This Warrior

Chapter 5

When I walk into Keegan's home, I was overwhelmed with the smell of chicken. That was my moms favorite food. Memories flooded my brain; good and bad.

I thought about the way she died. She got in a severe car accident. I was in the car too. I was 5 at the time. Her birthday was in a week.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!..."

"What?! What?! What?!" She mocked me.

"What do you want for your birthday?!" I said.

"I already told you, I just want a nice dinner with my family." She smiled.

"Nooo mommy I mean a REAL present! Like a Barbie, a puppy, a new phone, a..."

"I already have all that I would want! You, daddy, and grandma!" She said looked back at me.

"That's NOT a present though! You have to wait until Christmas until you get another present!"

She just laughed.

"Mommy. You can be so stubborn sometimes!" I joked. I remember she would always say that to me, so the 5 year old in me thought it would be funny to say it to HER for a change.

She laughed. She checked her window, I saw her eyes widen. I was about to say 'mom are you ok?' But all of a sudden my words were cut off by the car sliding out into the intersection. We were hit from behind by a drunk asshole. We sped out into the busy intersection then got hit once more my a white truck.

I was doubled over in pain. I started crying. My head hurt, my back hurt, my ribs hurt, my hand hurt, my everything hurt. I bawled and bawled. But then I realized, where's my mom?

She wasn't in the car. I couldn't find her anywhere. "MOM. MOMMY?!" I was still crying. Then a fireman broke the glass in my window and carried me bridal style on to a gurney. A different person put me in a ambulance. "W-wait. Wait for my mommy" I crocked out to one of the men. "Sh-she wasn't in the car, wh-wh-where is she? M-m-make s-s-sure she knows wh-where I'm going." One of the paramedics looked at me. He started to cry. 'Why is he crying?' I thought to my self. Another person out a mask on my face and I went to sleep.

Later I found out, the impact of the car behind us had killed my mom. She went flying out the front window and then was ran over by another car. I was devastated. My dad blamed the accident on me-said I was annoying her and that's why she crashed. But that's not true. It wasn't her fault. It was the ass behind us. He really loved my mom. And he loved me... Before the accident that is. About a month after the crash was the first time he slapped me. That's when the abuse began.

And the worst part about all of this, the last words I said to my mom was "mommy you can be so stubborn sometimes."

-

I was snapped back to reality when Keegan introduced me to his sweet mom.

"Mom, this is-"

"ALI!!" She said bringing me into a hug. "Oh I heard SO many good things about you!"

I blush. "Aw. Why thank you. It's so nice to meet you Mrs. Allen"

"Oh please dear, call me Kate, I feel old when people call me 'Mrs'!" she said still beaming.

"Ok!" I said giggling "What are you cooking? It smells delicious!" I said trying to stay humble.

"Oh! I'm making a chicken with a side of mashed potatoes."

"Chicken was my moms favorite" I said smiling at her memory. "You and my mom would have love each other!"

"Oh really? I MUST meet her!" She said.

My smile dropped. "Um. Um. Y-you can't. She died about 12 years ago." I looked down at my shoes as if the next sentence would be down there.

"Oh. Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry." She said grabbing my hand. "I will be here for you, what ever you need. I'll be like your godmother."

"Speaking of the sort," Keegan says, "can Ali stay here tonight, or a few days? On the downstairs couch? Her dad is..." He looks over at me. I shake my head no. "Is on vacation."

"Sure!! Why of course! I wouldn't want you to be alone! But for now," she said turning around and getting forks and holding up. "who's hungry?!"