“Beep beep! Beep beep!” I rolled over in my bed getting blinded by the sun that was glaring through the window. I smacked my alarm clock hoping to hit the off button. It was six o'clock, and I still had two hours until I had to be at work at Music-Tastic. I got out of bed and splashed cold water on my face. I looked up in the mirror at my pale skin. Why couldn’t I get a tan instead of getting a painful burn? I pulled my long red hair into a lazy bun, and started applying my make-up. “Toni, I am going to take Johnny to the park, we will be back in time for me to pick you up from work.”, Dad said looking at me through the mirror. Johnny is my eight-year-old brother, who loves baseball. “Okay, I am probably going to be working late, we are having a sale on reeds all day, so I'll call you when I'm done, okay?” I asked him to make sure he was okay with me working late. I didn't have a good feeling about him and Johnny going to the park, but if I told him that, and they stayed, Johnny would be angry at me. “Yeah that's fine, I love you sweetheart, be careful.” “You too... Hey, Dad, can I get a picture of you, Johnny and Mom, before you two go? I don't have any pictures of all of you.” I asked hoping he would catch on. He only replied with “Sure.”

Dad and Johnny were dressed up in baseball uniforms, and mom was in her favorite dress. Dad and Johnny left, “Be careful you two!” Mom hollered out the door. As she shut the door, she looked at me with concern in her eyes. “I am going to want a copy of that. Them going to the park just doesn't sit right with me.” “Me either.”. We stood silent for a minute. “Well, lets get you to work.” I grabbed my purse, and ran out the door.

The car ride was silent, we only listened to the local country station. Once I got to work I flipped the 'closed' sign to 'open'. “Oh-my-goodness, what is all of this?” Mark, my co-worker and friend, came running out. “Yeah, I re-organized for the sale.” The reeds were out on display, and all of the brass instruments supplies were far in the back. ?You don't know you're beautiful, oh, that's what makes you beautiful? I answered my phone “Hello?, Mom what's wrong?, Okay, I'll be waiting out front. I love you too. Bye” Mark looked at me but didn't say anything “My dad, and Johnny were in a car accident on the way to the park. I will call you when I know more.”


“Hurry up, get in.” She was crying so hard, and swerving, so bad. “Mom, pull over, let me drive.” She stopped along the side of the road, next to the river. I had a strange feeling that she knew more than I did, but I didn't want to stress her anymore than she was already. I drove us to the E.R., we crashed through the front door. I saw Dad, and Johnny laying there in the I.C.U. “Dad! Johnny, Are you guys okay?” “Ma'am, we are going to have to ask you and your mother to leave.”, one of the nurses said to me. “ We aren't going anywhere! That is my husband, and son! We are not leaving until, we know that they are okay!” My mom broke down. My dad reassured “Honey, we will be fine! I promise. I love you!” “Mommy, please don't go! Toni, stay here with us, please.” Johnny woke-up and had convinced Mom, the nurses, and me that we needed to stay.

Mark walked up to their room. I walked out into the hallway, and quietly shut the door. “How are they, is Johnny okay? What about Robert, how is he? Are they going to be okay?” Mark swirled out all of his questions. I had endless tears streaming down my face. “They said, they are probably not going to make it, another 24 hours. Whatever they hit, they hit pretty bad. I'm not sure what exactly is wrong with them, but I know that...” Alarms were blaring all around us. I turned and looked into the room, Mom was completely coming apart. Nurses were running everywhere. Three nurses barged past Mark and I, and into Dad, and Johnny's room. I wasn't aloud to go in their. Everything got quiet, “Time of death 7:23 a.m.” My heart dropped, the same three nurses that went in the room came out, bringing Johnny out with them. “No! Johnny! You can't go! You can't leave! You can't go.” I turned around and saw Mark standing there, speechless. I ran over to him and he gave me a hug. I was sobbing, my mom was weeping heavily. I ran into see my dad, and I gave him a huge hug. “Everything is going to be okay, Dad. I promise.” Mark, Mom, and I were standing right alongside my dad's bed. I can't think, I can't speak. I can only cry. I stood there looking at my dad. “Everything happens for a reason.” Those were my dad's last words. Everything has fallen apart, walls have crumbled, and hope has faded.

Fifteen months after Johnny's and Dad's death, I am 18 years old. I visit them every Sunday, after church, and play my violin for them. I own Music-Tastic, now, with Mark. He and I have been together almost a year now. Mom works 13 hours at the hospital everyday except on Sunday's. I will never forget that day, but I have learned to use my music to help me grieve.