A Light in the Dark Part One: The Lost Child Finds Family

Tires squealed as the metal crunched with every roll, a heavy rain soaking the road. The only thing I could hear was my heartbeat, my face dripping with slick sweat. Unbuckling my seat belt, I crashed to the roof. Pulling myself out, the wounds on my body were superficial. Sprinting to my father’s side, I began to tug on his limp arm. Tears welled up in my eyes, the drunk driver peeling away. Curse that bastard for changing my life in the worst way, intense pain wracking my body.

“Get away, honey.” He groaned bitterly, ruby coating his teeth. “There is a puddle of gas by your feet.” Paralyzed in my spot, a metal bar from the truck in front of us pinned my mother’s head to the seat. Brain dripped onto the roof, a tormented wail bursting from my lips. All of this was my fault, the only reason we were going out was to get some stupid fucking ice cream. Why did I have to ask! Why! Silent tears slid down my cheeks at the sight of ruby painting my father’s gray hair, a metal pole cutting him in half. Nausea wracked my body, his intestines flopping out wetly. Dinner splattered across the pavement, disgust wrinkling my nose. My parents had to be saved! My parents had to be saved!

“I l-” He spoke, his words fading away. Noticing the lights for the first time, red and blue painted the shards of glass sprinkling the street. A firefighter attempted to drag me away from the car, his voice yelling the moment I bit his hand. Ruby pooled in the teeth marks, panic gripping my face as the scene shifted to my black mind space. Both my parents limped towards me, ruby raining from the ceiling. My caramel waves stuck to my face, terror rounding my copper eyes. 

“You wanted ice cream, you stupid bitch. We would be alive if it weren’t for you.” My mother gurgled, brain matter plopping to her feet. “No, you had to be selfish.” Ruby colored their gray hair, a fresh waterfall of blood cascaded over my father’s gray lips while his torso collapsed to the floor. Pulling himself towards me, my feet refused to run. Thump! Thump! The only sound in my ears was my beating heart. Sinking to my knees, my hands cupped my face. 

“Make it stop! Make it stop!” I pleaded desperately, a strong hand shaking me. 

Jolting awake, my coworker Matthew Doccos watched me with concern. The bell dinged before I could answer, an exhausted mother entering the gas station with her three little girls. Tugging his hair into an onyx ponytail, his emerald eyes oozed with too much concern. My breath hitched for a moment, the sole focus of my attention was on the way he played with the silver cross dangling from his ear. Why was he so handsome? His black band t-shirt and ripped jeans made my heart flutter. Don’t even get me started on how handsome his face was, my anxiety slipping away slowly. The cheap cotton of my mint summer dress must have been pathetic to him, his hand accidentally touching mine. Yanking mine back, a slight blush rose to our cheeks. Parting his lips to speak, the exhausted mother slammed three bags of fruit snacks on the counter. Still in the diner’s uniform, her trembling fingers fished around her pocket. Panic woke up her features, her head bowing in shame. Mumbling something about how their father left her for some younger woman, I slammed a ten on the counter. These kids weren't going hungry on my watch.

“You are all taken care of now.” I promised earnestly, getting three juice boxes. Her hands cupped mine, her wet eyes quivering. The girls took the snack, thanking me profusely. The mother wasn’t lying, their father and mistress got booze here all the time. Typing in the total, it came to ten even, the mother thanking me as she left. Matty leaned up against me, a teasing glint twinkled in his eyes. 

“I can never understand why people hate you so much, Lily Kavat. You helped everyone in town at least once with their bill.” He commented with pure honesty, his hand accidentally touching mine again. A tender blush rose to our cheeks, my mind falling on my seventeenth birthday. You know, the day of the accident. Two long years had passed, my shift was up. Clocking out, I had to get to the grocery store. Hopping onto my bike, it was seconds from closing. The manager recognized me, her face lighting up. Letting me in, she locked the door behind me. If that mother couldn’t afford the fruit snacks, regular groceries were out of the option. Money wasn’t a problem for me, the one good thing that came from that accident was the money they left me. Filling up the cart with the basics, I remembered the girls saying that their favorite cereal was some sort of fruit loops. Three boxes of cereal would go far as a meal in a poor household, my heart sinking for them. Setting the groceries on the counter, the manager handed me an application. 

