A Way Back

The Morning Call

It was early in the morning when Kaylee was stirred awake by the sound of ringing. "Ugh, where are you?" she grumbled, searching for her phone. After finally finding it between the pillows, she noticed the ringing had stopped. Rubbing her eyes, she grabbed her glasses from the nightstand. "Maria? Why is she calling this early?" Kaylee muttered quietly, the only audience her sleeping boyfriend, Brad, who was still blissfully unaware of the dismay unfolding around them.

Brad shifted slightly, instinctively picking up on the change in her mood. He opened his eyes to see Kaylee's worried expression, and a feeling of dread settled in his stomach. Maria, her older sister, never called at this hour. A wave of unease washed over her as she opened her call log and dialed back.

"Kaylee!?" Maria's voice cracked through the line, filled with urgency that sent chills down Kaylee's spine.

"Maria?... Hey, what's going on? It's 7 in the morning." Kaylee's heart raced as she braced for her sister's response. What could possibly be wrong at this hour?

"Kaylee... it's Mom... you need to come to the hospital." Maria's voice trembled, strained against the weight of her tears.

A chill crept through Kalyee, her breath catching in her throat. No, this can't be real. She was fine last week."What happened? Is she okay? Where's Dad?!" Panic rose in Kaylee's voice, causing Brad to sit up beside her, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong, Kaylee?" he asked softly, placing a comforting hand on her back. Kaylee remained silent, her worried gaze speaking volumes.

"Maria?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

"Kaylee, she's gone..." Maria's voice fell to a whisper, barely audible.

Kaylee crumpled to the floor, her phone slipping from her grasp. Gone? The word echoed in her mind. Memories of her mother flooded her thoughts: the way she laughed, the warmth of her hugs, the smell of her favorite perfume lingering whenever she left the room. How could she be gone? The impact jolted Brad to action as he quickly knelt beside her, panic flashing across his face. "Kaylee?! Are you okay?" His voice was heavy with worry.

"Kaylee, what happened? What did Maria say?" He searched her eyes, desperation growing as he saw the light fade from her golden-brown irises to a cloudy amber.

Tears streamed down Kaylee's pale cheeks as she finally looked at him, her expression breaking his heart. "It's my mom... she's gone."

"Kaylee? Are you still there?" came Maria's muffled voice from the phone.

Brad picked it up, his hands trembling. "Maria? It's Brad."

"Brad... is Kaylee okay? I heard a loud thud."

He glanced back at Kaylee, who remained still, tears streaming down her face. "Yes, she's alright." He shifted his focus to the phone, Maria's voice breaking through urgently from the other end, "Brad, she needs to come to the hospital."

Kaylee's gaze met Brad's, a silent exchange of fear and disbelief. He could see her heart shattering, each piece echoing in the silence of their room. She reached for her phone, and as he placed it in her cold hand, his expression turned grave, tears beginning to fill his own eyes.

Kaylee took a deep breath, steadying herself against the overwhelming ride of grief. "Maria?"

"I'm here."

"I love you, and I'll see you soon."

"I love you, too."

Lowering the phone from her ear, Kaylee set it on the floor and wiped her face with the collar of her old, worn-out shirt, steeling herself for what lay ahead. As Brad watched her, a strong urge to protect her welled up inside him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, hoping to shield her from the impending storm.

"We'll find a way through this," he whispered, though his own heart trembled at the uncertainity of what lay ahead.