“Allison, look over there! Above the oak tree, it’s a falling star,” Mom exclaimed, pointing toward the sky as she lay on her back on the family’s very worn trampoline on top of a pile of pillows and blankets. The moon was brighter than usual and cast a soft glow on the family’s backyard and the surrounding neighborhood.
“Mom, that’s a plane,” Allison said, rolling her eyes but smiling. She watched the small light above the oak tree drift across the sky until the clouds covered it.
“No, I’m pretty sure it was a shooting star. You need to make a wish. You too, kiddo.” Mom nudged Tyler in the ribs. Tyler groaned and pulled his knit cap down over his eyes. Allison looked over at her mom lying next to her and caught a glimpse of Tyler with an expression of pure boredom on his face as he lay on the other side of their mother. Allison threw a pillow at him, which landed right on his face.
“Pillows are for laying on not throwing, right Mom?” Tyler said as he threw an annoyed glance at Allison. Mom patted Tyler’s leg.
“Oh, you are right. Pillows are not for throwing, they are for laying. And . . .” Mom jumped up, grabbing a pillow. “For hitting!” Mom smacked Tyler across the chest and scurried away to the opposite side of the trampoline. Tyler and Allison both jumped up, grabbing pillows and moving out of range from their mother. Mom lunged forward, smacking Allison on her butt with the pillow. Tyler turned and landed his on Mom’s back. He was smiling now. They all were, and laughing. They continued their pillow fight until they were all struggling for breath.
“Truce?” Mom offered, looking at her children with a pleading look on her face. “I’m too old for this.”
“You started this!” Allison said with a laugh. But she dropped her pillow anyway and let her body fall back into the center of the pile of blankets. Tyler did the same, landing next to Allison’s right side. Mom then lay down on Allison’s left using her fight pillow to prop up her knees. She did this frequently when she lied down; she told Allison it took pressure off her back.
“You kids are getting older,” Mom said. Allison would be entering college next fall while Tyler would be embarking on his last year in high school. “I just can’t believe how quickly time flies.” Mom sighed and looked over at both Tyler and Allison. “I want you both to know how much I love you. I will always love you, no matter what happens. No matter what you do. You both are my world; do not forget that. And if you ever miss me when you are away just look at the sky because that’s what I will do when I miss you. I will look at the sky and know that no matter how far apart we are, we are all under the same sky.” Mom turned her head away from her children but not before Allison caught a glimpse of the tears in her eyes. “Of course, once you are both at college you will be too busy to miss your old boring mother!” Mom said with a joking tone. Tyler reached across Allison and grabbed his mother’s hand.
“Mom, I will miss you and I will come home every holiday because I am the good kid. I can’t speak for Allison, here.” He shot Allison a smirk. Allison smiled at her brother’s teasing and put her hand on top of her mother’s and brother’s hands.
“I will come home too, Mom. I will always come home.” Allison squeezed their hands and she looked at her mother. “I promise.”
The next morning the ache from the electrical burns was a not-so-gentle reminder of her stupidity. She gently peeled back the bandages, expecting to see the raw, angry, seared flesh from the night before. Her eyes widened as she stared at her hands. The burns were nothing like the night before; some areas were already healed. Am I Wolverine now or something?
She walked down the hall, passing Sandra and Dave’s room, the faint sounds of snoring muffled behind the solid wood door. The kitchen table was upright again, although slightly wobbly. The tile floor had fresh cracks split across it. The door appeared to be in working order despite the splintered frame, but when Allison applied gentle pressure to open it, it fell to the ground, hanging on the injured frame by one hinge. Allison leaned against the wall looking at her almost perfectly healed hands, surrounded by the destruction she caused. Tears burned her eyes; her chest tightened in a vice of fear. What the fuck am I?
Dave entered the kitchen as her tears began to fall. He sat next to her on the floor, engulfing her in his arms. She buried her face into his chest as she cried.
“Why me?” Allison sobbed. “Why am I still alive? Why me?”
“I can’t answer that.” Dave stroked her hair.
“Look! How can this happen?” Allison held out her healing hands. “I don’t deserve to be alive. I don’t deserve to have super strength. I don’t deserve to heal quickly. It shouldn’t be me.”
“But it is you. You healed, you overcame what millions could not. The actual question is what are you going to do with it?” His eyes locked with hers in an intense stare.
“What do you mean?”
“You were given gifts. Life when others died. Physical strength beyond that of anyone normal person. The ability to heal quickly when hurt. So what are you going to do? Wallow in self-pity or get your shit together and do some good?”
“Maybe I should help Dr. Neff. Maybe that’s my purpose. To help create the cure.”
“I am not saying that. I don’t trust that man. He is a vile human being who will do whatever he finds necessary to get what he
