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Ashley shot up in bed scared and sweating. She looked around and saw she was home. She tried to shake of the bad feeling but she slowly came to the realization that everything that happened at the hospital wasn’t just a vivid dream. Her mom was really gone.

Unable to sleep she headed downstairs to the kitchen her face still stained from tears. She didn’t even notice the shadow of someone sitting at the counter.

“What are you doing up?” AJ asked. Ashley screamed startled by his voice.

“Alex you scared the crap out of me. Why are you sitting in the dark?” she took a deep breath trying to regain her composure.

“I’m guessing the same reason as you…can’t sleep.” He switched on the light.“How are you doing?”

Ashley looked away avoiding his question. She grabbed a bowl to make herself some cereal.

“You know I’m here to talk if you need anything.”

“Honestly I kind of wanna be alone rite now.” She turned facing him hoping she wasn’t hurting his feelings. She knew he was only trying to help but at this point no one could help her to feel better.

“Ashley you don’t have to go threw this alone.” He placed a hand on her shoulder trying to give her a sense of comfort.

Ashley just turned away and headed toward the T.V. room with her cereal hoping AJ wouldn’t follow.

She sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V. Glancing at the clock she noticed it was 6:00 AM. She sighed knowing she wouldn’t get much more sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw vivid pictures of her mother’s plane crashing. She knew this would haunt her dreams forever.

She began thinking of her mom and how much she missed her already. She didn’t even get to say goodbye. She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She curled up on the couch her head to her knees crying harder then she ever had before. She didn’t even notice AJ coming into the room. He sat next to her and embraced her holding her tight. She just cried for what seemed like forever as he held her wishing he could stop all the pain.


A knock on the door woke AJ up out of his light sleep. Ashley was still on the couch sleeping silently. He was glad she was getting some rest because he knew the next few days would not only be hectic but painful for her. AJ quickly got up to answer the door. It was his mother, Denise.

“Hi mom.” He hugged her tightly. He could tell that she too had been crying.“How are you holding up?”
“I’ll be fine Alex…how’s Ashley?”

Angie was her sister-in-law. Even after her divorce from AJ's father, Robert, they stayed close friends. She considered her a sister and although she was torn up inside over her death, she knew Ashley had to be taking it hard.

“She’s sleeping right now.She had a rough night.” AJ walked towards the kitchen.

“I don’t want her to have to worry about any of the details. I’ve already started making some calls today.” Denise put on a pot of coffee. She knew they would need all the strength and energy they had to get Ashley threw the next few days.

“What are we gonna do mom?” Alex was worried about his cousin.“She doesn’t want to talk to me. All she wants to do is be alone.”

“She’ll come around hun, you just have to give her time. You know how you were when grandma died. You didn’t want to be around anyone. I think Ashley was the only person you did talk to for over a month.”

“Yea but mom she’s lost so much…her dad, she was close to grandma, and now her mom. I mean I don’t know how to help her.”

“Like I said Alex, you just have to give her time. She needs to work threw it in her own way, in her own time. Just like you did.” She hugged her son knowing he wanted to help so badly but just didn’t know how.

"What's gonna happen to her mom?" he looked up at her with tear filled eyes."All she has left is us. What if they wanna take her away?"

"Don't worry about all of that Alex. Angie has a will that takes care of everything." She smiled a little reassuring her son. "We worked it all out when Ashley was born that if anything were to happen I would become Ashley's legal guardian. No one is going to take her anywhere."

AJ returned the smile glad that his mother was there to help them both threw this hard time.