The next morning, my name is all over the news. I wake the entire town up to ghastly news of the mayor's son kidnapping and attempted murder of a father and daughter. The media even digs up articles from my old car crash and mentions my coma and amnesia.

They're now officially calling me, 'The Girl Who Survived'.

I'm not sure how to react to that, but I'm definitely missing school for an entire week until the public's attention on me has died down. Reporters are swarming the front yard, leaving me without a choice but to stay cooped up in my bedroom. Thankfully, Judy, my baby cousin, is here to keep me company.

She's doodling on my cast. Drawing a tiny Mr. SpongeBob and Mr. Patrick in her yellow and pink glitter pens. Her voice is high and bubbly. "Do you like them?"

I grin and ruffle her hair. "I love it, but don't you think we're missing somebody?"

"Who? Mr. Squidward?" I nod and she squeals. "I can't believe I forgot about him! He gets jealous easily."

"We definitely can't leave him out then." I hand her a green glitter pen this time. "Here you go."

Judy keeps drawing, knowing well enough to draw along my wrist and avoid the fingers.

Last night at the hospital, I had an X-ray scan. It turns out that I've broken my index finger and sprain the rest when I punched Gavin. The joints are swollen, and it hurts at the slightest movement. After making sure the bones are all aligned, a nurse has helped to bandage my hand.

I remember leaving the room while cradling it. Kyle had looked at me with pained eyes, even if he didn't look in a better shape than I am. He was still sporting a huge bruise right below his left eye and a couple of bruises on his knuckles. But unlike me, he didn't break any fingers because he knows how to throw a punch properly.

As for my father, the two-inch stab wound on his thigh didn't, thankfully, sever any major blood vessels. He has been stitched up and needs several weeks of rest before he can walk well again. I've dropped by his ward once earlier, but he was asleep, so I figured I'll visit again later. After all, I do owe him an apology for treating him rudely and mistaking him as my stalker.

And Gavin... Well, the police tell us he's awake after having a surgery to extract the bullets from his wounds. Perhaps because he knows that he's at his wits' end, we are told that his mental state has become frenzied. While being kept under close watch, he has been bemoaning his innocence for hours. Yelling at officers to call his lawyer and family.

I tell the police everything that I can recall — his past relationship with my mother and his stalking. I even hand them the thumb drive Mom left behind, along with the password that I finally remember back in the car. One which I realize I haven't tried the first time I attempted to access.

Mom's car-plate number.

And inside the thumb drive, we find tons of documents on fund embezzlement of the company and pictures and videos of girls who were secretly filmed. Mom seemed to have copied the entire folder from Gavin's computer before she died. Now, the evidence is in the police's hands. Safe.

Gavin is to appear in court with me a few weeks later, where he'll be facing multiple charges. Including injuring a police officer and three counts of murder attempts; Mom, Dad and I.

I'm not looking forward to seeing Gavin, but I can't wait for him to carry out his sentence. Each time I close my eyes and picture him in his cell, I can see him giving me that creepy smile. His eyes look wild and feverish like a maniac, his hands gripping the metal bars even tighter. Snarling at me.

Thankfully, Kyle's family knows a brilliant lawyer, and he's coming down to tackle the case. All I know is that there's a strong likelihood that they will give Gavin life imprisonment. He can't hide his true colors anymore, not when there are many witnesses and firm evidence against him.

Down in the kitchen, Aunt Abbie is busy preparing lunch. The doorbell rings and I hear familiar voices in the house. Excitement builds up within me. I leave Judy in the room as she continues drawing, and I head down the stairs alone. My eyes immediately meet my friends and a smile automatically grows on my face. Kyle is the last one to enter as he shuts the door behind him. He grins at me just as I'm ambushed by Blaire and Ian.

"Riley! You're alive!"

I'm crushed by their hug. Surprise ripples through me and before I know it, I'm returning the gesture. "Ow, hey, hey. Watch my hand."

They mumble a sheepish apology as I question them. "How did you guys get past the reporters?"

Ian shrugs. "Easy there. Just stand behind Blaire and she'll bulldoze her way through the yard."

I laugh just as Kyle moves around us to stand behind me and places an arm around my shoulder. Blaire smirks at us. "Dang, girl! I can't believe you had a psychotic stalker on your tail but you didn't tell me a word about it?! Thank goodness you and Evans are alright, otherwise, I might have to kick that sicko's ass myself."

We laugh at the way she runs a thumb across her neck and clicks her tongue in a deadpan manner. Ian turns towards us, unable to hide the curiosity. "Tell me everything, guys. From the beginning to the end. Dad says this Gavin guy has tried to escape from the ward despite his injuries."

