My mother often watched from the kitchen window, drying her hands with a towel before resting one gently on my shoulder. Birthdayparty planning
“He seems like a wonderful man, sweetheart,” she said warmly. “Make sure you appreciate him.”
I intended to do exactly that, and back then, my greatest worries involved wedding decorations, seating charts, and choosing the perfect shade for our reception napkins.
Then a completely unexpected telephone call from the police changed our entire world.
“Ma’am, there has been a serious highway acc!dent,” the officer explained in a careful, gentle voice. “Your mother and father… I’m terribly sorry.” Birthdayparty planning
I sank onto the kitchen floor, suddenly unable to support myself, my eyes fixed on the rug without really seeing it. Tristan sat nearby on the couch, checking something on his phone before noticing my expression and looking up with concern.
“My brothers,” I whispered, struggling to speak. “What happened to the boys?”
“They’ve been taken to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in downtown St. Louis,” the officer answered kindly. “They were traveling in the vehicle too, but both survived and are receiving medical attention.”
Most of our urgent journey to St. Louis remains a blur, although I clearly remember Tristan gently placing his hand over my knee while we waited at a traffic light.
“No matter what comes next,” he assured me, pausing briefly to collect himself, “we’re going to handle it together.”
“Can you promise me that?” I asked, studying his face beneath the faint dashboard lights.
