I sat there at the hospital, staring at the ceiling and wondering if I could ever accept being a mother. I tried to remind myself that things will work out eventually, but my doubts remained. I wanted to believe that I could get through this and survive, but I was starting to doubt myself. I didn't know if I could get over this especially since I was only twenty-two years old. Would I be able to stay strong? Would I be able to keep going and move on? Would I be able to overcome everything that I've gone through in my short life so far? If I lost all hope then I wouldn't have a chance anymore. I'm scared of losing everyone, I really am, but right now all I want to do is run away from everything and pretend like none of this has happened. Maybe it's not the best idea, but I don't think I'll be able to stop myself unless I try. At the very least, I'm willing to try.When I got home from the hospital I decided to take a nap instead of going straight home to sleep. I couldn't risk fal
"Well, maybe you should give it another shot." She said before leaning forward and pecking me on the cheek. "Now get out of the car, we're already wasting valuable time, remember?"After opening the door, I hopped out of the car and made my way to the shop. A couple of minutes after entering the shop, I noticed Aunt Rachel sitting near the cashier counter reading a magazine whilst sipping on her coffee. I quickly ran up to her and smiled sheepishly as I greeted her."Good afternoon!" I said cheerfully."Hello dearie." She replied in return. "How was your day?""It was alright, how about yours?"Aunt Rachel set her magazine down on the counter and reached up to ruffle my hair. "It was okay. It was the same as always, really, nothing exciting happened."I rolled my eyes as I grabbed an empty stool and sat down next to her."Did you manage to find anything for today?" I inquired.She nodded slowly. "I did. Although I had to go shopping again." She said in an annoyed tone.I laughed lig
I swallowed thickly and stared at the wall in front of me. After a moment, I shook my head again."I don't want to burden you.." I said quietly, avoiding her gaze."Oh, honey, you won't. I love being here for you. Besides, I never minded dealing with problems that involved you."I looked at her briefly then, and my expression softened at the sight of her reassuring smile. After a few moments of silence, I eventually gathered enough courage to speak. I knew I couldn't avoid it forever, but I also knew it was better for me to just spit it out and get over with it."...I'm sorry for keeping everything a secret from you, Aunt Rachel." I murmured quietly. "I was scared that you wouldn't approve.""Don't worry about that sweetheart." She insisted. "Just tell me what's bothering you."I hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and finally meeting her gaze."I haven't been honest about things with you, Aunt Rachel."Her brows furrowed as she listened intently."My father was murder
"They looked nice."Aunt Rachel smiled warmly at me. "Yes, they did. And that' s probably because they're together in heaven now."I bit my lip anxiously and averted my gaze, unsure if I believed that. I pushed the photo of the couple to the side and continued to eat my breakfast. I was grateful when Aunt Rachel left shortly after, but I knew there was no doubt in my mind that she would bring back some flowers tomorrow and leave them on my bedside table.I decided it would be best for everyone if I didn't talk to Aunt Nona anymore. I hadn't realized how close we had become. She was so kind and understanding of my feelings, but I knew that if I continued talking about it, she'd find out everything. She had enough to deal with, and I didn't want to drag her down.After breakfast I went outside to play in the snow for a short while before returning inside. Aunt Nona came through the backdoor while I was playing on the floor."Hello Sweetheart," she greeted, smiling. "Are you alright?"
"Sweetie?" Aunt Rachel rushed forward and gently grabbed my shoulders as she stared at me worriedly. "Hey, Sweetie, are you alright?"I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. All I could do was sit there and stare straight ahead blankly, tears slowly running down my face as I tried to catch my breath."Sweetie?"The name slipped past my lips like a whisper as my body continued to shiver uncontrollably. I wanted so badly to cry out in agony, but nothing came out of my mouth. No words or cries escaped me. Instead I continued to stare forward blankly, my hands clutching desperately at my chest. I felt my aunt shake me slightly as she whispered words of reassurance to me.I looked at her sadly, watching as her face contorted in anger as she held back her tears. I couldn't remember the last time I saw her crying. She always seemed so composed. Now she was shaking violently and her hands were firmly pressed against her eyes to try and stop herself from crying. I wanted to comfort her, but I
I hopped out of the car and followed my aunt inside. We bought two boxes of cereal from the nearest aisle then continued to the cashier at the front. We sat on the counter while we waited for our money to be scanned. When our groceries were paid for, we thanked the cashier and returned to the car.We drove down the road again in silence."Where are we going?" I finally questioned."There's someone I need to meet first before we leave," replied Aunt Rachel calmly.I frowned slightly as she put the car into gear and continued to drive. We drove past several different shops before eventually making a way on the street we lived on. Once again, Aunt Rachel turned onto another road, this one heading further out in the city. We kept driving, taking turns occasionally turning onto side roads. Every couple of minutes, we would pass a restaurant or grocery store.After what seemed like hours, we finally reached a small cottage situated beside the main street."This is where I live," Aunt Rac
"Where are you planning on moving to?" I asked Aunt Nona as I buckled my seatbelt."Probably back into my old apartment again. I'm getting tired of living with these new people. They're all nice enough, but I can't help but feel that they don't really care about me anymore. I think they all secretly hate me. You should probably move out too," Aunt Rachel suggested. "It won't take much effort to find an apartment for you; you could easily sell your furniture and pay the rent."The words hurt my heart. I hated to admit it, but my aunt was right. Moving out sounded appealing, but I didn't want to be alone. Although I'd never experienced the feeling myself, I knew that it wasn't very pleasant. Aunt Rachel must have sensed my discomfort because she reached over and squeezed my hand lightly."Don't worry. I'll come with you if you want me to."I smiled gratefully and leaned over the console, wrapping my arms around her."Thank you for coming today.""Of course, kiddo," she replied.The tw
For several minutes, I just stood there frozen in place as I contemplated on whether or not I should actually do what I was going to do. Before I finally gathered enough courage to push the door open, my phone started ringing. It was the ringtone that Aunt Rachel had programmed into my cell. I glanced over my shoulder briefly before reaching into my pocket and pulling it out. Once I realized that no one was looking at me, I quickly pressed ignore. I couldn't bring myself to answer any of my friends or family members who called.Taking a deep breath, I lifted the door handle. When I pushed it open, it gave way instantly causing me to stumble forward. The noise caused everyone inside to stare at me, but they quickly returned to their activities. A couple of minutes passed without me doing anything before someone came toward me."Are you alright?" asked a young woman with dark curly hair and big brown eyes.When I looked up from the ground to look at her, she gasped and backed away in