Right, his dad works at the hospital, so of course he would know about it. "Did he?"

"Yeap. Took three officers to hold him and restrain him. Can't believe you guys knocked him out by yourselves." Ian glances down at my cast, that's covered in colorful drawings, and raises an amused brow. "Cute cast, by the way."

I grin. "It's Judy's masterpiece. Want her to draw one for you too?"

"Will she? I'm such a big fan of SpongeBob too. Used to watch for hours until the TV overheated and broke down. Dad got mad."

"But first," Kyle cuts in with a smirk. "You'll need to break an arm or leg of yours."

Frowning, Blaire crosses her arms protectively as Ian hides behind her. "Hey, Evans. I'll break your hand first before you get to Ian."

"Kids!" Aunt Abbie shouts from the kitchen. "Lunch is ready. Come and eat!"

We exchange a look and burst out laughing before settling around the table. Aunt Abbie serves piping hot spaghetti on our plates while Uncle Dave carries a giggling Judy and joins us at the table. Ian, Blaire and Kyle bicker over their favorite bands and which songs are better.

I look around me, running my gaze over every face. Surrounded by family and friends, I can't stop wondering how blessed I am. Why did I ever think I was alone? I may have lost precious things in my life, but I've also gained something else.

Life works like a traditional balancing scale. We lose things; we gain things. What we can do now is to appreciate what we have now and not lose hope during our darkest seasons of life.

"Riley?" Kyle's voice jolts me from my train of thoughts. He takes my hand underneath the table, wondering why I've gone all silent. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head. It feels like a long time since we gathered with our family and friends. And not going to lie, it's the best feeling in the world. The only person missing is Mom, but even if I can't see her or talk to her, I know she will forever live on in my heart.

I won't forget her. I won't let myself do that.

"Kyle? What do you think Mom would say if she sees us like this?"

My quiet tone surprises him, but it doesn't take him long to respond by squeezing my hand once. "I think," he beams, "she would say that she's so damn proud of you. Just like me."

And those words make my tears flow.

***

- Two months later -

I haven't been to the airport before, not that I remember much. But I definitely did not expect it to be this crowded. People from different countries wheeze past me, speaking in languages that I don't understand. There are long lines in front of check-in counters and I see several flight attendants glide past me with their luggages for their next flight.

I'm pulling a luggage too, but it's not mine. Today, Dad's flying home to Philadelphia and I'm accompanying him all the way to the boarding area. He didn't want me to carry his luggage, but I insisted. His wound is healing without the stitches and he's walking well, but I'm still worried.

The past few weeks were...a little awkward. The first time I properly met Dad at the hospital, I apologized to him for all the misunderstandings and he did too. Ever since then, we met up a couple more times to catch up on our lives, including having that meal together that he always wanted. He has been sharing with me about Mom and their past, never leaving out the details about how they broke up. He wants me to understand the failings in their relationship and he's taking all the blame for it.

I've given him a chance, and he's trying to be a dad. He's making up to me for all the years that he didn't spend by my side. A for effort, I guess. However, I'm still not ready to go anywhere with him. It's still somewhat awkward to call him Dad. I guess we still need more time to get comfortable around each other.

I clear my throat and turn to meet his gaze. "So... This is it."

I hand him his luggage and he studies me quietly with that hopeful expression that he often gives whenever he approaches topics like this. "You sure you don't want to come back with me?"

"No," I reply without hesitation. I'm certain of this. "Lakeshore is where I grew up. I want to finish high school here."

He nods once, but I don't miss the disappointment that flickers in his eyes. "Alright, Riley. If that's what you want. But you can drop by our place for a visit someday. Your grandma would love to meet you."

"Sure." My family is growing bigger, and it brings a smile to my face at the thought of it. "I would love to."

He shuffles his weight between his feet, giving me a small smile. "You remember that your mother called me once before to take care of you, right?"

I nod, and he continues. "Well, she said I would regret not being a father once I see you, and she's right. I do. I'm really sorry for not being there for you. But just know that I'll always have your back and you can contact me. If you need help, I'll be here in a jiffy. I promise. I'll visit you as much as I can."

He reaches out to give me a hug—an action that stuns me. His touch is full of gentleness, just like how Uncle Dave would hug Judy. It's the same affectionate gesture that I never knew I was jealous of until now. I've been yearning for a parent's touch for a long time and this is the first time I'm getting one.

I return his hug.

"I'll hold you to that promise."