Unguarded Love

17-Career Ending

Persephone 

After the text I sent, Asa invites me over to his place to talk. 

I sit down on Asa's bed and he comes over to sit across from me. 

I have never had to relive this story before, well in full scale detail. 

Everyone important who knows what happened was in my life at the time, well except the guy in front of me now. 

Sure I had to tell Peyton the story because unlike my dad she couldn't just hear it from the doctors. I had to tell her about how I knew in that moment everything was going to change. 

At that point though I was still battling with accepted the the scale of what completely happened, at that point I was still a bit delusional about it all. I hadn't seen my knee yet. 

"I know Peyton told you guys what happened." I say looking down at my knee and those damn jagged scars. 

"Well she didn't exactly say it she just told us to look it up." He says trying to defend her. 

I laugh, "it's fine I'm not mad."

Why does everything think I'd be mad about it?

"So how much did you read?" I ask still looking at my knee. 

I don't want to look at his face because I know there will be pity. 

Just like how both dad and Peyton looked at me when they heard the news. 

"All that was available I guess. About the car accident, your mom, your knee."

I nod, "I was thirteen when it happened, eight years ago today." I start. 

As I go through the story Asa, not once, interrupts me which I am thankful for. 

"We were on our way home from my morning skate. My mom was driving and the roads were a little slicker than normal because it had gotten really cold and snowed."

It rarely snows here so not many people are used to driving in that kind of weather. 

"My coach had reached out to all the parents letting them know that if they didn't want to risk the ice that morning that practice wasn't mandatory but of course I convinced my mom to drive me there. I had never, ever missed a practice. My mom, being the person she is, conceited and drove me there."

I try to keep in the tears as I continue. 

"Practice went good, I even got one of my turns almost perfect. Then we were driving home and I remember telling her all about it. She was smiling as I was telling her, completely invested in it even though she had no idea what the turn was." I smile at the memory. 

Flashback

"That's amazing Seph, I can't wait to see it." My mom says as she turns onto the road leading back into town. 

Where I train is about twenty five minutes out of town but she always makes the drive for me. 

I smile, "Me neither, I hope dad will be there." I say referring to the small performance our rink is putting on. 

It's for the parents to see the progress their kids are making. 

Dad is usually busy at the college he works at. He coaches football and I know how much he likes it. 

I just hope he has time to come down and watch me this weekend. 

"Your dad will be there hon, he promised." She says but it's not like he always keeps his promises.