Dandelions

Welcome to Colorado

Aven hadn't expected this day to go the way it did when she woke up that morning. She thought it was just a normal Saturday, she was going to go with her parents to pick up her older sister Lucy, and they would go to the party that Jackie had planned for the break. She had never expected that they would end up getting in a car accident, and she would be the only one to survive.

At one moment, she was talking to her mom and sister about how the school year had gone so far for her, and then the next, she woke up, struggling to breath, in their car that was now upside down on the freeway. She looked around and she was met with the horrifying scene of both her parents, and her sister all lifeless.

She couldn't really remember what happened next, all she remembered was being met with nothing but darkness once again.

She woke up in the hospital a few hours later, when she opened her eyes, she saw her youngest sister in the chair next to her, crying, and on the other side she saw her Uncle Richard pacing back and forth.

It was only then, did she notice how bad her injuries truly were. Her leg was in a full cast, from her ankle, all the way up to her hip. She had cuts and bruises all over her, it was truly a terrifying scene. She was scared to say the least.

"Uncle Richard?" she said.

"Oh my gosh, Aven, sweetheart I'm so glad your awake, I was so scared." he said
as he all but ran to her side.

"Aven!" Jackie cried.

"Oh Jackie, I'm okay." She said as she noticed the state her sister was in.

"Where's Mom and Dad? Where's Lucy?"
Aven asked wanting to see them.

The realization struck her uncle Richard as she asked the very question, he was hoping wouldn't come up so soon.

Aven noticed the tension in the room as soon as the words had left her mouth. She looked between both her Uncle Richard and her sister, and the tears in their eyes said it all.

"No, no, no! No they can't be, don't tell me they're gone! I was just with them, they can't be!" Aven screamed out.

Her uncle was prepared for this reaction out of her, but Jackie however was not, when she saw her sister's reaction, she couldn't stay in the room she needed to get out. The loss of her parents and oldest sister, had affected her, but she knew it would effect Aven even more.

~5 months later ~

Getting on a plane, when your entire leg is shattered, and you've just been told that you have to wear a brace for the rest of your life, was one the of the most physically challenging things for Aven, everyone around was trying to help her, but to no avail, one thing Aven didn't want from everyone was pity. Today was no exception.
When she found out that her parents wanted her, and Jackie to move in with the Walters, it was actually something that she was looking forward to. She'd been wanting a change of scenery for awhile now, but this wasn't how she wanted to do it. Regardless this is how she found life going at the moment.

After about 6 hours between flights, and finding their gates, they finally made it to Colorado. It was different to say the least, nothing that the two girls were used to.

Aven was nervous, she hadn't seen George and Katherine since about 2 years ago, they always had a close relationship.
George was like a second Dad to Aven, and Katherine a second Mom. They were always there for each other. Aven knew that Jackie hadn't remembered meeting them, and the only reason Aven got to see them 2 years back was because She had made a trip out to Denver and George and Katherine were able to visit with her while she was in town. She wasn't able to see the boys then, but being able to see the two of them was enough for her.