Adopted by Six on Broadway

Soon I'll Have to Go

Angie's POV

Honestly I don't know how it happened. How I triggered the flashback to something I'd forgotten about. And how that kept triggering memories.

In fact it's really a bad time. Janelle and I were out on a double date/hangout with Ryder and Brooklyn.

We decided to go window shopping when it began.

I don't know, maybe it was the little girl and her mother laughing and smiling inside of a gift shop, it was obvious they were tourists, because the little girl held a Lady Liberty stuffed doll, and the mom had a "I ❤️ NYC" sweatshirt and was wearing sunglasses indoors.

Maybe it was the father and his two children who we passed, all crying and wearing black.

But when we got to Central Park and they wanted to go get some food and have a picnic, it tipped me over the edge.

We were all sitting on a blanket with some food Ryder had bought from a nearby restaurant, when I dunno someone said something and I blacked out.

The first thing I heard was the lullaby my mother sang to me.

"Lavender's blue dilly dilly lavender's green. When I am king dilly dilly you shall be queen."

She always changed the words because she believed I could become king one day.

I opened my eyes. And it's my mother sitting there on the edge of a familiar bed with a pink pillow. Her eyebrows are furrowed.

"Mama is something wrong?" I say.

"No Angel. There's nothing wrong. Shhhh. It's time to sleep."

My eyes close again.

...

When they open again we're sitting on a hilltop. Just me and my mother. And cake.

I remember that cake. It was her favorite, chocolate, and I'd stayed up all night to make it for her birthday, because if I remember dad was out of town.

It wasn't very good but she kept eating it and saying that one day I'll be really good at baking chocolate cakes.

"I'll be sure to line up at your bakery everyday first thing just to get some of Angel Flores's famous chocolate cake." She'd say. I was only four at the time.

Then I blacked out again.

When my eyes reopened, I was five. I was laying on the couch clutching one of my dolls. Mom and Dad were arguing again.

Eventually, Mom came back into the room and noticed me awake.

"It's okay honey. Mommy will be here." She sang me another lullaby, and right before I fell asleep I heard her say, "Except I have to go soon."

Then I fell asleep.

When I woke up there was a scream and a crash. "Mommy! Daddy! Mommy where are you!! Daddy!"

The front door opened. And in walked my father. "Your mother just got into a car crash honey." He said with a blank expression.

I remember screaming and breaking down.

The scene disappeared.

"Angie! Ange wake up is something wrong? Baby wake up!"

My eyes opened again. "Ellie." I croaked.

"Baby I'm here. I'm here." She cradled me.

I registered Ryder and Brooklyn getting a water bottle from a nearby stand.