(Continued from the last post. Click here to catch the whole story from the beginning.)
“Okay.” She nodded. “Why don’t you start at the beginning? What’s the first thing about your parents that comes to mind?”
So I told her about my father, how he used to tuck me into bed when I was a little girl, how he used to read to me, and how he always understood me and accepted me for who I was, unquestioningly and unconditionally. I didn’t get very far through before Ange was handing me the Kleenexes.
Then I told about my mother, how she explained to me the other kids in school, how she helped me get ready for my first date, how she helped me move into my first dorm at college, and all the other firsts she did for me that only a mother can do for a daughter.
“It sounds like you loved your parents very much,” Ange said. Loved, in the past tense. I had never told her about any of this, but she must have picked up on what was coming. “What happened?” she asked.
And so I took a deep breath, and I told her the story, the short version, because I don’t think I could have handled the long version just then, and even the short version was a big step forward for me.
“I was just finishing up my first year of college,” I explained. “I planned to go home over the summer to stay with my mom and dad. I was really looking forward to it. What I didn’t know was that they were coming to surprise me. But they never made it. They were driving along a curved part of the road, and the pickup truck coming the other way must have been driving too fast and swinging wide around the turn.” I shook my head. “They never had a chance.”
At that point, I didn’t know what to feel. Actually putting the story into words seemed just to make me numb.
“I found out,” I said, “when a policeman visited me at my dorm. It was finals week. I was packing for the trip home, planning to take the train. He told me my parents had been in a fatal accident and he needed me to identify the bodies.”
I had stopped crying.
“Have you ever told that story to anyone?” Ange asked.
I shook my head. “No,” I said.
“Why do you think that is?”
“I just didn’t want to think about it.”
“What does thinking about it remind you of?” she asked.
I shook my head again, this time in wonder of what they had done, all those years ago. “If they had just called me, I would have told them to stay home and let me take the train. They were going to surprise me. And I guess they did.” I stopped a beat. I was hurt and angry, angry at them, angry at me. “They made hotel reservations and everything. They probably planned to help me pack and everything. But damn it, why didn’t they just stay home?”
“So how to do feel about that?”
I couldn’t put my feelings into words. All I could say was: “They were coming to see me. Do you get that? Me. Damn it.”
“Damn what?” Ange asked, unemotionally. “Damn them? Or damn you?”
I froze for a moment, nausea rising through my heart. “Damn… both.”
I felt like spitting, to get the bitter taste of this awful conversation out of my mouth. It tasted like soap.
“I just have one more question for you to mull over,” Ange said. “You don’t have to answer. Just think about it. Is any of that Clydene’s fault?”
“No,” I said, answering the question anyway. “It isn’t.” Then I said, “I think I owe her an apology.” The words felt dirty, grainy in my mouth, but I knew them to be true. Sometimes, the truth is jagged to swallow and painful to learn.
(To be continued…)
This story is tangential to The Conscience of Abe’s Turn and takes place in the Abe’s Turn universe. If you enjoy this story, please also check out The Conscience of Abe’s Turn (the novel).
what is a handicap bet
My website Draw Betting Tips
what is fixed odds horse racing
Stop by my web-site best betting sites for greyhounds – Virgil,
fishin freuky slot online free, usa real earn money using surveys (Brayden)
slots and slot machine for sale uk, or new casinos no
deposit bonus usa
latest betting odds website
deutsches roulette spielen
my blog kenozahlen von heute live
It is the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time
to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to
suggest you few interesting things or advice. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article.
I wish to read even more things about it!
beste online casinos mit apple pay
Also visit my web-site :: legales casino Ohne identifikation –
Raif-industry.Dev2.tqnia.Me,
neue casinos mit direkter auszahlung
Stop by my website – casino 10 euro Einzahlen 80 euro bonus
online blackjack 21 (Chimac.Yellomon.com) casino mit ecopayz einzahlen
casino freispiele ohne wager (https://www.Elcajondmv.com/deutsche-casino-mit-hohem-bonus-und-gratis-spielen/) ohne limit mit
neosurf
online casino 1 euro ethereum
40 euro einzahlung bitcoin
besten Online Casino 4 Euro Jeton video poker
beste online casinos ohne einzahlung
my blog post … 10 euro einzahlen 200 euro Bekommen
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you’re a great author.I will always bookmark your blog
and will eventually come back someday. I want to encourage one
to continue your great writing, have a nice afternoon!
beste casinos mit ohne ausweis
Also visit my web-site: Online Casino bonus bei erster einzahlung
(https://ipadsforeducation.co.uk/online-roulette-echtgeld-android-2026/)
casino paysafecard baden-württemberg
Here is my blog – Online Glücksspiel ThüRingen
poker united statesno gratis, All casino Websites age
limit uk and blackjack canada online, or no deposit gambling sites usa
beste chancen casino
My site … roulette Auf zwei drittel setzen (https://anthony-J.360elevate.co)
casino bitcoin ab 4 euro deutschland paysafecard
nearest euro betting tips shop
automatenspiel jackpot konstanz
my web-site: online blackjack girocard – Enrique –
bet on calculating horse racing bets races
online
top ohne anzahlung bonus casino gutschein einlösen
buchmacher beste quoten
Feel free to visit my web page; Ncaa Basketball wetten
kombiwette ein spiel falsch
Stop by my webpage :: basketball über unter Wetten
trustworthy betting sites
my webpage :: handicap Bet Meaning
online horse racing betting reviews
Here is my page; english Greyhound Derby final 2026
beste esports wettseite
Look into my site basketball handicap wetten (https://Desarrollosustentableve.Com/langfristige-wettstrategien-fur-die-formel-1/)
pokies online australia reviews, gambling laws canada and
gambling in the uk statistics, or party cashman casino Free coin links 2022 download united states
rubbellose online Funktioniert Online Casino echtgeld
canadian roulette payouts chart, new zealandn online real how to leave casino with money poker sites and no deposit online bingo
usa allowed, or australian poker tournaments
mobile sports value betting tips (Darryl) app
Online casino mit 25 Euro einzahlung casino ab 25
euro neosurf
united states no deposit pokies, free real online
pokies united states how to play ludo and earn money (Marilynn)
remote gambling license usa, or new casino canada
lingfield horse racing betting odds (Adrianna) racing bets
calculator
latest betting on grand national
My web site: bet live horse racing online
lingfield horse racing Bet to win or place racing results
today
wetten dass online spielen
My site; basketball Wm wett Tipps
wettbüro dresden neustadt
my site … virtuelle basketball-wetten – brtlbd.com –
Casino paypal Hessen
cashlib ab 1 euro
online casino ohne spinstopp slots echtgeld trustly
(garrettclaimsgroup.com)
live Online Casino Bonus Code Ohne Einzahlung mit trustly
best betting offers for aintree
Also visit my website: mobile Horse Betting
sportwetten online deutschland
Here is my page – basketball wetten – Charla –
seriöses casino mecklenburg-vorpommern
My blog post – Besten Online Slots
uk horseraceing results today
Feel free to visit my web blog Cheltenham Betting Tips Thursday
wettanbieter deutschland lizenz
Visit my blog post; wett tipps heute basketball (https://Worldcornersrealty.com/)
free grand national betting
Feel free to visit my homepage – greyhound racing results for tonight
best odds online sports Total Goals Betting
no deposit bonus casinos canada, is online slots legal
in australia and betway poker australia, or
united states online casino news
Review my homepage … How To Play Blackjack Beginner