"Hurry up mother." I giggled from across the field.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." She laughed.
It was the beginning of fall, trees had just started to turn shades of oranges and reds. The air was cold, so you had to wear a jacket even though you were still in denial of summer ending.
The flowers had not yet wilted, so the field was full of colors. My blonde hair was up in pigtails and my dress was the color of yellow.
Tomorrow was my first day of kindergarten, I was five years old. The sky was blue and the clouds were calm.
I clenched my teeth as a gust of cold air blew across the field, making the trees shudder. My mom had caught up to where I was, bending down and picking a red flower. She smiled at me and placed it behind my ear.
"You look like a princess darling."
"And you look like a queen." I grinned.
She crouched down and ran her fingers over my pale face, her beautiful eyes staring into mine. She had a glint of tears in her eyes. She was crying.
"Why are you crying mama?"
"Oh darling, I'm not crying. I'm just so happy."
I always think back on the bad times my mother and I had went through together, but as I sit beside her grave I remember only the good times.
I long for her company. Long for her amazing cooking. Long to hear her laugh one last time.
I make it seem as if my mother was never happy and if though her happiness was controlled as though her life was.
"This looks wonderful, Tiana." My grandmother spoke as we approached the dining table.
It was full of food, 99.9 percent of it being Italian. My mother's side was Italian, well Sicilian to be exact, but I had grown up learning the Italian culture.
My father and mother had actually met in Italy while my mother was on a field trip. Her high school Italian class were taking a trip there.
I barely remember my father, but from what I do he wasn't very dark. He had brown hair and blueish green eyes my mother says. His looks attracted her more than his personality.
"Thank you mother." My mom grinned.
Tiana Rose Vultaggio
The name the grave had carved into it.
My mother had changed her last name about a year after my father left. She didn't want to hold onto the name that controlled her.
"Where are we going mom?" I asked my mother for the fiftieth time.
I was now twelve years old and my mother had finally decided it was time to move out of our old house. We had sold it for quite a lot, seeing as it was quite a large piece of property. It just brought back too many bad memories.
"I told you honey." She laughed.
"It's a surprise."
I sighed, leaning back and watching the city fade to houses and the houses fade to trees. My eyes fluttering shut.
"Honey wake up, we're here." I had opened my eyes to see my mother stood over me.
I sat up, yawning and stretching. My eyes landed on a little white house. It was placed on a huge field, my little sister lily already running along it.
There were two horses and willow trees that perfectly hung. I began to cry, it being a scene straight out of a movie.
I stood out of the car, getting a better look. The grass crushing beneath my feet. I smiled, turning to my mother and hugging her.
"Let's go look inside, why don't we?" She smiled down at me.
Such a beautiful woman she was. I still couldn't get over how poorly lily had spoken of her. I just didn't understand.
I stood up, brushing the dirt off my jeans. I began to walk away, but my phone had stopped me.
I looked at the screen, that was lit up with a number I didn't recognize, swiping it over to accept.
"Hello?" I spoke into the device.
"Hi, is this Ember Bennett?" The woman's voice asked.
"It is." I replied, continuing to walk to my car.
"This is the New York police department. Sorry to bother you miss Bennett, but just a few hours ago we had gotten a call in about an accident." The voice began, my heart dropping.
"It was a boy who looked to be under the age of thirty. His phone was unfortunately crushed in the crash so we had no idea who he was or who to call until we found a bundle of flowers in the back seat of the car. The flowers had a card with your name on it. We had looked you up and found your number."
"W-what?" I began to stutter, my eyes watering.
"He has brown hair and green eyes. It had seemed he was on the way to meet you?" They stated, but seemingly in the form of a question.
"Is he okay?" I responded with another question.
"Unfortunately the young man is in critical condition. His car was wrecked and when we found him he was just barely hanging on. He's in surgery now, but he's not guaranteed to make it. It would be best if you could get to the New York hospital as soon as possible with whoever else this may concern." They quickly talked, as if in a hurry.
I could barely breathe, I was now sprinting through a grave yard to get to my car. I had knew it was Cole from the second they told me who was calling, and even though Cole and I were fighting I was extremely terrified.
"I'll be right there." I hung up.
I stumbled around, trying to start my engine. I had dropped the keys a few times, but eventually was able to take off.
