June 5th, 2011 was the day that Rachel always tried to erase. The day that began her lifelong childhood trauma that was last until the day she would pass. It was 2 months after her 7th birthday and everything was great. Her family seemed so happy and loving, she had nothing to worry about.
"Good morning Rachel" She felt a hand touch her leg as she opened her eyes. She looked up to see her dad standing there beside her bed.
"Morning dad!!" Rachel said with her usual bubbly tone. She was typically a happy child, always had everything she ever wanted.
Her dad leaned in and kissed her cheek, "I love you" He said.
"I love you too dad" Rachel said happily. Her dad left the room, looking at her room quickly before he closed the door. Andrea came upstairs to help Rachel get ready for her playdate she had with Emma.
"Just wear it" Andrea said as she was trying to convince Rachel to let her pick her outfit. Rachel was never into her mom picking out her things, she liked to wear whatever she thought fit.
"No!" Rachel fussed. She usually didn't stop until she got what she wanted, but on that day she let her mom pick out her outfit.
"You'll like it" Andrea said as she went through her closet, going through all of the shirts she had. Andrea suddenly stopped at the sight of this one blue shirt. The shirt drew the eyes of both Rachel and Andrea.
"Please, mommy can I wear this?" Rachel asked with her pouty face and bubbly eyes. Andrea took the shirt off of the hanger and handed it to Rachel. You know when you see something you like it and suddenly you just feel calm? That's how she felt. Andrea helped Rachel put it on as she grabbed a pair of black leggings from the drawer.
"Do you like it, Rachel?" Andrea asked with a smile as she watched her daughter dance around. Rachel stopped and nodded her head yes. Andrea smiled and took her daughter downstairs to finish preparing for the playdate with Emma. Rachel grabbed her bottle filled with apple juice and put it into her playdate bag. Yes, she had a bag dedicated to going to playdates.
"Do you want some animal crackers?" Andrea asked as she held the huge tin of animal crackers.
"Yes please," Rachel said with a smile brighter than a fresh lightbulb. Andrea took a handful of animal crackers and put them into a small container. Rachel got all of her things ready, very quickly. As she was about to sit down on the couch she heard a loud bang, it was the loudest noise she had ever heard in her entire life.
"Mommy, what was that?" Rachel asked. Andrea shrugged her shoulders,
"I don't know, maybe daddy dropped something downstairs," She said with a smile. Rachel brushed it off and watched cartoons while her mom finished getting her things ready.
"Rachel, Emma's here!" Andrea yelled from across the room. Rachel's face always lit up with excitement when she heard Emma's name. Rachel grabbed her bag and kissed her mother goodbye as she ran outside and went into the backseat of Emma's mom's car. Andrea knew something was up from the minute she heard the loud bang, she had this weird feeling at the bottom of her stomach. As if something was wrong, happened. It was a feeling of uncertainty and unpleasantness. Andrea turned off the TV and opened the door to the basement.
"Mike" She called out. No response. She walked down the basement, and once she could see into the open space her heart stopped.
"MIKE" She yelled in tears as she ran towards his lifeless body. She dropped to the floor, creating another loud bang. He wasn't even breathing. There was a gun beside him, covered in droplets of blood. Andrea has never cried louder. They were high school sweethearts, with so much happiness together. She couldn't save him, nobody could have.
Andrea picked herself up from the floor and called 911 and within minutes there was an ambulance putting on the white covering over his dead body. She touched his face for the last time, shedding tears so fast.
Andrea used her phone to call Emma's mom.
"Hello, Andrea!" Emma's mom said happily into the phone. Andrea took a deep breath in between her sobs.
"Can you please drive Rachel home?" She said. Her sentences were choppy and barely audible.
"Sure," Emma's mom said. The call ended and Andrea waited outside the house for her 7-year-old daughter to come. Within the hour, Andrea saw the car. Rachel's face was filled with confusion. Emma looked around the house and eyed at Rachel. They both got out of the car, Emma staying her distance beside her mom. Rachel came running up to Andrea, collapsing into her weak arms.
"What happened mommy?" Rachel said as she watched her mom cry.
"Daddy is gone," Andrea said, quietly. Rachel's heart then broke for the first time. Rachel couldn't seem to process the words completely.
"Gone for what?" Rachel said. She was thinking just for a while maybe, for a vacation without them. At least that's what she was hoping for.
���Gone forever" Those words brought permanent damage to Rachel. Emma and her mom watched the 2 sit on the front steps crying.