One of her children died to save another. She would never see him graduate, never see him in college, become the father that she knew he would have been great doing, or even see him marry. She thanked him though. If it wasn’t for him, two of her babies would have been dead. Gone, leaving her alone and unloved and useless.

She used to blame herself, and maybe she still did. They hadn’t known any of this had happen until five hours later. They had ignored all the phone calls that had the phones ringing off the hook. Her and Arthur was too consumed in themselves to pay any attention. It was around four a.m. when someone came banging on the door. It was Kyla coming to tell them that there had been a shooting. She knew no information about the kids, because they wouldn’t let her in. She told them they needed to hurry. The two didn’t care about their car, Kyla had the taxi waiting and it took no time to arrive back at the hospital. The doctors thought it was best they didn’t see Clay. Spencer was still in surgery, so they couldn’t see her. So, they stayed in Glen’s room, worried and sick. Kyla had waited in there with them, telling them all she knew.

“Mom,” Spencer said from her bed staring at her mother.

Paula stepped out of her thoughts and placed a smile on her face. She walked into the teenager’s room and gingerly took a seat on her bed. “Sorry honey, I was thinking.”

Spencer smiled at her mother, knowing that she got like this sometimes. The family therapy has helped a little, but it was still hard going through each day. Paula spoke again, “So, who are you writing?”

Spencer pressed the ‘send’ button on the screen and moved the warm laptop off her lap. “Oh, it was just Kyla. She just got back today and was telling me that her flight went okay.”

Paula nodded her head, glad that her daughter had someone to talk to. Of course, she had Chelsea, Madison, but it was nice that she had someone who she could confine in wholly. Paula had no clue what happened between Spencer and Ashley, and mostly the mother didn’t care. Spencer wouldn’t speak to her about it; no one would speak to her about it. The older sister had tried coming to see the wounded girl a week after the shooting. Spencer hadn’t fully awakened, but Kyla wouldn’t let the older sister in. When Paula asked why, Kyla simply replied that it wouldn’t help Spencer heal.