Standing before her, hands stroking her hair, he stared lovingly into her eyes.
“I love you so much, Avery. I am thankful every day that I ran into you at that pizza shop. You marrying me is going to be the happiest day of my life. I want you to have all the happiness you deserve.”
With tears sprinkling her eyes, Avery had to bite back the sobs t
hat wanted to escape.
“I love you too, Nick. So much. I can’t wait to be your wife.”
Bringing her face to his, Nick kissed her slowly, taking his time to explore Avery’s mouth. Breaking away from the kiss before things become too heated, she walked with Nick to the car so that she can also say goodbye to her sister. Pulling her in close, Nick’s sweet words from moments ago rang in her head and she held Aria tighter.
He’s the best thing to happen to me and my sister, she thought.
“I love you, Aria. Be good for Nick.”
“I will. I love you too, sissy. We’ll see you at lunch.”
With one more hug and kiss from Nick, the two maneuvered into the car and back out of the lot, both waving out the window.
Avery arrived at the meeting with her advisor and they went over the scholarship paperwork, then nailed down her schedule for the summer. As they went through the course list it surprised Avery to learn she only had one more class and an externship to complete. In response to her baffled look, the advisor informed her that some of the dual enrollment courses taken in high school had transferred over and she wouldn’t need to repeat them. Avery hadn’t realized she was so close to getting everything she had ever wanted.
Stepping out into the bright sunshine on the warm spring day, Avery’s ringing cell phone startled her from her reveries.
“Hello?” Avery queried, not recognizing the number.
“Is this Avery Poindexter? Guardian of Aria Poindexter?”
“Yes,” she replied hesitantly, chills wracking through her bones, “this is she.”
“I’m sorry, miss. This is Officer Stewart. I need you to meet me at St. James Hospital, ma’am. There has been an accident.”
“Excuse me, what? What kind of accident. Is Aria alright? Is she with Nick?”
Some mumbling went on in the background, but Avery couldn’t hear what is said.
“We can explain everything when you get here, miss. I’ll meet you in the hospital atrium.”
Waving her hands frantically in an attempt to hail a cab, Avery asked the driver to speedily take her to the destination, her heart beating profusely along the way. A sinking feeling spiraled in the pit of her stomach and she was afraid that everything in her world is about to shatter.
Approaching the hospital entrance, Avery shoved a twenty dollar bill at the driver and jumped out of the cab before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop. Rushing through the automatic doors, she looked around anxiously until she noticed the solemn-looking officer waiting in the corner for her arrival.
Looking in his direction, Avery could see the despair in his eyes.
“Ms. Poindexter?”
Pleading with the officer, Avery cried, “Please, please, tell me she’s ok, that she and Nick are ok.”
Ignoring her requests, Officer Stewart continued, “Have you seen the news, ma’am?”
“No, I’ve been in a meeting. Please, I need to see Aria.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Poindexter, so sorry, but Aria and the driver of her vehicle were killed in an automobile accident this morning.”
“What? No. No, you’re wrong. She’s at the dentist. Please tell me you’re wrong!” Avery exclaimed, sinking to the floor as desperate cries wreaked havoc upon her body.
“I’m very sorry, Ms. Poindexter, but we need you to fill out some forms,” the Officer said uncomfortably.
Avery couldn’t bring herself to remove her body from the cold marble floor, so she continued to let out heartbreaking wails of pain. All Avery could think about was that they were gone. Her entire world had been completely stripped of everything she loved.