Moving On

Chapter Five

Justin Wyatt came from a very close family, his parents Lily and Michael Wyatt were together since high school, and he has a brother Ethan and a sister Emily who are 10 years younger than him, both 13, twins. Ever since Justin was born, he was his parents' most prized possession. Lily and Michael were married shortly after high school, and they tried to get pregnant many times, but Lily had a miscarriage three times, and when the doctor told her that it was highly unlikely she would ever get pregnant, the couple were heartbroken. Even through that pain, their love never wavered, they fulfilled their family with each other. But one day when Lily went for a routine check up, the doctor confirmed her pregnancy. She told Michael that they were pregnant when he came home from work, and that night he went to the store and bought everything a baby would need, and when little Justin was born and held by his parents, it was the happiest day for Lily and Michael, their tears were spilling out. Justin was their miracle.
Justin was very close to his parents, as a young boy, his role model was his father, his hero was his father. He would always go on work trips to the fire station with his father and when he was five, he decided he wanted to become a firefighter, like his father, who spoiled him with toys and showered him with love. Michael himself was a wonderful man, and his son turned out just as great as he was. To everyone who looks at Justin from far, they see a young man, handsome as ever, with beautiful hazel eyes, an olive skin tone. Tall, dark and beautiful, but from the inside within, he was just as beautiful. Justin's personality was very lovable, he was fun, adventurous, funny, even dorky but always laughing or smiling. He was simply a happy person, someone very optimistic, but just as affectionate, compassionate and caring, especially when it came to his family. What most people don't know, however, is that he has been through something very tragic, at the tender age of thirteen.

One January, a week after Justin thirteenth birthday, his parents left him at his aunt's house, his mother's younger sister. His father, and nine month pregnant mother had a dinner party to attend, but Justin wanted to stay back with his cousin Liam, who he'd rather spend his Friday night with. This particular night however, was a stormy and rainy night, and Justin himself asked his parents to stay back, but it was Michael's ten year commencement for his services as a firefighter, it was important for him to attend. While it was getting late, Justin's aunt got the two boys ready for bed, but when he was woken up at three in the morning, it was to rush to the hospital-his parents had met with a car accident, a hit and run caused by a drunk driver who they never caught. Justin remembers the panic in his aunt's and uncle's voice while they were waking up the two boys and getting them ready in the middle of the night to take them to the hospital. He remembers running, holding his aunt's hand, not knowing what to expect. He was aware of what was happening, his aunt tried to prepare him, but all she blubbered in between her sobs was "parents", "accident"and "hospital".

His father was in critical care, his mother gave birth to her twins, in an emergency C-section. The babies were not in critical care, and neither was his mother, but his father took the impact of the accident. Justin remembers walking into his mother's hospital room and hugging her, she was crying. He remembers walking into his father's room also, after he was out of surgery, with his mother behind him in a wheelchair. It was a sight Justin tried hard to forget, his once strong father looked so frail and weak and was connected to too many wires and tubes. The doctor said the ventilator is what's keeping him alive, his brain was deprived of oxygen for too long, it was something Justin did not understand at the time, but he saw his mother's face, he heard the gentleness in the doctor's voice, he knew his father was dying. After the doctor spoke to Lily in private, she knew she had to make a decision about her husband's life and she needed to break the news to her little boy. The two of them were in Michael's room, Lily in the wheelchair andJustin sitting at the end of his father's bed. Lily took her son's hand and he faced her. Through her tears Lily spoke,