Then, I heard a small voice from the aisle.
"Dad, where's Mom? Is she on the flight?" A little boy asked, tugging on his father's shirt.
"No, son. She already left. She's on a different plane, remember?" The dad replied gently.
"But I miss Mommy... I wanna go with Mommy," the boy whined, tears threatening to fall.
"Son, your mother already left," the dad repeated.
The words hit me like a brick.
"She already left."
My breath caught in my throat. Those words. Those exact words.
Flashback – Three Years Ago
"Just go play ball, baby. Just go play ball," Mom whispered, her voice weak but filled with love.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
My heart dropped.
"Mom?" Fourteen-year-old me shook her gently.
Her lips were cold.
"Mommy, wake up," I said, shaking her harder now.
Her mouth parted slightly, but there was no response.
My stomach twisted.
Something was wrong.
"MOMMY!" I screamed.
The door burst open. Nurses rushed in.
"Selena, can you hear me?" One of them yelled, checking her vitals.
Another nurse grabbed me, pulling me out of the room.
"GIMME A CRASH CART, NOW!" Another voice called out.
I fought against their grip. "No! NO! Let me go! She's just sleeping!" My voice cracked.
"Sweetie, let's get a snack," a nurse said, trying to distract me. She handed me a pack of Gushers and an apple juice, her hands gentle but firm.
I ignored them.
A voice behind me spoke, quiet but devastating. "Did you call his dad?"
"I'm on the phone now," someone else said. "I'm so sorry, baby... but your mom passed."
The words sliced through me.
My breath hitched. My knees buckled.
"No," I whispered.
"She's just sleeping a little longer," I said again, my voice desperate.
"Honey, her heart stopped—"
"NO! DON'T SAY THAT!" I screamed, standing up so fast my chair toppled over.
"She wouldn't leave me." My hands clenched into fists.
A nurse tried to calm me down. "Micah—"
"GO FIX HER!" I roared, shoving a tray off the table.
My legs started shaking.
"Micah, your dad's here," someone said softly.
I looked up.
Dad stood in front of me, tears in his eyes.
"Why are you crying? Did they fix her?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Dad wiped his face. "No, son. She already left... she's gone."
His words echoed in my skull.
"She already left."
Something inside me snapped.
Chapter Twenty
Start from the beginning
