Reminiscing Memories

*Hazel’s POV*

Many memories are apparent to my mind by now. What I remember most was stuff that has happened between Pandora and me. Like the time on her twelfth birthday when she bought a separate cake from her own and celebrate my birthday also and when we were sixteen and went to watch Skillet at a Winter Jam concert. The endless nights during the summer when we would be at either or’s houses and haven’t hours upon hours of movies to watch. I even remember when she finally got her license at sixteen and we snuck a drive down to the beach for the whole day. I also remembered her getting grounded because of that. Luckily my mother was working.

With my mother, I found it strange on how much she always worked and worked. I barely see her throughout the weeks, maybe once or twice. Even on the weekends when she is supposed to be free, she would always be out doing overtime. But there were a few times she took a free day and we would hang out. She would even cook a nice dinner for the two of us. I cherished the time I had with her.

I had few memories with my mother. Mostly the times I would cherish of us being together as long as she wasn’t at work. She was a hard-working woman and very nice. I wondered why my dad would leave such a woman like her.

I had no memories of him, just the ones of when I was younger and our family together was happy at my previous hometown far away. I sighed, there really was a lot about my family I couldn’t remember.

I was walking down the street, a plastic bag hanging from my hand. I finally learned not too long ago what my favorite ice cream was. Cookies n Cream. Upon finding out, I decided to go get some. I was slowly making my walk home. I sighed as I looked up at the sky. It was a cloudy and not a speck of blue could be seen in the sky. I felt a drop of rain land on my cheek, making a line down my face.

I didn’t know why, but I was mesmerized. Call me crazy, but I couldn’t move as the drops became a steady fall and the fall of the rain started to soak my clothes. I felt the bag slip from my hand and land on the ground with a thud. What I felt was an emotion I didn’t especially remember. I brought a hand to my chest, trying to decipher the tightness and the pain.

“Why!? Why did this have to happen…” I heard the screams.

“What…?” I murmured, looking down at the sidewalk.

A flash came before my eyes, but I couldn’t see anything. All I saw was a blur, but what I felt myself focusing on was the noise. It sounded like a screeching of brakes.

I saw nothing as the huge white bag suddenly came out of the dash, my face crashing into it. The force of the blow from the seatbelt cut the side of my neck. My heartbeat was fast and my breaths came in quick. My eyes stayed wide as I stared at the white bag in front of me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

“Daddy…?” I cried.

The pain was overwhelming. The shock of the memory made it where I didn’t want to remember. I had to force myself to stop thinking. I shut my hands over my ears, shutting my eyes tight as I felt myself squat to the ground. I wanted the pain to stop, I didn’t want to remember. Whatever it was, it was about my dad, but I didn’t want the sad memories nor the painful, I wanted to keep remembering the happy ones.

I felt the tears stream down my face and the rain soak my back. Why was I acting this way, there was barely a memory there to make me feel this way…

“Hazel?”

I jumped, seeing Liam coming out of his SUV, shutting the door. I haven’t even heard the car stop by the curb. He hurried onto the sidewalk and stop beside me. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“How…?” I started to question.

“You’re soaked!” Liam said. He reached down, grabbing the bag I dropped. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

He helped me up, leading me to the car and getting me in. “Put your seatbelt on.” He commanded, making sure I was away from the door before shutting it. I did as he said, watching him as he ran to the other side of the SUV and getting in. He put the bag on the floor beside my feet.

He started the car, looking before pulling from the curb. We were only a few blocks away from my house so it didn’t take long to get there. Liam pulled out over in front of the apartment. I was playing with my fingers, slightly embarrassed to have Liam finding me in the middle of the street crying. Rain pattered against the car, somehow coming down in an uproar.

I wasn’t crying anymore, but I really couldn’t find the words to just come out and say anything. “Are… you okay?” Liam asked, hesitate.

I saw from the corner of my eye that he was looking over. I slowly nodded. “What happened? Did you have another flashback?”

I didn’t know why, but I felt I couldn’t come out and say it. “I-it’s… nothing.”

I didn’t want to think about it. I felt myself swallow some as I looked down at my hands. I hated to keep myself from Liam, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. “Haze…” Liam started. He reached over, placing his hand over my own, taking it into his. “I won’t press you to say anything about it, but I’ll say this…”

I looked up at him. His brown eyes stared intensely into mine. “I don’t know if I made it obvious or not, but I am here for you. I know up until now you’ve been happy with the memories you have been remembering… but I can tell whatever flashback you had just now left you standing in the rain and crying. I know whatever it was you remembered made you feel pain, so don’t just sit there with tears streaming down your face and say that it’s nothing when it’s not.”

I reached up with my hand, wiping my cheek again. Another stream was falling. My hand covered my face as I felt a sob escape. Liam let go of my hand, only to reach up and pull my head to his shoulder as he wrapped his other arm around my back and rest his cheek on the side of my head. I felt myself clutching at him, feeling myself shake from the fear of the memory.

I didn’t even remember the whole thing clearly and it was enough for me to break like this. It made me scared to know what the rest was. I didn’t want to know. I was upset, yet I was happy because Liam was here with me. He was with me through it all and I wanted him to stay and walk me through all of this. If it was him, I was sure I could make it through all of this. I didn’t know why, but it had to be him.

In his arms, I knew it was enough for me, because it was Liam. He understood me.

I was thankful for that. I wasn’t sure how long Liam hugged me in his car, but it was quite a while. “Thank you.” I said, voice slightly hoarse as I pulled away from him.

He offered a small smile. He looked past me towards the apartment. “Want me to stay with you until your mum comes home?”

I sniffed, nodding. We stepped out of the car and made our way into the apartments. “I guess your ice cream isn’t very edible now.” Liam said jokingly, holding up the now-melted ice cream that leaked out of its contents.

A small smile came onto my face. The elevator stopped and the two of us stepped off and I led the way to my apartment. We walked in, Liam shutting the door. “What time does your mom usually get home?”

I thought for a moment. “Pretty late. Usually between nine and ten.”

Liam looked at the clock. It was only about seven. “What shall we do until then?”

I looked toward the TV, my eyes landing on a whole cabinet of movies. “Wanna watch a movie?”

“I’m up for it. Why don’t you get changed and pick on while I’ll go get the snacks and drinks?”

I smiled. “Sure.”

I ran into my room and quickly got changed into dryer clothes. When I came back, I went to the cabinet to find a movie. I settled on Rush Hour, needing some laughs. I know I’ve seen this movie a million times with Pandora, but seemed even funnier with Liam sitting next to me. The movie made the time pass by quickly, leaving only a few minutes to spare before my mother would be home.

It was a little after nine, but I just let it go, she may have been running a few minutes behind. She did talk about how her work was draining her with paperwork before.

It was getting close to ten. I was concerned.

Eleven. I was getting worried. Liam too.

Midnight.

She didn’t come home.