Isabella's sophomore year flew by. She started every game for her volleyball team and she and Scarlett lead the team to win the state title. Scarlett and Isabella also got honored as Under Armour All-American's.

"Can I come in?" Isabella asks and knocks on Lindsey and I's bedroom door.

"Yes Bella." Lindsey says while cuddled up to me.

Isabella opens the door then walks over to the bed and sits in front of Lindsey and I.

"What's up Bella Boo?" I ask after Lindsey and I sit up against the headboard.

"So the school year is over..." Isabella says.

"It is." Lindsey says.

"And there's this party tonight..."

"Okay?"

"Can I go?"

"Who's house?" Lindsey asks.

"You don't know him." Isabella says.

"Isabella." I say. "Who's house?"

"Darren's." Isabella whispers.

Great the school drug and alcohol dealer.

"So there's gonna be drugs and alcohol there." Lindsey says.

"maybe." Our daughter mumbles.

"Sorry Isabella." I say. "But we don't want you at a party like that."

"UGH I HATE YOU." Isabella shouts and goes to walks out of our room.

"ISABELLA OCÉANE HORAN GET OVER HERE...NOW". Lindsey yells and points to the bed.

Well that escalated quickly.

Isabella stops in the doorway and doesnt move.

"Don't make me tell you again Isabella." Lindsey says in her stern voice.

Isabella grumpily turns around stomps over to our bed then plops down.

"Isabella." I say then sigh when my daughter glares at me. "baby we aren't trying to shelter you."

"Then why can't I go?" Isabella angrily asks.

I look at Lindsey and try not to cry at the memory of the day that changed my life forever.

"Mama?" Isabella slowly asks.

Her voice isn't angry anymore. It's laced with confusion and sadness.

"When I was 15 I went to a house party with my friends for some reason. During the party I was nursing my first beer when someone slipped something into my drink."

I look at Isabella and I see her eyes are a bit watery so I pull her onto my lap and wrap her in my arms.

"Throughout the rest of the night I felt myself going in and out of consciousness and at some point I passed out. I woke up while a guy was raping me and I tried to get him off, but I was to weak. The guy didn't stop until he had finished then he left me and a couple weeks later I found out I was pregnant. Word was spread around school that I was pregnant and the guy searched for me and then cornered me and beat me within an inch of my life and ended up killing the baby. I survived because someone drove by and saw everything happen."

"Mama." Isabella whispers and lays her head on my shoulder.

"After the dude was convicted I tried to go back to normal life, but couldn't so I packed up my stuff from my grandparents..."

"So your back pack and all you could put in it." Isabella says.

She asked a couple years ago about my parents and so I told them how they died and I told her about my grandparents.

"Correct." I say and kiss my little girl's head as Lindsey rubs Isabella's legs to comfort her. "I packed everything up and left to Iceland where nobody could find me...You want to know why I have these two EKG's tattooed on me?" I say.

After I collapsed on the field in 2026, Lindsey, Isabella, and I went to a cardiologist to see what my options were and while we were there the doctor ran an EKG on me. Isabella wanted to see her heartbeat so the doctor graciously took an EKG of Isabella and then, per Isabella's request, took an EKG of Lindsey. When nobody was looking I took the pieces of paper with me and then a couple days later I had my girls' EKG's tattooed on right forearm.

"Why?"

"Because these are the heartbeats that keep me going." I say then take a deep breath. "Isabella I never want you to have to go through what I did growing up. We aren't trying to be prude's with you...We just don't want you to get hurt."

"Oh Mama." Isabella says with a soft smile then kisses my cheek.

"Now Bella you can go to parties." Lindsey says and Isabella smiles. "Just not this one."

Isabella's smile drops.

"You are grounded for the weekend and the three of us are going to have some family time. We'll do whatever you want, but we have to do it as a family."

"That actually sounds really nice Mommy." Isabella says.

"It really does." I say.

"Mama"

"Yes Baby."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. I don't really hate you."

"I know Babygirl...Now give Mommy and I some sugar." I say.

Isabella smiles then kisses my cheek then gets off my lap and crawls onto Lindsey's lap and kisses her Mommy's cheek.

"Mama?" Isabella asks as Lindsey wraps her arms around our daughter.

"Yes baby?"

"Did you pick out a name?"

"I did."

"What was it?"

"For a boy it would have been Reid Elijah and for a girl Aspen Elena."