Heart Of Ice

light filtering through the delicate curtains. A

i

d by it, breath

as I remembered: my custom pink room, the baby pink curtains, and the pink s

ation of drowning. Water had filled my lungs; survival s

darkness engulfed me and convinced

ed... my

wly, I rubbed

as hap

ght have been

o real to be merely a

as. My engagement ring was still on my finger, as if I had never angr

eality of my existence,

aff, who worked

e other Hannah. I

as she drew back the curtains. They began

rds. My mind was still

ered the wetness, the drowning. I

w, I w

rned glances but con

in five minutes. Shall we

, finding it di

eft qu

slowly, my legs heavy as

e world wa

. I was ce

s the a

d around once more. W

ght my phone over, saying it had been ringing.

going through my phone, I no

ay be

it

his r

have turned b

drea

n, my personal assistant. I hadn't even noticed her

ng with confusion. The display read August 12th, but that was impossible; it should have be

e a look?"

ned it and then looked back at me,

she stated, passing

shaking my head. Lisa exchanged a glance with

y? Today's August 12th. It's a

ht was ludicrous, yet th

ade while drowning, pleading for salvat

interrupted

edule for

ld

had been gravely ill around this time and had been hospitalized. My

to Mabel

y father?"

ere there with him all day yesterday,"

r was st

ars welled u

as laced with worry as she came to my side,

bbing at my tears with a napkin

ents for today," I commanded, rising swiftly fro

nd hair hastily combed, I couldn't bear to delay f

cent was sharp in my nostrils as I approached my father's bed. His frail body l

ourned beside this very bed, feeling the void of h

med him had come without warning; a collapse in a meeting and he had been confined to this bed ever since. Even here, he ha

ead of what seemed like surrender. But now, after my near-death experience at the hands o

y, and I barely registered his pre

me in silence

We're running out of time," he said, his v

and the doctor nodded

Taking his hand in mine, I wished desperately for him to open his ey

die on me..

solved into sobs. As my tears spilled onto hi

within me as

little longer. I can't endure losing y

whisper, he responded, "Maya, my

ll I have left. Mom's gone, and now you

d not hee

but one final

tures as I asked, "What is

could not ignore. "Promise me, Maya. Pro

g you ask, Dad.

I di

ase, don't talk like

ed, yet

meet with Nicholas Moretti

won't let that happen," I vowed

you won't marry Michael Pritchet

m. I wondered if he somehow knew what Micha

n the kind of man

. I had threatened to estrange myself from him if he prevented me from marrying Michael, which had led him to re

e. And I, the foolish daughter

p on my father's hand ti

I will not marry