I woke up in a strange room, no one was around, and there was a large mirror in the room and one door. The walls made of solid concrete. There was one big bright light hanging from the ceiling and it took me about a minute to adjust my eyes to the lighting in this small room. A man, tall and slender walks in. he is wearing dark navy blue suit and sit in the chair across from me. He stares at me and tilts his head.
“So are you ready to talk about what happened at the beach?”
I nod slowly, the memory was hazy but I remember the boy drowning; him screaming for help. I didn’t get there in time, I tried so hard to. His mother was screaming at me, and as she was running towards me. I don’t remember what she was saying, but she had stepped on a loose boulder, and she fell, crashing her head on the rocks. Blood. Blood everywhere. That’s all I can remember. And I told him exactly that.
“And why did you run away from the hospital?”
“Well… Everything was just coming so fast; my mom didn’t seem to care. I seemed invisible to my best friend… I thought running was the best solution…away from the pain.” I trailed off.
He grunts and gets up. He brings my mother into the room. She is still in her work uniform and her hair seems grayer than usual, not brushed for sure. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying.
“Your daughter is free to go, can you just answer a few questions for me Ms.?”
She breaks her stare from me and looks at him. More of a glare. “What?”
“Can I ask you some questions?”
“Alright.”
“Has anything like this ever happened before?”
She shakes her head. “Not that I can recall, only the house fire, but she should have been paying more attention. And she passed out due to the smoke.”
He nods. “You home a lot Ms.?”
“During the day sir not during the night sure. I work night shifts.”
He nods. “Alright you’re both free to go.” He opens the door for us. We walk out in silence.
We walk out into the parking lot of the city’s police station. I locate the car and climb in the passenger side. I look at my mom. She sits in the driver’s seat staring at the steering wheel.
“Mom…I’m s-“ I’m cut off by a sharp pain in my right cheek. She had slapped me. I held my face in awe.
“You can’t make my fucking life easy for once Ami!!!!”
“Mom I promise I was just trying to help the little boy..”
“You wouldn’t have been in that situation if you hadn’t run away from the damn hospital!”
“I’m sorry…”
“Sorry won’t cut it.”
***
I hear three urgent raps at the door. I set down Marco in his highchair and go to the front door. I open the door and Leo is standing there. HE instantly pulls me into a big hug.
“Thank god you’re okay Ami, thank god you are okay…”
I breathe in his warm scent and nuzzle my face into his shoulder, I feel so comfortable with him. I trust him. I love him. He pulls away too soon and looks in my eyes.
“Don’t you dare ever scare me like that again, you understand?”
I nod, as I stare into his beautiful eyes. “I Promise. Come in won’t you?”
He shakes his hands and shoves his hands into his worn out denim jeans.
“I can’t.”
He avoids my gaze cause he knows I am going to ask for a reason why not.
“Uh, me and my friend are going to the movies, I would see if you can come but, you’re babysitting as usual.” He points to Marco fussing in his highchair.
“Oh what friend?”
“Danielle, well I gotta get going I’ll see ya round.”
He walks down the hall of the apartment complex not looking back once, but I could tell his head was in the clouds. Danielle. My face flashed the heat of jealousy. Why am I jealous? I shouldn’t be. Leo is only my friend. But the heat in my face gets hotter and hotter. Danielle.
