just stood there thinking you need to open your eyes; we look nothing like our dad. And we can talk for ourselves, it’s not like we’re four, I’m nine already. My brother, sister and I are going to find a way to get rid of you. Just like we did to my daddy’s last girlfriend.

My dad’s last girlfriend he almost married. She wanted to send my sister, brother, and me to boarding school somewhere far away. So my siblings and I made her as miserable as possible and she finally just left. So there was no way I was going to like any of his girlfriend’s anymore. And the effect of that was I hated Rosemary before I got to know her.

As time went on nothing worked to get rid of her, even being as rude as possible to her. Then my sister was actually starting to like her! But one night my dad took just my sister and me out for ice cream and we had the talk.

He says, “Me and Rosemary have been thinking a lot and we decided that we are moving to Seattle. We already got the house and we’re moving out of mamaws house by the end of the school year.”

“Yay we are going to move ion with Rosemary, and live in Seattle! I love it there!” my sister said filled with excitement.

I can’t believe we’re really moving. I love it where I am now, with my grandparents, and cousins, and all my friends. I like all my teachers and my school. I can’t tell daddy any of this or he will get mad. I guess I better just put on a fake smile for my dad. I hate Rosemary for making this happen.

Before we knew it Rosemary had us all moving out of my grandparent’s house in Bremerton to a new house in Seattle to live with her.

All I was thinking was, this lady made me move away from my family and friends into a completely different city. I loved where I lived in Bremerton, and she says we should move and my dad listens! He’ll do anything she says. I hate her!

Once we moved I guess it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. There was a lot more things to do in Seattle, and Rosemary would take us everywhere so we wouldn’t be bored. Then I started to actually have fun with her. She would take us downtown to the Space Needle, the Pacific Science center, Pike Place Market, museums, and Alki beach. She would always love doing things like that too. I was really beginning to think of her as a mom because I haven’t seen my real one since I was four months old. And as a began to give her a chance I was really liking her. Rosemary was a genuinely nice person and loved doing good things for people. After a year or two of living with her my dad made us all sit down at the table to talk.

He said, “We have something very important to tell you kids. Rosemary hasn’t been feeling very well for the last couple weeks and she went to the hospital a few days ago. She now has cancer.”

“This may be hard for you guys to understand but this doesn’t mean I’m going to die anytime soon. I’m just going to be sick for a little while and will be going to the hospital more often to get kemo and radiation. But I think I can beat this,” Rosemary was explaining.

“Do you kids have any questions about this?” my dad asked.

Nobody said anything. But as this went on Rosemary and I were getting closer to each other, and I was scared she was going to die. Then August 8, 2009 she passed away at home with just me at home. My grandma came over and tried hard to make me feel better and say she was in a better place and she loved me. But I never said it to her. When I got to know her she was the nicest, most generous person I knew. She had a great life and I will always miss her. But you shouldn’t judge someone just on their first impression because they can end up being great people that you will think about for the rest of your life.