Will Brens stood at the edge of his little sisters doorway, a sly smirk slapped onto his round face. Kaia Brens was now 16 years old and this was her big birthday wake up call, her brother flipping on the bright light, awakening her form the best sleep she had gotten all week. There he stood a plastic yogurt container in hand. “Happy Birthday,” he slurred stomping his way back down the hall. How rude teenage boys could be Kaia thought sitting up in her bright room. So this was supposed to be the morning her brand new car, black on black, would be sitting in her ice covered driveway. Unfortunately this wasn’t a winter wonderland fairy tale and little Brens was not getting her big ‘surprise’ present.

It was still winter break, which meant thankfully no school. It used to be the big joke that he parents had stopped school for two weeks, just for her. And that they had even giving her a whole new year, but sixteen meant no more joking around she was mature now, ready to start growing up. Kaia made her way through the Brens kitchen, sitting down on the window seal she began to finger the wilted petals of her mothers rose bush. It had been one year, one year since her mother had collided with that semi, it was surprise enough anything had been still intact, let alone Kaia making it out alive. Everything came alive when she touched those petals. Every smell, taste, touch, the look on those fragile faced people when she fluttered to conciousness on that thing black road.