No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

I got the call about Conrad's accident two hours after it happened, from Dustin.

"Felicia, Rad's been in a crash, he's in critical condition. Can you come over?" Dustin's voice was laced with urgency. My hands trembled, and as the memory of our last argument flashed in my mind, my phone clattered to the floor. From the other end, Dustin heard the loud noise, "Felicia, are you okay? What happened?"

Fanny, who was cooking in the kitchen, rushed out, her eyes wide with concern.

Dustin's voice came through again, "Felicia, don't get it wrong, I'm not asking you to come and donate blood or anything... It's just... just that he was calling out your name when they loaded him into the ambulance." Fanny glanced between the buzzing phone and my shocked face, then picked up the device and spoke up, "Conrad and Felicia are no longer anything to each other. There's no need to drag her into this." The line went silent for a moment before Fanny hung up, then sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, "What is it with the Wagners? Trying to guilt-trip you into something with this news?"

"It's my fault," I murmured, a confession Fanny wasn't aware of - the fight I had with Conrad and the harsh words I had uttered.

Fanny, puzzled yet careful not to probe too deeply given my state, simply soothed, "Don't beat yourself up over this. It's not all on you."

I never went to the hospital, but my heart remained heavy.

be indifferent about what happened to him. The idea of him possibly dying terrified me. Without him, even my resentment seemed pointless. Ever since the Wagners confirmed the cause of my parents' death, I've been lost, confused, unsure of what to

thinking of visiting their graves," I mentioned once, but never found the courage, blaming myself for their demise. "Felicia, let's hike up the hill together," Fanny suddenly

especially since I hadn't been there since

and you make a wish," Fanny

was on vacation, and I was

hill, only to find the recent heavy rains had washed

It's a two-hour hike at least," Fanny asked, concern evident

Wagners, was now inaccessible by car, yet I found myself

summer heat promising sweat

a climb,

Emitted defeat, "Felicia, can't

do this. Not today."