My life is complicated but I wouldn't change it for the world

The day my life changed

I should probably tell you a bit about myself. My name is Alice-Jade but everyone calls me AJ I am 18 years old and a first-year Psychology student at the University of Utah. I have an older sister called Hallie who is 22 and a nephew called Noah who is six months old. Our Mom died when I was 15 and our dad hasn't been around since I was 3. Hallie and I live together in a small 3 bedroom house about a 20-minute drive away from the University of Utah campus anyway back to the story of how my life changed forever.

It was 9 AM on a Monday, my second week of lessons when I got the call that would change my life, I was sitting in my Morning Psychology lecture listening to my teacher, when my phone started to ring I looked at the number and noticed that it was my sister, I knew something was wrong as Hallie never rang me unless it was an emergency so I asked my teacher if it was ok to answer it when I got the ok I walked into the hallway and answered it

"howdy sis," I say in a dreadful southern accent as I leant up against the wall.

"hello is the Alice-jade" replied a serious-sounding voice on the other end of the phone.

"Yes is there anything I can help you with," I ask feeling dread creeping into my stomach.

"My name is Doctor Harvey and I'm a doctor at Grove Hill Hospital your sister Hallie was brought into us around 30 minutes ago she had been involved in a major RTC and didn't make it out we were looking through her Notes to find out about her family and it mentioned you were her only living family member do you think you would be able to come to the hospital so we can discuss the next step with you" he replied.

"yeah yeah ill be there but I need to go and talk to my professor and get some time off" I then remembered Noah and I started to panic "OMG what about her son Noah was he in the car with her please tell me he wasn't in the car with her" I shout down the phone.

"No he wasn't in the car with her do you know where she might have taken him and where she might have been heading," doctor Harvey asked me.

"yeah, she probably took him to the babysitters as I'm currently in a psychology lecture and she had a lecture today too, however, I don't know whether it was this morning or this afternoon. What going to happen to Noah now Hallie is dead?" i asked dreading what he was going to say to me.

"ideally you take him in and look after him but if you feel like you can't do that then we have no choice but to put him into the foster care system and hope and pray he gets adopted" he replied with compassion in his voice at hearing me start to cry.

"I'll do it, I will look after him I can't let him be taken away from me now he is the only family i have left," I say taking deep breaths willing myself not to cry down the phone to someone i don't know.

doctor Harvey sighed and said, "if you don't have any more questions i will hang up and let you take this all in and i will see you when you get to the Hospital, take your time though we are in no rush".

"thank you so much one more question though was she in pain when she was brought in?" i asked knowing how much my sister hated being in pain and in hospitals.

" no she wasn't in pain she passed away while unconscious we think she had some internal bleeding that we didn't catch until it was too late i stayed with her until they moved her, I'm so sorry Alice-jade" he replied sounding as if he wanted to cry my heart broke a bit more hearing this i could never imagen how hard telling someone that their loved one has died is on a doctor.

"thank you for doing everything you could for her Doctor Harvey and thank you for staying with her i feel a lot more comforted knowing that she didn't die alone and that she had someone with her" i replied before hanging up the phone.

once I hung up I cried after 30 minutes of sitting in the hallway outside my classroom I got up walked into the classroom grabbed my bag and coat walked over to my teacher and said that i needed to leave and I don't know when I would be back. He asked me why and i told him what had happened and that I needed to leave so I could get my nephew from the babysitter and get to the hospital so I could sort everything out.

He hugged me and whispered in my ear and told me to email him if i needed anything at all whether it be advice on school and the work or advice on how to look after Noah he himself having 3 kids under the age of 5. i thank him then leave.

i walk to my car get into my car and drive to Anna's (Noah's babysitter) house once i arrived i knocked on the door and when Anna opened the door shocked to see me she ushered me inside to her front room where Noah is playing in his pack and play i walked over to him picked him up and said "hey N come here" he cuddles into me sensing i needed the comfort i sigh and sit down on the couch and rock Noah back and forth.

Anna sits down next to me and asked me what has happened so i re-tell the story for the second and definitely not the last time and i tell her how i had said i would take Noah in as he is the only family i have left but i didn't know what i was doing, Anna looks at me smiles and says "that's the beauty of parenthood you never know what you're doing, you will make mistakes but you will learn from them and become a better parent and person because of them". i laugh and look down at Noah who had fallen asleep on me as i stare at him i realise he is the spitting image of Hallie and this makes me break down, Anna just puts her arms around me as i finally start to realise how much my life has changed in the short amount of time from me getting the call and agreeing to look after Noah till now. once i had composed myself I look at Anna and tell her i have to get to the hospital she looks at me and says " look let me go and get dressed then i will drive you to the hospital and stay with you that way you don't have to drive your car we can leave that here and you will have someone to watch little man while you sort everything out"

i tell her she doesn't have to do that but she insists saying " Hallie was my best friend the least i could do is look after her sister (and son) while she sorts everything out so here's what we are going to do. I'm going to go and get dressed then we are going to drive to the hospital I'm going to look after N while you sort everything out then once everything is sorted out we are going to drive to your place and pack enough clothes and stuff to last you and Noah until after the funeral. Then you both are coming to stay with me until after the funeral so i can help you look after Noah and keep an eye on you cause i know how you got after your mum passed away. okay?"

i don't have the energy to argue with her so i just nod my head and off Anna goes to get dressed i look down at Noah and sigh I'm not sure what i have got myself into but i know i wouldn't change it for the world.

I hope where ever Hallie will end up she
will be happy that i decided to keep Noah and raise him myself.

Anna comes down 35 minutes later and we head out the door i put Noah in his car seat buckle him in get into the car next to him put my seatbelt on and take Noah's small hand in mine and just hold it.

1465 words without authors note

A/N: hey guys this is the first chapter in this book. this book came to me out of the blue and wouldn't leave me so i just wanted to write it down. please leave a review in the comments i would love to know what you all think of the book so far.