Once upon a time

Chapter 12: The pain

"Your mother, she's been in an accident." the voice from the phone said, blank of emotion. I stopped. The smile on my face slid off and I quickly asked where she was. The only thing that occupied my mind was my mother. I needed to get to her. Fast.

Alec slowly approaches me and gives me a concerned look. "My mother . . . she's at the hospital." I choked out, my heart pounding. Alec immediately clears the plates from the table and I quickly make a call to May's school. May puts her bag down and helps Alec wash the dishes. We quickly get out of the house. Alec takes both of our hands and helps us into the car.

"Come with me." I said, looking at the ground and he says nothing, immediately getting into the passenger's seat. My heart was pounding. My mother needed to be okay. She was my mother. The only parent that I had left. The one and only mother that I had in the whole wide world. I couldn't lose her, she was another piece of me.

I parked the car into the parking lot and we dashed into the hospital. "Alice Greenwood." I said, my voice empty and void of emotion. "Down the hall, in room 245." replied the receptionist. We hurriedly walked towards the room. Then I saw the numbers, 245 and I placed my hand on the doorknob, my heart throbbing loudly.

Alec gently places his hand over mine and opens the door. I gasped to see thousands of bandages around my mother's body. She has bruises all over her arms and legs. Her sunken cheeks and bandaged head, but the most stunning sight was the expression on her face.

Her blue eyes were full of tears and she gives me a weak smile. I rush to her side. "Mom?" My voice breaks, she doesn't push me away. Instead she places a wobbly hand on my cheek. "Shh." she coaxes me."Mom." I said, tears welling up in my eyes as I lean my face into her hands.

Her hand is warm and gentle, her blue eyes are full of regret and guilt. "You look so much like your father. I-I'm sorry, Madison. I was weak and broken. I won't ask for forgiveness, just stay with me until the end." she whispers, tears streaming down her face. I nodded, tears rolling down my cheeks falling onto her hand.

She had forgiven me, she was back. The mother that baked me cookies, told me stories and tucked me into bed. She was back. Her eyes were no longer misted with anger or grief. Her eyes were clear and for the first time since my father's day, I felt her really seeing me as her daughter.

"I need you. Please don't go." I sobbed, begging her to stay with me. My mother that I had long waited for was back and I didn't want to lose her. "I love you, Madison. Promise me that you will be happy and move on. You deserve the world. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you anything." she says, wiping my tears away with her thumb.

She fell silent and we embraced each other, she held me tightly. "I see him. . . My Bradley. . . At last." she mumbles and I break down in tears. My mother was gone. I placed her back onto the bed and closed her lifeless blue eyes. I collapsed to the floor, my grief overtaking my body. I felt Alec's strong arms pulling me into his embrace.

He does not say a word, he just holds me close and at the moment, he is the only thing that keeps me grounded. I bury my face into his shoulder and I cry for my mother, our father and May. But I also cry for myself. Alec keeps my world from collapsing.

His touch makes me forget the pain for just a moment. He helps me up to my feet and he drives us home. As soon as we arrive home, I collapse onto the bed. I start sobbing into my pillow, my heart is shattered. I had lost my idol, my mother and my family. It was just May and I.

I couldn't stay strong for her. I was broken, shattered and lost.Alec pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head, tenderly. "Alec, I'm broken." I said, looking up at him. Unfixable, beyond repair and so lost. I don't know anything anymore.

"We all are, love." he soothes, his brown eyes full of warmth. I gulped, trying to control my emotions. He kisses my neck. "I-I" I sobbed, as he holds me in his arms. My mother was gone, she was in a happier place.Despite everything, she was still my mother. She had a smile on her face before she passed on.

She was now with my dad and was freed from her pain. I look into his eyes and plead, "Take away the pain. Make me forget." I press my lips onto his. I kiss him with all my grief, anger and love. His lips are soft and gentle against mine, he pulls away leaving me breathless.

He puts his hand on my wrist, lovingly. He looks at me with his brown eyes. "Not when you're in a state like this. I can't take advantage of you. " he says, stroking my face. I shake my head, tears streaming down my face. "Please. Alec. I need you. The pain is too much. Please." I whispered, brokenly.

He sees the need and want in my eyes. He wipes away my tears and kisses me, making my spine tingle. I seek refuge from his warmth and love. Slowly, I lose myself in him. His scent, his lips and his hands. He takes away the pain and together, we become one.