Slow Down

Chapter 28: 'A place called Heaven.'

"Rey."

"Your mummy, she's- she wo- sh-"

I couldn't even finish the sentence. I felt like screaming. My throat felt like it was closing in as I continued to cry.

I had to show some sort of strength.

Strength for Rey.

"Rey."

"Your mummy can't be with us anymore Rey."

Rey frowned, her eyes filled up and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Why?" She asked.

"She had an accident, sweetie. She won't be able to be here anymore but she's very sorry."

A tear rolled down Rey's rosy cheek. "What happened?"

I looked up. Chanel was pacing about, on the verge of tears. Danish had his head in his hands, sat on one of the waiting chairs. Patrick. Patrick was stood next to Rey, clutching her hand. Rey was holding on for dear life and swinging their hands back and forth. The look on Patrick's face showed me how heart breaking this was going to be for Rey.

"Well." Patrick said to her.

"She was involved in a car accident. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. But she won't be with us anymore." He sadly said.

A few more tears left Rey's eyes.

"Is she coming back?" She then asked.

Another piece of my heart shattered as the words came out of her mouth.

I let a few more tears escape and roll down my cheeks as I smiled at her and shook my head lightly.

"She's gone to a special place now. She will be safe there. But she won't be able to see you again, Rey."

"Where has she gone?"

I gave Patrick a look and closed my eyes for a brief moment.

When I opened them, she was still stood, clutching Patrick's hand and her face was wet with tears.

"She's gone to a place called heaven." I said.

"Can I go too? I don't want her to leave without me." She then said, making me cover my mouth, trying to cover the sound of my crying.

"One day, you will go to heaven Rey. But you can't right now. She doesn't want to leave you either, but she has to. She'll be safe there. The angels will look after her and she'll always be watching over you. She loves you more than anything in the world and she's going to miss you so much. Okay?"

Rey nodded again and sniffled, still lightly crying.

"But I don't want her to go. I'll miss her."

My heart broke just that little bit more when the words left her lips.

"I know, Rey. I miss her too."

She was crying fully now and wrapped her little arms around me, squeezing me tight and crying into my shoulder.

...

"There's no way I can save you, cos' I need to be saved too... I'm no good at goodbyes."

1 week later...

....

My heart aches. Constantly. A small, constant ache. All the time.

My aunt became one of the closest people to me. She was like a mother to me. She reminded me of my own mother...