“Tell that poor woman she has a place here.” She assured me warmly, her tight white curls bouncing around. “Her kids can even come to work with her if she wishes. We like to help others in this town and I will pay her enough to feed her kids. It’s a shame I couldn’t have you.” Mouthing a silent thank you, the sense of community in this town was amazing. Loading up my side baskets, I began the long journey to the poor mother’s house. My gas station job covered my expenses plenty well, the inheritance was something I dipped into once or twice a year. Pulling up to her house, the mother was sobbing on the couch. Tousled chocolate waves fell over her shoulder, her eyes falling on me. Opening the door before I could knock, her eyes fell on the bags of groceries in my hands. 

“I brought food and an application to the grocery store. She said you could work there and bring the kids in if you need them. Hell, I will babysit for free. I used to do it all the time for my nieces and nephews.” I offered sincerely, the mother’s shaking hand pulling me in. The hard truth was that my family still blamed me for their death, so alone forever seemed to be my fate. The three dark haired girls skidded to the top of the stairs, my hands on the fruit loop cereal. Excitement lit up their faces, the middle aged woman smashing into me. Desperation met graciousness, my arms curling around her shoulders.

“Thank you so much.” She blubbered uncontrollably, her emotions soaking my shoulders. “He has everyone in town under his fingers and I can’t seem to get ahead.” The girls bounced up to me, their ocean blue eyes lighting up with joy. Life sure could be hard, the mother swaying slightly. Stepping into the kitchen, my shaking hands put the groceries away. Selecting three bowls from the cabinet, the cereal filled the bowl. Pouring the milk, I set the bowls on the table. Hopping into their seats, it was time to feed the mother. Clearly, she had been starving herself to feed her daughters. Whipping up a couple of grilled cheeses, her gratefulness knew no bounds. Doing the dishes, one warm embrace from everyone greeted me at the door upon my exit. Hopping onto my bike, exhaustion hit me. Insomnia had taken its toll, a strange noise coming from my bike. The chain snapped in half, the dirt meeting my knees. Struggling to my feet, a long sigh poured from my lips. Walking back home, Walmart was too far away for me today. A certain whistle disgusted me, a filthy man called out for me to stop. Picking up speed, I didn’t live to be kidnapped by some creep. Feeling around for my pepper spray, it was nowhere to be seen. Panic twisted my face, his truck rumbling behind me. 

“Come on, sweetheart. I bet you would sleep with anything after you killed your parents.” He taunted cruelly, licking his sweaty lips. “I can show you a good time.” Seconds from ditching my bike, another voice stole our attention. Matty pulled me close to his waist, his waves tickling my cheek. A snarl twitched on his lips, his fingers flipping the man off. 

“Get out of here, you old coot!” He shouted at the drunken man, the tires squealing away. “Do you need a ride? I noticed you don’t have a car and we live in the same apartment complex. You can’t go far with a broken chain.” Shaking my head, the fear of getting into another car frightened me. Ditching my bike, I sprinted back towards home. The sound of tires squealing and glass shattering haunted me, a wave of relief crashing over me at the sight of the apartment complex. Letting myself in, I could get on the bus tomorrow and get to Walmart for the new chain. Dropping my keys, a hurt Matty stood by the door next door with my bike. Why did he insist on being my hero? I don't deserve it!

“Can you not get into a car because of the accident?” He asked cautiously, his eyes watching violent sobs wrack my body. “Shit! I am so sorry for asking.” Sinking to the floor, years of pent up emotions broke the dam. Crouching down to my level, he pulled me into a warm embrace. His cologne melted away some of the anxiety, his finger lifting up my chin. Kissing my lips softly, time stopped. No more barks or babies could be heard, just our hearts beating a mile a minute. Releasing me from his spell, he let me into his bare apartment. Sitting me down on his brown leather sofa, he set my bike by the door. Leaving for a second, a cup of water sparkled in his hand. 

“I can give you rides to work if you want. We can do this tog-” He began, the couch groaning the moment I pinned him down. Kissing him hungrily, his hands slid down to the small of my back. He made me feel worthy, he was the first one to do so. A goofy grin curled on his lips, his quaking finger tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. Sinking into our desires, the night soon swept us away. 

Jerking awake, my face fell at the date. It was my birthday and I had no work to distract me. A naked Matty slumbered next to me, embarrassment taking over my depression. Crashing to the floor, he stirred awake. Throwing on my clothes, this wasn’t like me. Running towards the door, his hand on my wrist stopped me.  

