You're The One

Prologue

I still remember the day my mom died. I was 14. It happened 2 years ago, but I still feel like I relive it on a daily basis.

It was a dreary Sunday. I knocked on my parents bedroom door before walking in. Then, I said the chain of words that I've regretted ever since.

"Ice cream run?"

My mother laughed. She had the prettiest laugh. Sometimes, I feel like I'm losing memory of her. I feel like I can't hear her voice anymore, or clearly recall her face without a picture, but I've never forgotten her laugh.

She nudged my dad, and he smiled. My parents had always been an example of a perfect relationship.

In our car, we didn't drive without music, not ever. My family was happy, always. I'd been alive over a decade, and couldn't remember a time that I'd been truly miserable. My mother was a ray of sunshine, and my father complimented her cheery demeanor beautifully.

My father turned up B82.7, the local hits station. We all sung along to the peppy pop song playing over the speakers. The rain poured down, but the atmosphere inside our car was opposite of the outside weather.

I'd never felt anything close to the what I felt when the impact of the wreck hit. The driver fell asleep at the wheel, running a red light. The road was too slick for him to stop once he came to, and he plowed directly into the passenger side of our 2012 Volkswagen.

When he hit the car, it was like everything was in slow motion. I saw him come towards us. I heard my mother's scream rip through the air. I felt every movement inside my body as I inhaled sharply and held my breath. I put my arms over my head. My dad took my mother's hand. I saw when he hit us. I felt the blood drain from my face. I watched my mother be thrown to the side, her head rested against my father's shoulder. Slowly, I watched her hand ease out of his.

I didn't know if I believed in God, or in anything, or anyone. My parents were never religious. But, I squeezed my eyes closed, and I prayed. I asked God, or who ever else, to make it all okay. After a moment, I pulled off my seatbelt, feeling around for my phone, tears running down my cheeks and my hands shaking. I dialed 911.

"911, what is your emergency?"
I took a deep breath, "I was in a car accident."
"Okay, are you alone?"
"No, I'm in the car with my parents. Neither one is conscious."
"Do you know where you are?"
I looked around, "Next to Gina's Diner."
"A first responder is on their way now."

I sat in the car, knees to my chest. A couple minutes later, I heard sirens getting louder by the second. Someone tapped on my window.

I opened the car door. An EMT had a brief conversation with me and then put an arm around my shoulder, leading me to an ambulance. As I walked down the street, I heard bits of hushed conversations held by cops and EMT's standing near the car.

"..This doesn't look too good.."

"..Might not make it..."

Warm tears ran down my cheeks, caused by fear, and hidden by the rain. I stepped into the ambulance, and we drove to the hospital.

I was settled into a room. Nurses came in and out, doing various tests, making sure I was okay. No one would answer any questions about my parents.

I suffered some bruises and a couple minor cuts from the accident. I called my gram and gran, who quickly showed up at the hospital to wait with me.

Later that night, a nurse came in the room.

"Mr. Knowles is stable and has been cleared to have visitors now. He'd like to speak to you all."

I felt a small spark of hope start to build in my chest. Maybe my prayers had reached someone.

We went up a floor to his room. A nurse pushed me in a wheelchair. We gathered around the bed, and the nurse stepped out, shutting the door behind her.  He put a hand on my cheek, lightly stroking my face with his thumb. His parents were right beside him, but since we'd come in, he'd stayed focused on me.

He sat up, visibly struggling, "Bailey?"

My dad has the iciest blue eyes you could imagine. I made eye contact with him. I'd never seen pain in his eyes before, but it was prominent.

He exhaled a shaky breath, "Your Mom didn't make it."