As humans, we always imagine how our lives would be, and the sad reality is that things don’t always turn out as we expect. No matter how many plans we make, life has it’s way to remind us that there are things that are simply out of our control. But still, we manage, because humans are resilient beings. We don’t quit easily and do our best even when everything falls apart.
And I? I have always known my life would be a beautiful one. Well, I least I started realizing that when I met Ethan. Somehow, with him, everything felt right. He was my person, and I was his. We never had much, but at least, we had each other and our tiny apartment.
And then I learnt I was carrying twins. Honestly, we both knew raising two babies would be hard, but we never said it out loud.
Life wasn’t perfect, but it was peaceful. At least until everything fell apart.
Ethan worked as a mechanic and there were times when he’d spent long hours at the shop, but that evening, he simply didn’t return.
In the morning, I got a call from the police. Ethan was involved in a car crash. He lost his life, and at that point, I felt like I lost mine too.
The weeks that followed were a real struggle. I could barely function and had a hard time eating, sleeping, or talking to anyone. I hated the world, and I kept asking, “Why me?” I’ve never done anything bad to anyone. On the contrary, I’ve always been the hand lender, so why did I deserve to go through such pain and loss.
The stress affected my pregnancy, and the doctor advised me to rest. I needed daily support because I couldn’t help myself to move on. Living all by myself was no longer an option. But who should I have turned to?
My mother passed away when I was still just a teenager and my father remarried shortly after. With Ethan’s parents in Arizona, my dad was my last sanctuary. However, his place was no longer only his. His wife Veronica was in the picture, and she was the kind of woman who moved through life like it was a stage play and everybody else was simply background.
When I arrived at my dad’s place, he embraced me. His eyes could tell he was glad I was there. He touched my face with the back of his hand – the way I had touched his hand when I was still the little girl clinging to him during storms. “This is your home, sweetheart.”
