After the storm

Growing up, my life was filled with love and happiness. I could say I was the happiest kid on the planet. I had everything I wanted and was given the best life anyone could ever imagine. My name is Kim Ji-an, I'm 18 years old and from South Korea, although I was born in California, USA. My parents met in college. My dad graduated from medical school and became a respected doctor, working for one of the largest hospitals in California. My mom also graduated and became a nurse. A few years later, they got married and had me. I grew up surrounded by love from both of my parents, and my dream was always to become an artist. I lived the kind of life people only dream of, we had the nicest house in the best neighborhood. I went to a private school, wore the best clothes, and ate the finest foods. I also had a best friend named Kang Tae hwan. We went to the same school and lived in the same neighborhood. His family, like mine, was Korean, so our families were really close. His dream was to become a singer, and he was an amazing dancer. He taught me how to dance and sing, and we did almost everything together. Life was perfect, and I was genuinely happy. That is, until my 10th birthday. I still remember that day as if it happened yesterday. It was my 10th birthday, and my mom came home early from work to set everything up for my party. We invited friends and neighbors, and of course, my best friend was there. My dad was running late, and then, out of nowhere, a heavy rainstorm hit. Despite the weather, my mom insisted on going ahead with the party, but I still wanted my dad to be there. He had never missed one of my birthday parties. So, I called him, asking him to hurry up. He said he was with a patient, but he was on his way home. We all waited eagerly for him to arrive. But just minutes after I hung up with my dad, my mom received a call from the hospital that my dad had been in an accident and he didn’t make it. In an instant, my entire world came crashing down. My mom collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital and she was confirmed to be three weeks pregnant. It felt like everything I knew was lost in the blink of an eye.