Two

My sleep was cut short by a vigorous shove. My eyes snapped open, instantly alert.

"Huh? What is it?" My brain was still foggy from the few hours of sleep I'd managed to catch.

"Remington...I-I don't know how to say this," Sarah said. She was fighting back tears, her voice trembling. And she called me by my full name.

She never does that.

Anxiety spiked in my chest as I sat up. "Sarah, please. Tell me what's wrong."

She pulled me into a hug, finally sobbing. "Your mom...she's at the hospital. I got a call. She was in an accident."

The blood ran cold in my veins. Mom. Accident. Hospital.

The words looped in my head like a broken record as I scrambled for my sweater and shoes. "Let's go. Tell me which hospital on the way."

The drive was eerily quiet. We were both on edge, shifting in our seats as if they were made of fire.

The second we arrived, I sprinted to the front desk. "Sofia Alvarez," I called out. The nurse told me she was in the ICU and pointed me toward where my father was waiting.

I took off, finding him pacing the hallway, looking shaken and grey.

"Dad!"

He snapped his head in my direction and hurried over, engulfing me in a hug. "Oh, mija," he whispered.

"What happened, Dad?" My voice broke. The waterworks were seconds away.

"I was at the office. Your mom was on her way home to you. I told her to wait, but she missed you too much to stay." His sobs were clearer now, his grip tightening. "I didn't know anything was wrong until someone called me from her phone after the crash."

"Will she be okay?"

"I don't know. The doctors are still with her."

We sat in the waiting room, the sterile smell of medicine making me feel nauseous. I buried my face in my hands.

Dad rubbed my back in silence, both of us clinging to a hope that felt increasingly fragile.

I must have drifted off, because the rhythmic click-click of shoes on the tile jolted me awake.

A doctor stood before us, his scrubs stained with blood and a solemn expression on his face.

"Family of Sofia Alvarez?"

We shot up. I'd almost forgotten Sarah was still there.

"I'm her husband," Dad said, gesturing to me. "And this is our daughter."

"I'm Doctor Verma, your wife's surgeon."

Dad's jaw clenched. "Judging by your face, you're here with bad news."

The doctor nodded slowly. "Yes. She lost a significant amount of blood at the scene. We tried to stop the hemorrhaging, but glass shards had punctured vital arteries. The damage was too extensive. I'm so sorry for your loss."

The world went black for a second. "You're lying," I snapped. "My mother is alive. I just spoke to her this morning! I'll go wake her up."

"Remington, please-"

"No! I said she isn't dead! This doctor doesn't know what he's talking about!" I stalked toward him, grabbing his collar and shaking him. "Why are you so calm?! Go back in there and tell her the joke is over! Tell her I know she's pranking us!"

"Remi, stop!" Dad rushed over, prying my hands off Doctor Singh.

"Listen to me! Your mom...she's gone, okay? She's gone."

His soft, broken voice finally cut through my denial.

I collapsed into Sarah's arms, the reality hitting me like a physical blow. She was gone.

My mom was gone.

Three weeks later and the burial was a blur of black clothing and stifled sobs. I sat there behind dark sunglasses, hiding eyes that were swollen from weeks of crying.

"Earth to Remington? Gosh, I wonder where she is now." A feminine voice broke through my daze.

"Probably thinking of her mom," a deeper voice responded.

"You do realize I'm right here," I said blankly, staring straight ahead.

"And she speaks! Hi, I'm Karla. This is my brother, Maximus."

"It's just Max," the boy muttered. They started bickering immediately. I cleared my throat, and they went silent.

"What do you need?" I asked. I wasn't mentally capable of 'people-ing' today.

"We just wanted to keep you company," Karla said nervously. "Since we're cousins and all."

I'd forgotten I had cousins on my mom's side. Or maybe I just hadn't wanted to remember.

"So, what have you noticed so far?" I asked.

"That you don't want company?" Max guessed.

"Ding ding ding. Fifty points for Maximus."

"Please don't let that name stick," he pleaded.

"Ah. Your sister calls me Remington instead of Remi, which I prefer, so I think 'Maximus' is fair." I finally looked at them. They seemed to be around my age.

I knew my dad had sent them to distract me, and while I appreciated the effort, it felt wrong to laugh while my mother was in the ground.

The nightmares started a week later. I always woke up drenched in sweat, my heart hammering.

In this particular dream, my mom was being swallowed by a whirlpool of blood while I watched, paralyzed.

I checked the clock: 7:34PM. I'd overslept.

I was hungry, but mostly I was restless.

The idea of leaving this city had been ringing in my head for days. I couldn't stay in this house; every corner was a ghost of her, a reminder of the life that had been ripped away.

As I headed downstairs, I thought about the stories Mom used to tell me. She'd always get a certain spark in her eyes when she talked about Montana.

It was where she'd been born and raised-a place of big skies and open air.

She and Dad had moved away right after high school to start their "big city adventure," but she always called the mountains her true home.

"Remi," she'd told me once, tucking me in, "if the world ever gets too loud, find the mountains. They know how to keep a secret."

The memory made my chest ache, but it gave me a weird sense of direction. I didn't just want to leave; I wanted to go where she began.

I wanted to see the world through the eyes she had before she became my mother.

I found Dad in the kitchen with a man I didn't recognize.

"Mija, you're awake," Dad said with a small smile.

"Not for long. Have you thought about the move? About Montana?" I asked, spreading jam on a piece of bread.

He sighed, leaning against the counter. "I have. I know why you picked it. Your mother always did miss those mountains. Since it's Thursday, I want you to start at the new school next week. You'll leave tomorrow morning so you have time to settle in. The house there isn't flashy-just like you asked. It's a quiet place, near where she grew up."

I nodded, feeling a small, fragile sense of peace. "Will you be coming?"

"I have business to finish here. I'll join you in a week or two. I'm sorry, mija." He sat at the counter, watching me. "And this is Marcus. He's been one of my personal bodyguards; now he's yours. He won't hover, but he'll be there to keep you safe."

I looked at Marcus. He was sturdy and professional.

"I have a black belt in Karate, Judo, and Tae Kwon Do, Dad. You know that."

"I know, sweetie. But things happen that we can't control. I just want you safe."

I turned to Marcus. "Hello, Marcus. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Alvarez," he said firmly.

"Too formal. Call me Remi."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss. It would be disrespectful."

I looked at my dad and pointed at Marcus. "Are you seeing this?"

Dad chuckled, taking a bite of the second sandwich I'd made him. "I've tried, believe me. He's stubborn."

He kissed my cheek. "Go get some sleep. We have a long journey to the Big Sky Country tomorrow."

The next morning, I was in the back of a car headed for the airport.

Being in a car still made me feel queasy, but I tried to distract myself with my phone.

Saying goodbye to Dad had been brutal. We'd visited the grave one last time, talking to Mom about the trip. I told her I was going home for her.

Now, Marcus was sitting beside me as we drove toward the family jet.

My social battery was at zero, but as I looked out the window, I wasn't just thinking about what I was leaving behind. I was thinking about Montana.

I was going to walk the same streets she did, breathe the same mountain air, and maybe, just maybe, find a way to breathe again myself.