I carried a bouquet of pink carnations, red roses, and baby's breath forward...

Carnations were my mother's favourite flower...

While I walked closer to her grave, Kai let me go ahead.

I hesitated a little before kneeling before her tombstone. I knew my aunt came often to clean her place of rest, so I only had to move a few fallen leaves...

The only time I was grateful towards my aunt... was her devotion to my mother.

"Hey mom... it's me... I know it's been a while...I'm sorry... that it took me so long to get here... but I'm here..." I laid the flowers above her grave and then sat down beside her more comfortably.

"I found myself in quite the interesting situation... and I met a family that has been keeping me busy..." I paused for a moment. "And I met someone... I think you would like him..." I briefly looked over my shoulder...

Kai was standing in the distance with his hands in his pockets. While looking up at the sky he closed his eyes.

"I want to introduce you to him... but first, let me tell you and interesting story about this old man I met..."

*

Some time later Kai sat down next to me. He bowed politely towards my mother's grave.

"Mom, this is Kai... the man I was telling you about..."

"It's nice to meet you..." Kai said. I held onto his hand.

"He's my partner..." that seemed to make him happy... so he squeezed my hand a little. He then looked down at the engravings and spoke shortly after.

"Evelyn... I promise to take care of your daughter... and I'm sure... you would be proud of her..."

I rested my head on his shoulder again and the two of his sat there talking for quite some time.

I promised her I would visit again, and while we left, hand in hand, I looked up at him again.

"You know... I wish we had met sooner..." I stopped and Kai followed my steps and then turned to face me.

"Mmm... but the most important thing is that we're together now..." I nodded while a gust of wind passed through us both. A fallen petal from somewhere brushed against my cheek... and while I turned to see where it flew off to... my mom's gravestone appeared in the distance...

"Let's go home..." Kai said and I smiled again... while walking forward together he also added: "I haven't been able to visit my parents... but I think I can... if you went with me."

I was a little stunned that he suggested that I would be the one to accompany him...

And in that moment, it felt like we were becoming stronger together... I nodded again while we walked back to his car...

*

When we got back to Ravenwolf manor, I was exhauted... all I wanted to do was sleep. Kai helped me take off my jacket and then we both walked into the foyer together.

For some reason it felt like I had forgotten something... but so many things had transpired in the last 24 hours that my brain wasn't catching up quite yet...

"You should rest a little..." Kai touched the top of my hand gently and I nodded...

When we were half-way up the steps I realized what I forgot. Kenz had asked me to help her with her art project...

"Damn!" I shouted, startling Kai who turned to me.

"What happened?"

"I need to find Kenz. I made a promise with her..." I started walking away and Kai reached out to hold onto my arm and I smiled. "It's okay... she just needed some help with her art project..."

I walked down the rest of the way with Kai, who told me he would head back to the office if I intended on keeping myself busy.

I thanked him again for bringing me home, but before we both parted ways, Edna came rushing in from the hallway on the other side.

"Kai! Kai! Oh, Hazel! I-I--" she said, while gasping for air. Kai and I had come together again to support her.

"Slow down a bit Edna... what happened?" I asked.

"It's... it's..." she was tearing up now. "Mackenzie..."

"What... what happened?" I asked again, trying to remain calm.

"She... she went out to get some groceries with Charlie and... and they passed a construction site and -and-and one of the plywood planks fell and the impact... she got hit... she-she was hurt..."

"What hospital is she at, Edna?" Kai spoke suddenly.

"There was... they told me she lost so much blood..." I covered my mouth briefly in horror and closed my eyes.

This can't be happening.

Not to Mackenzie...

Oh God... please... please no...

I turned around quickly, darting myself forward. Edna kept crying in the distance, but I realized there was no time. Kai quickly caught up to me.

"I'll drive us there. Edna! Please call Gerald for us and Cassandra! She'll fly back from New York!"

"Yes... yes of course!"

"And Nathan..." I whispered and Kai looked at me confused...

"I have to call Nathan..." I said.

When we entered the car together, my hand shook uncontrollably as I tried calling Nathan. Kai took my phone and dialed his number for me and handed it to me. He then put on our seat belts and he sped forward while my call connected with Nathan.

When we arrived at the hospital we went immediately to the Front Desk. Kai spoke to the Nurses and we rushed to the area they said she was undergoing surgery. When we saw a distraught Charlie he hadn't been able to wash the front of his shirt so it was covered in blood.

Seeing this scene, I stumbled... everything around me felt like it was moving. Kai held me up and Charlie rushed over to us.

"Is Hazel alright?" Charlie asked.

Kai nodded and then whispered to me: " I'm here for you..." I felt him stroke my upper back a little and I exhaled deeply.

"Kenz..." I said...

"How is she?" Kai followed up.

"It just... it just happened so quick..." Charlie said, while sitting down in defeat.

"She was skipping ahead of me and the worker accidentally... I tried screaming for her to move, but when I tried running to her... it already..."

"It's enough..." Kai said while he helped me over to sit next to James.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Kai said and Charlie shook his head.

"Uncle Gerald... we need to--"

"We already did..." there was a moment of silence between us all.

"Then, let's wait..." Kai then sat down next to me, quietly reaching out to hold onto my hand as my body trembled.

Another thirty minutes later a Doctor emerged from the OR and greeted us.

"Are you relatives of the patient?" Kai stood up immediately.

"Yes, Doctor. How is she?

"The cut was a bit deep so we will have to continue operating. But we need someone to sign some forms for us..." Kai nodded and the Doctor continued. "And we will need a next of kin to donate blood for a transfusion as soon as possible. In her case because she is a minor and--"

"That can be taken care of. Her father will be here soon..."

I looked up and my heart froze...

"Kai!" I turned to watch Gerald rush towards us. He held Kai's arm briefly while the Doctor explained the situation... my hands started shaking again and I held them together...

This couldn't possibly be happening...

"Anything... anything to save my daughter... I can help..."

"The nurse will draw in this case, if you can follow me. An immediate parent can donate since they will have a compatible blood type. Just to confirm, what is your blood type, sir?

"I'm A positive..." the Doctor paused for a moment, he suddenly became a little uncomfortable.

"A positive...?" he repeated. "I'm afraid you can't. Your daughter is B. She can only take B or O negative blood."

"What do you mean?" Gerald pressed.

"Her blood type is not compatible with yours."

"What does that mean?" everyone became silent.

"It means..." the doctor said...

And at that moment, I could hear footsteps from the distance... Nathan had arrived.