Fading Rivers. [90s Hollywood Romance]

one.

Late 1989

"Come on, babygirl." Magnolia heard her uncle, Woody, say softly. She felt him wipe away her tears, as she looked at the two caskets before her.

Woody knew that she needed to have her private moment, but it was time to lower them down. He told the rest of their family that they would meet them at his parents' house.

Her doctor didn't want her to leave the hospital so soon after the events, but she couldn't miss saying goodbye to her parents.

Woody remained by her side, even though he had broken down a few times.

Five days prior, Woody was called by his hysterical father, telling him what happened - his sister and his brother-in-law were dead from a gas leak fire.

He booked the first flight that he could.

Magnolia pressed her head into her uncle's chest and allowed her sobs to flow out.

She had been walking from her overnight babysitting job when she smelt burning wood. Something told her to run home. It didn't register that it was too late, as she ran into her and her parent's house.

The fire was so hot and impossible to look into, she wasn't even able to make it 3 feet into the house.

The burning coat rack managed to fall on top of her jacket, burning down to her flesh, acting almost as a warning for her to leave.

Magnolia wanted to believe that it was her parents trying to get her out of her shocked state.

Between the large burn on her arm, the burning sight of her home, and losing her parents, Magnolia would never forget that day.

The autopsy showed that her parents died of carbon monoxide poisoning, as they slept, and did not suffer.

In all honesty, she felt like that bit of news was the only thing that saved the last bit of her sanity.

_____________

Four months later.

Magnolia bit back her sobs, as she jolted upwards from her nightmare. She tried to slow her breathing, not wanting to wake Woody up. She heard him come in super late last night, because he was working on the set of an unnamed movie.

They were close in age, only having a 9 years age difference. He was more like an older brother than anything.

Woody moved to California 2 years prior, having a dream of becoming a director.

Magnolia had moved from Tennessee to California to live with him, after settling everything with her parents' wills.

Her grandparents thought that it would be a good idea for her to experience a different world.