Broken Souls Collide

Prologue

Prologue

The young child began running off towards the swing set with a huge grin spread across her face. Her feet felt like they were going too slow for the rest of her tiny body and she began to stumble forward but quickly regained balance, giggling loudly at her near fall.

Her father followed after her in short strides, his longer legs catching up to her with ease. A warm smile stayed firm on his face at his daughters happiness. Her mother sat on a nearby bench, laughing at her daughter's clumsiness. When they reached the swing set, she stood by the swing for bigger kids; her father laughed, shaking his head at his little girls bravery, she reminded him of himself as a young child.

He gestured towards the baby swing instead, but the child refused, shaking her head in distaste and pointing to the bigger kid's swing in front of her; her father sighed at her stubbornness but complied, not wanting to disappoint his little angel. He carefully placed her on the swing without any effort.

"You have to hold on tight Angel, okay?"

She nodded her head in excitement, looking up at him with the biggest grin and wrapped her little fingers around the chain, waiting in anticipation. He pushed the swing lightly, being careful not to make her go too high, but despite this, the child still squealed in glee, giggling as the wind rushed past her every time she went up and came back down.

As she went up once more, she got caught up in the rush of it and her small fingers began to slip from the chain. Suddenly, she was falling forward and when she hit the ground it took her a few moments to regain her breath from the impact and process what had happened. She began wailing for her father, simply over the thought of falling, not because she was in pain.

Her mother gasped and rushed over to help her daughter, but her husband had gotten to her first. He wrapped his arms securely around her and kissed her forehead gently, whispering words of comfort in her ear. It was his little girl's fourth birthday and he felt bad that she was crying on such a day. He felt at fault for the accident, wishing he had just put her in the baby's swing instead, but he was wrapped around his daughter's little finger.

"How about we get some ice cream, I'm sure that would make you feel better."

Her sniffles soon subsided and she nodded in agreement at her father's suggestion. He smiled at her lovingly and wiped her tears away before standing up and perching her on his hip. The three of them walked out of the park and down the street to a nearby ice cream shop to enjoy some delicious sweetness.

The little girl laid her head on her father's shoulder while her parents walked side by side with their fingers linked together, a hint of love and adoration in their eyes as they glanced at one another.

Later that night, it was time for the young girl's bedtime and she refused to go to bed unless her father tucked her in. He complied to her wishes, once again being wrapped around her little finger; he brought her up to her room, placing her gently on her bed.

She loved being tucked in by her father, she slept better when he did; he smiled down at her and flicked her nose softly before bringing the blanket just below her chin, she grinned up at him.

"I love you daddy," she whispered softly, and somehow, his smile grew bigger.

"And I love you Reece," he reassured her, pushing her hair away from her face and kissing her forehead.

*****

A single tear fell down the preteen's face as every memory with him that she could possibly grasp onto flooded her head. She was currently sitting in an uncomfortable chair in the hospital's waiting room, her week old brother in her arms. Her life was flashing before her eyes as she realized that almost every memory she had of her ten years had him in it.

Her father, the light of her life, was being drained of his own life in a hospital bed only four doors down from her.

Her mother sat in the chair beside her with her head in her hands, she looked lifeless, as if she was the one who was slowly dying. The ten-year-old clenched her jaw at the empty feeling in her chest; every last inch of her was in pain and she found it fascinating, as she wasn't hurting physically.

She dreaded the memories that would stick with her after this moment in her life, she dreaded the moment the doctor would come out and tell them the news, the news that would either bring her healing or destruction.

She bit the inside of her cheek until there was a metallic taste of blood, all she wanted to do was scream out in complete agony. Her father didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve any of it, he was paying for other people's mistakes, he was a good person, he did nothing but good.

she couldn't help but wish it was her in that hospital bed, but if this was the pain and grief that her father would be feeling for her, she wasn't so sure if that would be any better.

Suddenly a doctor appeared in front of them, she held her breath while her mother slowly picked up her head from her hands.

With a dreaded look of pity and a shake of the head from the man in scrubs, the mother and ten-year-old began sobbing, the baby in the young girl's arms began wailing at the tears running down his sister's face.