“I have to go to the grocery store today. It is two miles down the road. Do you want to come?” He offered sweetly, dread bubbling in my gut. “I don’t have anything to make your birthday special. I was thinking I could make you dinner and we could pick up a cake to celebrate your birthday here.” Tears welled up in my eyes, alarm widening his eyes. No one had ever cared before, the townspeople always condemning me on this horrid day. Waving my hands around, he tossed me my beat up converses as he tugged on his outfit from yesterday. Dragging me to his car, my fingers couldn’t wrap around the handles. Stepping back, he opened the door to the black sedan. Helping me in, he clipped my seat belt. Shivering in my spot, the door blew my hair back. Hopping in, his hand wrapped around mine immediately. Driving slowly to not upset me, every nerve began to fray. Helping me out, he clutched me close to his chest. The mother waved at me from her register, her bright smile never leaving her face. Walking past them, he stroked his chin. 

“We are going to play a game. You pick out your favorite ingredients and I will make dinner out of them.” He suggested with his million dollar smile. Walking to the meat section, my fingers curled around the cheapest pork chops, my eyes falling on his kind gaze. Thinking to myself for a minute, the mother and the three girls ran up to me. Her hands hid behind her back, a nervous grin twitching on her lips. All the breath left my body at the homemade black forest cake in her palms, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Her ocean blue eyes met mine, Matty taking the cake for me. 

“I wanted to thank you for your kindness last night. I went to the gas station to ask for you but he was there. He said something about it being your birthday tomorrow.” She wept softly, her hands cupping mine. “Like I said no one even batted an eye in my direction, not even my mother. When you showed up with the groceries and an application, I knew that I had made a friend. I was wondering if you wanted to come to my house for dinner one of these nights to make up for the wonderful meal you made. It would be an honor. I know, how about tonight. Your boyfriend can come. Please, I want to make your birthday special.” Struggling to hold my composure, the manager waved us over. Presenting me with a box, tears flooded from my eyes. Why were so many people showing me kindness? Opening it up, a new lilac summer dress rested in the bottom. Embracing the elderly woman, she reminded me of a grandmother.  

“I wanted you to look nice tonight. Every now and then you buy groceries for an unlucky family and I couldn’t help but notice how poorly everyone in town treats you.” She blubbered through a wall of tears. “You can cry to me if you want to. I will always be there for you.” Letting her go, all of these emotions threatened to take away my legs. Matty set the pork chops back, getting a time and her address. Helping me to the car with the cake, he buckled me in. Taking my hand right away, it wasn’t as bad. Pulling into a park, the engine died down. Helping me out, he guided me underneath a large oak. Presenting me with my favorite donuts, he picked his favorite flavor out. The day passed with him taking me to his favorite places, our final destination being the mother’s house. Taking a deep breath, the new summer dress hugged me in all the right places. Calling us in, the smell of a crock pot spaghetti sauce hit me the moment we walked through the door. The three girls ran in front of me, holding a small package. How adorable, I thought to myself.

“We are Lila, Lilianna, and Lily.” They introduced themselves with warm smiles, their mother shaking her head. “That is our mommy, Sammy. Happy birthday!” Taking their gift, scarlet painted Sammy’s cheeks while she stirred the noodles. Ripping it open, a new bike chain rested in my palms. Hugging them tightly, I thanked them profusely. Taking me to their room, Matty wasn’t far behind. Showing me every toy they owned, the pure joy in their faces made it worth it. Sammy called out that it was dinner time, the five of us running downstairs. Sitting at the table with a family felt so nice but foreign, Matty taking a seat next to me. Chatting with everyone pleasantly, it was the best night I had in a long while. Sending us off with leftovers, Matty guided me to the car. Clearing my throat, his loving gaze fell on me. Alone, I didn't want to be alone anymore.

“I want to be your girlfriend and I want you to move in with me. We work together everyday and I feel like I know you already.” I stammered nervously, Matty setting the stuff in the back. Pinning me to the car, my heart threatened to pump out of my chest. Kissing me passionately, time stopped again. Snapping back to reality, his hands slid down the small of my back. 

“Yes to both. It would help our living expenses and I would get to see you for even more time.” He answered with his million dollar smile, spinning me around. “Let’s get home. Well, whichever one you want to call home.” Getting into the car, it didn’t feel as bad. Perhaps the sole reason was his presence, our zing matching how my father talked about my mother. Yeah, life felt like it was going to be okay for the first time in a long time.