Chapter 1: The Crash in the Rain

Iris's POV

Three years had passed, but every single day felt like a quiet battle to stay standing.

I stood near the window of my classroom at St. Jude Academy, my hands carefully arranging the small plastic chairs for the new school term.

My face naturally settled into that sweet, calm smile I had perfected over the last three years.

It was a mask, strong and flawless, hiding the dark memories of my past and the strange, sudden panic attacks that made my heart race whenever I saw anything bright red.

My phone was pressed tightly against my ear, breaking the quiet hum of the empty classroom.

“She’s refusing to eat her green vegetables again, Iris,” Chloe’s voice came through the speaker, full of easy warmth. “I told her that if she doesn't eat, her tummy will make funny noises all night, but she just gave me that big blue-eyed look you always give people.”

I laughed softly, a small, genuine sound that reached my eyes.

Chloe was the only member of our family who had refused to turn her back on me after that terrible night three years ago. When everyone else called me dirty names and shut their doors, Chloe had stayed, checking on me in secret and helping me survive.

“Put her on the phone, Chloe,” I said, my voice gentle and soft. “Let me speak to my baby.”

There was a short rustle on the other end, and then a small, sweet voice squeaked into the receiver.

“Mommy? Are you coming home now? The sky is getting dark and making loud noises.”

“I’m coming home right now, Hope,” I murmured, my heart swelling with so much love that it almost hurt. “Did you finish your dinner for Auntie Chloe like a good girl?”

“I ate the carrots,” Hope said proudly. “I gave them to Chloe. They taste like a bitch.”

I gasped, my hand dropping slightly as my eyes went wide.

“Hope!” I exclaimed into the speaker, holding my breath. “Did you just say that? Where on earth did you learn that word?”

Before Hope could answer, Chloe’s voice cut back in with a gasp of her own as she snatched the phone away.

“Excuse me, young lady!” Chloe gasped loudly, her voice trembling between laughter and shock. “How can you call an auntie like me that? Never! I am Aunt Chloe, not just Chloe! And who taught you such bad words? Never speak like that again!”

I shook my head, running a hand over my forehead while trying hard not to laugh.

“Chloe, please tell me she didn't hear that from you.”

“I swear it wasn't me!” Chloe defended herself, though she was still giggling wildly in the background. “She’s dynamic, Iris. A little trouble, just like you were when we were small.”

“Thank you for watching her tonight, Chloe,” I said quietly, packing my bag. “I just finished prepping the classroom. I'm walking to the bus stop now.”

“Take a cab, Iris. It looks like it’s about to pour,” Chloe warned, her tone shifting into something more serious. “And honestly... you need to start thinking about the future. I know you hate when I bring this up, but how long can you keep doing this alone? Single mothers have it so hard these days. There are people out there who want to marry a single mom with no money. That teaching job barely pays you enough to keep a roof over your heads.”

I paused, my hand hovering over my bag.

The phone in my palm buzzed with a sudden notification, cutting off my thoughts. I moved the screen closer to my eyes and read the brief message from my landlord.

Miss Hayes, rent is due this Friday. No extensions this time.

I let out a long, quiet sigh, my cheerful mask slipping for just a second. The rent was going up again, Hope needed new winter clothes, and the school tuition for staff kids was still a weight on my small paycheck.

“I hear you, Chloe,” I said softly, forcing my voice to sound steady again. “I just... I can't think about men or marriage right now. I just need to make ends meet for my daughter. I’ll be home in twenty minutes. Kiss her for me.”

“Be careful in the rain,” Chloe said, and the line went dead.

I stepped out of the school building just as the sky opened up. The rain hit the city with force, washing over the streets. I pulled my thin coat tighter around my shoulders, holding my umbrella firmly as I started my walk home.

My mind was completely consumed by thoughts of rent and money.

How am I going to pay the landlord by Friday? If I take an extra weekend shift at the library, maybe I can cover it. But then who watches Hope?

I stepped off the curb near the intersection, my head down against the blowing wind, completely buried in my thoughts about rent and money.

Suddenly, a blinding white light shone directly into my face.

I stopped in my tracks, turning my head just as a terrible screech of tires sounded very close to me.

A powerful car swerved out of control on the road, its bright headlights beaming straight into my eyes and reflecting off the wet pavement.

The sight of that bright light made the whole world stop immediately.

In a single, terrifying second, my mind shattered backward, flashing wildly to the taste of blood in my mouth, the red stains on my face, and the cold rain of the night I was cast out into the street.

“No...” I gasped, but no sound came out of my throat.

My lungs locked up tightly, refusing to take in air. The sudden, overwhelming panic paralyzed my legs, pinning me to the street as the sports car came charging straight toward my body.

The roar of the engine filled my ears, the lights swallowed my vision, and the air left my chest entirely.

My eyes rolled back, and my world went pitch black just as the front bumper stopped inches from my body.