Chapter 02
Emily’s POV
I found Zane playing in the yard, his laughter a bright contrast to the storm swirling inside me. After telling Keith about my father being shot, he looked up, concern etched on his face. “Do you need anything?” he asked, his voice softer than usual.
I knelt beside Zane, forcing a smile as I ran my fingers through his soft hair. “Mommy has to go somewhere, sweetheart.”
His eyes, wide with curiosity, searched mine. “But you just got. here. Can’t you stay?”
Guilt tugged at my heart, but I knew I had to leave. I stood up and turned to Keith, who was still standing in the doorway. “Can you take care of Zane?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Keith nodded briefly. “I’ll handle it. I’ll call my mom to come over and help.”
Relieved but still carrying the weight of everything, I bent down to kiss Zane on the forehead. “I’ll be back soon, okay? You be a good boy for Daddy and Grandma.”
I lingered for a moment, watching his innocent face. Finally, I
Chapter 02
stood up, gave him a reassuring smile, and waved before heading. to my car.
As I drove to the hospital, memories of my childhood surfaced, unbidden and unwelcome. I thought about how I had always been the invisible one in the family. Mom doted on Tyler, and Dad had always favored Lily. I was the afterthought, the one who never quite fit in, at home or at school.
The distance between my parents and me had only grown after what happened nine years ago. Especially with Lily. Her last words. to me echoed in my mind: “To me, you’re already dead.” We hadn’t spoken since.
As I navigated through the city streets, I felt strangely detached from the reality of my father being shot. Shouldn’t I be feeling something? Fear, anger, sadness–anything? But there was nothing. Just a hollow numbness. I even laughed bitterly at myself, realizing how much of a rejected woman I had become. First by my family, then by Keith and his mother. The only person who truly felt like mine was Zane.
When I arrived at the hospital, the sterile smell of antiseptic and the harsh lighting overwhelmed me. I approached the front desk, where a receptionist was typing away on her computer.
“Excuse me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m looking for my father. He was brought in after being shot.”
The receptionist looked up, her expression softening as she saw
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Chapter 12
the worry etched on my face. “What’s his name?”
“Jimson Donald,” I replied, my heart pounding in my chest.
She typed something into her computer and then glanced back at me. “He’s in the emergency room, down the hall to your left. Just follow the signs.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.
She nodded sympathetically. “Take care.”
My steps echoed in the long corridors as I made my way to where my family waited, the weight of the situation pressing down on me with every step.
I found my mother sitting in a chair, her dress stained with blood, her face buried in her hands as she cried. Tyler stood beside her, his arm around her shoulder, trying to hold himself together. The sight of them huddled together, their grief so palpable, felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
I approached hesitantly, feeling like an intruder in their pain. “What happened?” I asked, my voice trembling.
Tyler looked up at me, his eyes red and swollen. “Dad was shot twice on his way back from the store. The bullets hit his kidney and lung. They’re preparing him for surgery now.”
Chapter 07
I nodded, the information sinking in slowly. I turned to my mother, seeing the fear and pain etched on her face. Despite the years of distance and resentment between us, I couldn’t stand by without. offering some comfort.
I
“He’s strong, Mom,” I said softly, trying to reassure her. “He’s going to pull through this.”
I reached out and gently placed a hand on her arm, wishing I could say more, do more. But the years of emotional walls between us made it hard to offer the embrace she needed. Instead, I stood there, hoping my words could bridge the gap, even if just a little.
Suddenly, the doors to the emergency room swung open, and they wheeled my father out on a stretcher. My mother and Tyler rushed to his side, their hands reaching out to touch him, to offer some small comfort. I stayed back, knowing he wouldn’t want to see me.
As they took him into surgery, I found a chair in the corner and sat down, my hands gripping the cold metal armrests. Two and a half hours passed in agonizing silence. I watched the clock, every tick amplifying the tension in the room.
Finally, the doctor emerged, his face a mask of professionalism, but the news was clear before he even spoke. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could, but he didn’t make it.”
The doctor’s words hung in the air, heavy and final. My mother collapsed to the floor, her cries piercing the corridor. Tyler dropped to his knees beside her, holding her as they sobbed together, their
Chapter 02
grief raw and unfiltered.
I stayed where I was, unable to move. My father was gone. The man who had never truly seen me, who had always favored Lily, was now lost forever. A part of me felt the sting of loss, but it was muted by the numbness that settled deep within.
I wanted to cry, to release the emotions swirling inside me, but the tears wouldn’t come. Instead, I remained frozen, the weight of what had happened pressing down on me.
And with his death, I knew one thing for sure–Lily would have to return.
