“Vance, come here now!” my mother screams for my father sobbing. We all stop what we were doing and run to the front porch. My father is the first to get there.
“Sammy and Maya were in an accident,” my father discloses. My heart aches and waits for more information before crushing.
“Are they ok?” I ask, and dad nods, but his eyes gleam. There’s no glow in my father’s eyes, ever. These are tears.
“Uncle Phil didn’t make it,” my mother announces, and Declan catches me as my legs weaken and I almost fall. Uncle Phil is Maya’s father.
“Does Maya know?” I ask my mother, she shakes her head still crying, and by her sob, that’s not all.
“What else?” Josh steals the words from my lips.
“Charline is severely injured,” she doesn’t have to say another word. I walk to my father’s car, and before entering it, Declan hands me his coat. Only then do I notice my teeth are chattering. I thank him, getting inside the car. As I fasten my seatbelt and pray. Pray for Charline and for Maya; she can not lose both her parents. Charline has to make it.
“It was an attack,” I hear my father whisper to my mother on the front seat. And I know once again our empire reaps one of us. Someone will pay hard for this. Cilinm is our city, it’s Kane’s city. An attack here meanswar, war means more blood spilt. And my father doesn’t play in service.
Chapter 2
Love
Numb.
That’s all I feel, all night long. While waiting for information about Charline’s surgery. Maya isn’t aware of what’s happening or about her father’s death. We’re holding the news until Charline is out of surgery. Damian and Declan disappeared through the staff doors for news and haven’t resurfaced yet. It’s been one hour. I haven’t visited Maya. I’m staying with Sammy; both she and I don’t think we can hide it from her. So we don’t get near her altogether.
“Should we be worried?” I ask as soon as Declan enters Sammy’s room.
“It’s a high-risk surgery, Damian is observing it, I can’t enter since I only start working here on the 26th,” Declan begins, but doesn’t answer the question. “I wouldn’t have my hopes up. She had a major head trauma; even if she gets out of surgery alive, there’s anelevated risk she’ll be in a vegetative state,” he ends and sits beside me next to Sammy’s bed.
“It can’t be,” Sammy gasps, bringing her hands to her head. I put my hand on her shoulder, and my body shudders.
“Maya is going to be fine, she’s a tough one,” Declan says, and I shake harder. Hearing words I never thought I would, the words I dreaded to hear today. When I start crying again, Declan pulls his chair closer to mine and hugs me. My small figure, enveloped by his arms. I lay my head against his shoulder and cry. For a few seconds, I completely forget about Sammy and focus on Declan’s protective hold on me.
I stay in Declan’s arms with one hand fallen on top of Sammy’s on her bed. As I feel his warmth and his calm breathing, my breathing slows down too. Declan never ceases the strong hold of his arms around my shoulders and waist. I breathe in his woodsy scent and let it take me home. For a second, I feel safe. For a second, I feel like everything is going to be fine. Just for a second. Then the door opens, and the thin calmness is stripped from my soul. Damian walks into the room, and we all look at him expectantly, praying for a good outcome. When he shakes his head, I almost faint from the pain in my heart, for my family, but especially for Maya.
“We need to tell her,” I whisper to Declan, and he holds me still when I try to get up.
“Let Vance do it,” Declan says before helping me up. “Be there for her, I’ll stay with Samantha,” Declan asserts, and I nod.
“Thank you, take care of her, Dec,” I plead, and he replies “I will”. I walk through the corridors until I reach Maya’s room. She is in a different hospital wing because she’s still under careful watch, since she hit her head during the accident.
I walk inside the room, and all I feel is painful emptiness. Christmas to Maya will always be the time of the year she lost her parents.
“Love? Thank god, couldn’t see either you or Sammy. I was freaking out,” Maya says loudly with a sigh of relief. Her pale skin with a huge gash on her forehead. Her blonde curls covering most of it.
“I’m sorry, May,” I say when my dad comes in. I don’t need and won’t describe what happens next. All I’ll say is that I spent all night and dawn holding Maya in her hospital bed. As she cried until she had no tears left to fall, for now.
The first impact is supposed to be the worst, but I think the worst part is managing the emptiness we’re left with, where once resided that missing piece of us. It happened to me when our grandparents died. And I fear it will consume Maya.
“Can I stay with you?” Maya asks as soon as she’s cleared to go.
“That’s not even up for discussion. You’re staying with us, we have plenty of room at home, right dad?” I ask, my father always loved Maya as a second daughter. He’ll most certainly want her around.
“Correct. You’re staying with us, Maya. We’re here for you!” my father tells her and pulls her in for a hug. We take Maya home and she sleeps with me in my bed. She has nightmares all night long, and I stay awake to shushher back to sleep.
Declan was right, Maya is a tough one. She makes it through the first week. Her mood starts improving, especially after the funeral, she got closure. I still can’t believe I won’t see Charline and Phil again. They meant the world to me. They were always the most cheerful couple; their love filled the room wherever they went. And everyone was always so happy around them. The world just lost two gems.
Today is December 30th. We’re still planning on celebrating New Year’s Eve after Maya insisted on it. We didn’t celebrate Christmas, and Maya felt awful about it, because it was our family’s day. The attacker didn’t just ruin our family, he also ruined our favourite holiday. My dad isn’t going to let this pass as if nothing happened and that scares me.
“May, wake up, it’s just a nightmare,” I murmur hugging her. She turns her body to mine and hugs me back.
