His little secret, my sweet sin

~Maryjane’s POV~ It was bright until it was not, from little rain drops to violent torrents. Laughter and screams filled the air tightening further the already tight knot in my stomach. “Don’t worry mommy, daddy will be here soon with our pop-shi-cules” Sky chirped, her small hand slipping into mine. I forced a smile, my heart heavy with anxiety as I stared into empty space. Another missed outing, another missed opportunity to spend time with his daughter. It wasn’t like him, not really. He was always so present, so involved. Sky, oblivious to my unease, tugged on my hand, her eyes wide with excitement. “Look mommy! A kitten!” I knelt down, my smile resurfacing as I watched Sky’s face light up as she petted the cute little creature. For a brief moment, I forgot Christopher, his sudden withdrawal, and the growing chasm between us. At that moment all that mattered to me was Sky, her laughter, her excitement. As the day dragged on, Sky, tired from the day’s adventures, started to get fussy. I carried her, her head resting on my shoulder as we made our way back to the car. I placed her in the back seat and secured her toddler's chair tight to the car seat watching in adoration as she babbled something. The rain began again, a gentle drizzle at first, then morphed into a storm. I could barely see the road, my windshield wipers struggling to keep up. Suddenly, a kid on a bike swerved onto the roadside from one of those tracks in the bushes on the left side of the road. I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat. “Watch out!” I screamed, but it was too late. I slammed on the brakes. We skidded across the wet pavement, tires screeching, the car fishtailing violently before tumbling twice. I braced myself, my eyes squeezed shut, a silent prayer escaping my lips. Then a crash. There was silence, deafening silence only broken by the distant distorted ringing in my ears. I opened my eyes, the smell of burning rubber wafting across my nostrils. My eyes darted to the back seat, panic coursing through my body as I couldn't hear a single sound. “Sky?” I croaked, “Sky?” I had never hoped for Sky to let out one of those annoying cries as I hoped for it now. But there was no answer. I tried to move but my body felt heavy, unresponsive. I could feel a warm sticky fluid seeping into my clothes. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I saw it, the car seat, overturned in the wreckage, there was blood and more blood. Was it mine? Was it Sky’s? My heart plummeted to the depths of my stomach. “God please” the words got caught in my throat. I tried to scream, to reach out, but there was no sound. I could smell gas. My vision faded to black and back more times than I could count. Then I saw her. My sky. She lay motionless, her small body hanging upside down. My breath hitched in my throat. I tried to crawl towards her, my body aching, but I was trapped beneath the weight of the dashboard. “Sky please”. “Say so…something to mommy”. I whispered my throat constricted. There was no response. No movement. No sound. The possibilities were cold and crippling. I could hear the sirens in the distance. Lights flashed. I saw the figures rushing towards me, “No….n….no help her” I managed to voice out. It seemed like I wasn't audible enough. They pulled me out of the wreckage, I could hear them talk but their voices seemed muffled. I could barely make out what they were saying. “You have to relax ma’am,” one of the female attendants said. “No, no my baby...my baby she's in there” I tried to protest, staggering towards another suited-up individual close to the wreckage. “Please help her,” I said to him. Why was nobody listening to me!! “MY BABY IS IN THERE!!!” I screamed with all the strength I could muster. Everyone turned to look at me and finally, I could see two officials moving back to the wreckage to pull Sky out. “Pulse is weak……” “Internal bleeding…..” “Need some Epi stat….” “….is she gonna make it….” I watched as they loaded my baby onto the stretcher. One was checking for a pulse, another was trying to clear her airway. “Respiratory rate is zero,” One of the paramedics declared. “No pulse, pupils dilated and fixed”. My heart shattered. “CPR!” Another voice barked. “Two minutes, start compressions”. I watched in horror as they worked and I must have begged God more times than I could keep up. “Clear!” “Again!” “Push 1mg of epinephrine now!” “Clear!” “Should we push another dose?” another paramedic asked frantically. I looked at the sullen face of the man who had been barking the orders. “Don’t you dare give up on my child! You all are a bunch of incompetent fools!” I clenched my fist in rage. “No! I'll pay, the government pays you f***s! Keep trying, bring her back! please!” what initially Sounded like fits of rage had quieted down to painful sobs and pleas. They glanced at me, eyes filled with weariness, “Ma’am we’ve tried everything we can”. “No!” I screamed again, my voice cracking. “You don't understand! She's my daughter! My baby! My only child! You have to f*****g do something!” My knees met the tarred floor, tears streaming down my face, my screams echoing as I begged for my daughter's life. “Keep trying, please keep trying” I wiped my eyes, advancing towards the stretcher. “I’ll do it, just charge the damn thing” Everyone just kept staring at me, eyes clouded with pity but it couldn't deter me. Nothing, absolutely nothing else mattered. I looked around and no one seemed to be on my side. The paramedics were starting to pack up. At that moment I saw Christopher’s call, I smashed my cell against the pavement, repeatedly stepping on it as I cursed. I closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face, and let the darkness consume me. I knew my world had shattered and I would never be the same again. “Time of death,” he sighed, his voice heavy with grief, “7:16PM”.