A Mother's Love

Ally walked along the bridge surrounded by her friends. Christie and Lauren were arguing about ice cream while Shruti played mediator. Ally was laughing at the silly comments and suggested fro-yo. All of them leapt with excitement and turn towards Felipe’s Fro-Yo Place.

As they settled in, they were joined by some classmates from their dance class who happened to pop in. Ally felt at home and easily kept up as topics switched randomly from fashion to food to movies. Suddenly her phone rang with a phone number she didn’t recognize. Something in her told her to pick it up so she excused herself and walked to an empty corner.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Ally Smith, Renee Smith’s daughter?”

“Yes, this is she. Who is this?”

“This is Angels Hospital. I’m very sorry to tell you that your mother was brought in around 2pm due to critical injuries from a car crash.” Ally’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Will she be okay?”

“We are trying our best…”

Ally dropped to her knees and screamed. Her friends ran over and Christie wrapped her arms around Ally’s gently rocking form. Lauren wiped off her tears and Shruti coaxed out some words of explanation.

“Mom...crash...Angels Hospital...critical…”

Immediately one of her classmates, Roy, grabbed his car keys and volunteered to drive them all to the hospital. Ally was led to the car in a haze. Lauren leapt from the car and strode up to the desk.

“We’re here for Mrs. Renee Smith.”

“Are you Ally?”

“No, but she is in shock. Oh, she’s over there with some more friends.”

“I’m sorry but I can’t reveal anything without her permission. Although, all of you may wait in the waiting room until a doctor arrives with more information.”

“Thank you so much.”

Lauren returns to Ally and her friends. They make their way to the waiting area. As they are waiting, Ally seems to emerge from her shock. Christie and Shruti haven’t let go of her hands once. She tightened her hold on their hands and slowly mumbles, “Mom…”

The rest of the girls exchange worried glances. Christie eases herself onto the ground in front of Ally.

“Hey pumpkin, you remember how we came up with that nickname?” Ally nods but doesn’t reply. Christie locks eyes with Ally, attempting to project strength and love to her best friend. “That Halloween night was so cold. You were determined that you could outdo Lauren in the pumpkin carving competition. When she won three times in a row you stabbed the pumpkin and it exploded all over you. You spent the rest of the night covered in pumpkin guts and we told every house that you were the Pumpkin Monster.”

Shruti decided to join in. “Oooh, remember that kid that walked up and tried to lick you?”

Ally’s mouth curved up in a half-smile. “I think I still feel her tongue on my skin when I eat pumpkin pie.”

Lauren chuckled, “Oh and that guy who leapt about 3 feet into the air when you jumped in front of him, covered in orange lumps.”

Ally ducked her head and breathed, “And my mom. She fell onto the ground laughing at my plight instead of grabbing anything to help.”

Christie pulled Ally’s face back up and said with as much conviction as she could, “Pumpkin, nothing’s gonna happen to Auntie. We loved her almost as much as you. She can’t leave us all here. We are gonna stand by you no matter what. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Just then a harried man in a suit ran into the hospital. He paced to the desk and gasped out, “Ally? Renee?”

“Mr. Smith! We’re over here!”

He walked to the waiting area, still panting. He took in Ally. Surrounded by friends, the spark in her eyes dimmed, tears that kept streaming down her face in rivulets. Shruti got up from her chair and offered it to Mr. Smith. He sat down and simply wrapped his arms around Ally. Lauren on the other side signaled to the girls and they all took a quick trip to the cafeteria.

They returned with croissants and coffee. It was gonna be a long night. Neither Ally nor her father had moved. They sat back down and forced Ally and Mr. Smith to eat a little something.

After about an hour or so of waiting, the doctor walked in. All of them leapt to their feet and he took off his gloves.

“Her condition is still tentative but she’s out of surgery. They was a lot of internal bleeding and 5 bones were broken. We’re hoping she’ll pull through. She’ll be waking up soon though, so, you may go see her in Room 145 in pairs.”

Ally rushed to the elevators with everyone right at her heels. She burst into Room 145 and stood shock-still right next to the bed. Mr. Smith entered slowly, hesitantly.

Renee was covered in bruises and wrapped in bandages. Ally couldn’t believe it. Her beautiful, successful mother, someone she aspired to be one day, was pale and immobile. The smell of disinfectant seemed to burn her nostrils and the white surroundings blinded her. Her father’s eyes were filled with tears as they stared disbelievingly at the love of his life. She had never seen her father cry. Not once in all 17 years of her life. The sight made her collapse to her knees and sob loudly. Pain echoed through every breath and and every cry. Her father silently walked out of the room.

Outside, the girls were shedding a few tears. As soon as they saw Mr. Smith, they hurriedly wiped them away. He seemed defeated. At work, he was a business tycoon, no one stood a chance against him. But here, even he couldn’t lift a hand to change fate.

