Hayes, age 4:
"Mama, can we get ice cream?" Hayes bounced up and down in her seat. She was getting impatient, having to be in her car seat this whole time. Anyone who knew Hayes knew that she did not like to sit still. She was the perfect example for endless energy.
Mama and Hayes were currently waiting in the car for Dakota to be done with his travel soccer practice. Usually Mama would make the trip by herself, leaving Hayes at home with the rest of her brothers, but Colton was busy studying for a big test he had the following day and she didn't want Hayes to be an additional distraction. Glen and Francis had been easily entertained by television and Emerson was at his own sports practice and would be dropped off at home by a teammate. Unlike her brothers, Hayes was a Velcro baby through and through and it was her three eldest brothers who she attached too.
It felt like they've been there forever and ever, in Hayes time. In reality, it had only been 15 minutes.
"I don't know baby, it's almost time for bed." Mama sighed. It was approaching 8pm. She was beyond exhausted dealing with 6 kids all day on top of experiencing one of her sad moods. It was typical for her around the 4 month mark of her husband's deployment. She missed her husband.
"Oh please, please, please, pleaseeeee!" Hayes clasped her hands in prayer. "Mama please! Good girl, I am!"
Hayes' mother laughed, releasing some stress from her shoulders. Hayes had a special talent for lightening the mood. "How about this, Honey: You can ask Kota when he gets in the car, okay? He might be too tired for ice cream."
Hayes blew a raspberry. What blasphemy. Who could ever be too tired for ice cream?
The backseat door next to Hayes opened and a sports bag was tossed across her lap onto the seat next to her. Hayes squealed in excitement at the site of her brother. "Kota, Kota guess what!"
Dakota bent into the car to look at the giggly 5 year old. "Chicken butt."
She rapidly shook her head side to side. "Nooooo Kota! This is matter serious! Mama said we get ice cream but, but you have to say yes so please yes ice cream! Yes yes yes!"
Dakota blinked, taking in that rapid fire.
"Hayes, let him get in the car first." Mama stepped in.
"Sounds like we have an ice cream date." Dakota winked at Hayes before shutting the backdoor and getting into the passenger seat.
Hayes cheered. "Oh yes! I knew he'd say yes! I told you! Mama we're getting ice cream!" She kicked her legs back and forth, accidently hitting Dakota's seat.
He turned around to face her, a playful glare on his face. "That was mean."
Not afraid of him, Hayes stuck her tongue out and kicked his chair again. This time Dakota was prepared. He grabbed her foot and began tickling her leg. "Little Miss Sunshine is gonna be tickled to death if she doesn't stop."
Hayes broke out into giggles, "Sorry, I sorry! Stop!"
"Seatbelt please" Mama reminded Dakota.
"Yes ma'am." Dakota released her leg, turning around in his seat to buckle up.
"Alright, let's go get some ice cream."
----
911, what is the address of your emergency?
Please! Send help, oh my God. He, he drove right into them. The car rolled over!
Can you tell me where you are?
The intersection of um, Crisler and John's road. Oh God, there's kids in the car. Hurry!
------
The smell of burnt rubber filled the air. Glass covered the ground. There was screaming. So much screaming. Hayes whined, covering her ears. Please, make it stop.
"Call 911! Quick!" There were people shouting from outside the car.
Hayes couldn't understand what they were saying, but at least the loud screaming stopped. Hesitantly, she lowered her hands and blinked a couple times trying to adjust to the darkness. She had had her eyes squeezed tight for some reason. Looking around, she realized she was still strapped in her car seat.
"Mama?" she whispered. "Mama!" she began to panic.
"Fuck, there's kids in the car. We need an ambulance!" The voice sounded like it was getting closer to Hayes, but she didn't recognize it.
"Mama, where are you?" she cried.
Suddenly a head popped up next to Hayes, causing her to scream.
"Hey Sweetie. You're doing so good. Help is coming. You're such a brave girl." They tried to soothe the traumatized little girl.
Hayes' bottom lip quivered. She wanted her brothers. She wanted to go home. She gasped.
Kota!
She instantly started wiggling around in her seat trying to look for her big brother. "Kota." She whimpered.
"Hey hey, easy now. Stop moving." The stranger pleaded with her. This was a horrific-looking crash. It seemed like it was a miracle that Hayes was even conscious right now.
Sirens were heard in the distance, getting louder and louder.
There was a groan from the front seats that caught Hayes attention. "Hayes? Hayes! Are you okay? Oh God. Mom? Mom wake up!"
Hayes started crying again.
Mama? Kota? Please. Help.
----
3 months later:
Drugs were a dangerous thing. Mama knew this but yet, they made her feel so good, so calm, so happy. She easily fell into the downward spiral of drugs and alcohol. If it weren't for those drugs, she'd probably be the walking dead by now. Depressed out of her mind, always in pain, and stuck raising her children all on her own while her wonderful husband was off saving the world. Damn bastard, deploying to war once again the moment she was able to walk out of the hospital on her own two feet.
"Mama no! I no want to go!" Hayes cried, trying to pull her hand out of her mama's grip. Her panic intensifying as she saw where they were heading. She didn't like going for car rides any more.
But those drugs. She could rely on those drugs. Her drugs didn't leave her alone at night with nothing but her sad thoughts and a cold bed.
"You're hurting me" she whimpered. Hayes was practically running to keep up with her mama's long strides.
But her fucking sons caught on. God, she didn't realize how much better it was when Austin and Baker were away at college, and not up her ass sticking their noses in her business. It was so peaceful without them. They thought she had a drug problem and needed help. How dare they give her an ultimatum - threaten her with rehab or Austin would file for custody of his siblings.
She'd show them. Screw them for threatening her. She'll hurt them right where it hurts the most. Hit them where they were most vulnerable - their precious baby sister.
"I want to stay here." Glen was frightened by Mama right now. His brothers had been constantly warning him to not go anywhere with her, and to especially not leave Hayes alone with her. They all took on this new protective role but it was a lot of pressure for the 7 year old.
Mama put her plan into action in the middle of the night, not realizing that Glen and Hayes had been sharing the bed lately. When she went to scoop Hayes out of bed, Glen woke up as well and refused to let them leave without him. Mama threatened Glen to not wake up his brothers or he'd be in trouble.
In her crazed state of mind, Mama was about to do the one thing she previously swore to herself she would never ever do: go see her biological father.
"Shut up." She hissed, stopping abruptly in the middle of the walk way. "Shut up with your whining. We are getting on that bus right now." She started walking again, yanking her two unwilling children along.
Next stop: Florida.