7 minutes in Heaven (Love Games #1)

7 Minutes to Find Bae

A sad look was plastered to his face. He sighed. “Ever since my election to be mayor came through, I know I haven’t been exactly active in your life lastly. And I want to make up for it.”

I was speechless. My dad couldn’t pick a better time to be “active in my life”? Really? He had to do this now? “Dad, I really need to talk to mom. It’s urgent.”

“Tom, stop acting father and let our daughter speak.” Mom scolded standing in front of us, holding a dish towel in her hands.

Dad smiled and went to her side, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Yes, dear.” He said. I saw mom blush a little. The sight made me smile inside. They’ve been together since college, and mom still blushes when dad kisses her.

“So, Myra,” Mom said, “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Right, back on track. I just said it. “Bae Austin Blake.”

My parents looked at each other as if they were having a conversation using only their eyes. What was going on? What weren’t they telling me? Why did I have flashes of me playing with this Bae person?

My father spoke first, “I think we should all go into the living room for this conversation.” He squeezed mom’s hand before ushering me into the living. I sat down and looked at my father. He was a man of many secrets. It was part of his job description. But he never kept secrets from me. Nor did mom. It was our family motto, “Tell each other everything.” Mom and Dad always thought secrets kept people apart. So they taught me to never keep a secret. From them anyway.

“What’s going on?” I asked dad. De settled into his chair while I went to the couch. He didn’t answer. Just kept his mouth shut.

After a few minutes, Mom walked in holding a small cardboard box labeled on the side, “Bae and Mariya”. Mom sat on the floor in front of me and placed the box between us. She looked at dad and he gave her a nod. She started going through the contents of the box while dad told me all about Bae Austin Blake.

“Bae’s parents were good friends of mine. They were the ones who introduced your mother to me, back in college. By the time you were born, Bae was two months old-”

Mom cut dad off. “From the moment the two of you held hands, we all knew you were going to be inseparable.” Mom handed me a picture of when I was baby, and a chubby baby boy was next to me. We were fast asleep, side by side, holding hands. “As the two of you grew older, it seemed like the Blakes’ were here every week, just so that Bae and you could play.”

“By the time you and Bae were 5,” Dad continued, “you had already started him your brother. Without a second thought.”

Mom continued, “When you were 10, we all had a BBQ for the fourth of July. You and Bae were running around, him chasing you.-” It was just like when I was talking to the lady with the dog. So that was a memory…

Cutting her off, I asked. “What does 1-4-3 mean?”

Mom shrugged. “I don’t know, honey. It was something you and Bae told each other every time you were together. Whenever we asked you what it meant, you shook your head and said it was secret. Between you and Bae.”

“I think,” Dad said, thinking. “It was you guys’ way of saying that you loved each other.”

1-4-3. I know I’ve heard that before. But where? It could have been from a movie, a tv show, from a story, or a song- a song! It was from a song I heard when I was kid. It was on the radio. I think the line went, When you're thinking about me, text 1-4-3, That means I love you. I love you…

My parents faded from my sight. Everything turned black. And like a movie playing, I saw my ten year old self, along with Bae. We were playing soccer in front of my house. I kick the ball to him, but it passed him and rolled into the street.

“I’ll get it!” Bae said, walking towards the edge of the sidewalk.

He looked ways before stepping on the gravel road. I had turned my back to him, my attention on his new born puppy. Suddenly, i heard a shriek of tires and Bae’s scream. I turned around. A red car parked slanted in the street. Bae laying on the ground. I screamed for mom and dad, and sprinted to Bae’s side, tears running down my face.

I dropped by his side and shook him. “Bae! Bae! Wake up! Wake up!”

He laid motionless. Fear took over me. I screamed for him to wake up. Mom tried to get me away from him, but I wouldn’t move. I couldn’t move. I was afraid to leave him. Afraid that if i did, he would leave me too. I gripped my hand in his and laid over his body, sobbing “1-4-3.”

Dad picked me up and started taking me back to the house, when I heard Bae say, “I love you.”

“Honey,” I heard dad say gently.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” Mom asked, giving me a cup of iced tea.

I blinked several times. “I-I remember. The-” My voice cracked. “the accident.” Austin couldn’t possibly be Bae, right? I mean, why would he changed his name for?

“Yes,” dad said, “that tragic accident.”

Mom sighed, “After Bae was discharged from the hospital, his family moved away.”

“Why?” I asked. I wanted to know. If Austin really was Bae, and if we were as close as mom and dad said we were, then why would he leave? And why come back now?

“While Bae was in the hospital,” Mom explained, “He suffered with severe memory loss. To the point where almost forget who his parents were. He forgot who you were. It broke your little heart when we told you he didn’t know who you were. You were so sad, Maryia.” Mom stopped. I could tell she was trying her best not to cry.

Dad got on his knees next to her and took her in his arms. Mom melted into him, letting the tears fall. “Shhh…” He whispered to her. Then he looked at me, “Seeing you brokenhearted broke our hearts. It only got worst when the Blakes left. You were depressed for months. We didn’t know what do. We didn’t know how to make the pain go away. Out of desperation, we hired a psychic to shield all memories of Bae away. We only wanted you to be happy again. But we also knew that you would one day ask us about him, so we kept all the stuff that held memories of you and Bae.”

Taking a seat next to me, mom took my right hand in hers. “All except this ring. We thought of taking this too, but we didn’t think it would be right. You love this ring. Never ever took it off.”

My ring? Looked at it. A silver band wrapped around my finger. With a small, square, sapphire blue stone resting on top. I’ve had this ring for forever. A few times I thought about getting rid of it, but I always got a bad feeling in gut when I did. “Did Bae give this ring to me?”

“Yes, he did.” Mom answered while dad handed me a few picture. The first one  looked like the one in the hall. Of me and this boy, well I guess is Bae. We were having one of those kid weddings. The second one was me and Bae again. We were kissing. Not like full mouth on mouth kissing, it was more of a peck on the lips kiss. The third one was Bae down on one knee, holding up a blue stoned ring. The exact one I was wearing right now.

Suddenly, it all came back to me. Every childhood memory from the first I can remember to Bae’s accident. He was there. In every single one of them. Bae was always by my side. Until the accident. I remember my childhood depression. I also remember a baby girl, Bae’s younger sister. Her name was Hope. I remember she died a few months after her birth. Bae was grieving over her death. So I bought a bracelet for him with her name on it. I bought it purposely too big so it would still fit him when he grew older.

Wait. Hope. Bracelet. Austin’s bracelet. Austin is Bae.