“Ally was always so much closer to her mom. I remember when she was little, she would throw her backpack to the side and rush into Renee’s arms. Stories and laughter almost spilling uncontrollably from her mouth. She grew up eventually and found you girls but when stuff got really tough, she would still come into Renee’s office and tell her everything. They were best friends. I don’t even know what to do or what to think. Ally is sobbing and I can’t even look at her. My wife is most likely gonna die and I think Ally knows that on some level. I should have been there. Maybe if she had left a little later or a little earlier because of me. Maybe if I could have kept an extra eye on the road—”

All the girls hugged Mr. Smith. Christie spoke up, “Don’t ever blame yourself. If you had been in the car too then maybe Ally would be in danger of losing both of her parents. I know it’s hard but you have to be strong for her. She may have always been close to Auntie but she loved you too. When you won the title of “Businessman of the Year,” she couldn’t gush enough about how proud she was of her daddy. Trust me Mr. Smith, she needs you.”

Mr. Smith nodded slowly and sat down on a bench nearby. He put his head in his hands and cried softly. Christie entered the room slowly. Ally was still on the ground, shoulders shaking, tears splattering onto her jeans. She walked up to the distraught girl and pulled her to a couch.

“My mom is gonna die isn’t she? No one can live after being hit head on by a semi. Look at her! She’s barely breathing. That beeping sound is the only indication she’s even alive. But mom would never leave me, right? I’m her baby girl. She’s gonna get better and hug me after graduation. She’s gonna drive me to college and help me set up my dorm room. She’s gonna…” Ally broke down again. The tears had stopped and all that was left were the ragged cries of a daughter whose whole world just shattered.

Lauren and Shruti sneaked in and surrounded Ally again. They didn’t know what to say anymore but they could be there for the girl who always smiled. Who never let anyone think negatively about themselves. Who was confident and bright. Ally never shied away from telling people exactly how she felt. She would tell every shy girl she was beautiful, every jerk that he should mind his own business, every sad person that they’re was always a reason to live: themselves.

“Ally? Robert?” Renee had opened her eyes and moaned in pain.

Ally rushed to her bedside. The girls left and sent in Robert Smith. Both of them held Renee’s hands. Ally smiled properly.

“Mom you’re gonna be okay. You wouldn’t ever leave us, right?”

“Hey baby, I’m fighting okay. I’m gonna stay here as long as I can. But if anything happens, you have to be strong. You know I love my spa. Take care of it for me. Get your degree. Marry someone you love and name your daughter after me. Okay? Be brave and always remember I love you.” Ally felt her heart break. “Now can you please give me some time alone with Robert?”

Ally walked out and collapsed against a wall.

“Listen to me, Robert. I know she thinks she won’t be able to survive without me. But I’m gonna tell you something. You always thought she wanted a degree in cosmetology and join me in running the spa. But, she actually wants to get a degree in business like you. She shows her love for me freely but secretly you’re her hero too. Help her. Don’t ever let her feel alone.” Renee broke into wheezing coughs. Robert immediately steadied her. She smiled up at him. “I still remember the day we met. And our wedding day. And where you proposed. Tell her all our favorite stories. It doesn’t matter if I’ve already told them. Tell her again. And remember, Robert, I love you more to the ends of the universe and back. Both of you. You have to be there for each other and find happiness again.”

Suddenly the monitor beside her started beeping rapidly as Renee broke into coughs again. Ally and her friends rushed in. Renee looked at all of them with eyes full of love and pain. She choked out one “I love all of you” before all of them were shepherded out by doctors and nurses. Outside, they all heard the exact moment the monitor flat lined and Renee Smith was pronounced dead.

Ally fell against Lauren and seemed too distraught to cry properly. All she could say was “no no no…” Mr. Smith wore an expression that showed that some part of him was broken forever.

Shruti grabbed Mr. Smith’s keys and drove everyone to the Smiths’ house. Ally and her father were both staring at the wall as they clung onto each other. The girls made one of the many dishes Renee had taught them to make. They brought it to the table and made Ally and Mr. Smith sit. Slowly but surely, they coaxed both of them into eating.

The funeral two weeks later was another stab to the heart for all of them. After the service, they all went back to the house. They sat in the backyard and told stories. Christie, Lauren, and Shruti knew that for the first few months they were gonna have to help Ally and her father get back on track.

When Robert went inside to grab a glass of wine, he saw the girls smiling at each other. He knew that maybe Renee was gone but with these amazing friends by her side, Ally would be just fine. He would mourn for Renee properly and he would make sure Ally did too. He would help her through college, walk her down the aisle, and be the fun grandpa to her kids. He repeated this with conviction over and over again till he believed it.

Ally got through her last year of high school with the support of her closest friends and all her classmates. Every one of them knew that the light in Ally had dimmed but they were gonna bring it back the way she had done for all of them. One of them gave her an amazing suggestion.

That summer Ally went to Paris. Her mother had always wanted to go there. The cute blonde girl who told her about the Fence of Locks didn’t know that though. As she walked the streets of Paris, she noticed a small, cute spa tucked into a corner of a street. Walking in, she felt like her mother would fit right into the lively, homely atmosphere. She walked over to the owner and asked, “Can I put a lock onto the fence outside? I would love to leave my mom’s memory somewhere I think she would be at home.”

Walking out to the wire fence confidently, Ally locked a heart-shaped lock onto the fence. The word “Love” shines as if her mother’s soul itself was shining with happiness. Or at least that’s what Ally wanted to believe. Taking another deep breath, she hugged the staff that had walked out to support her. She looked at the Eiffel Tower in the distance and felt her life finally fall into place again. It was a different shape but it was whole once again.