Shae never thought her life would lead her back to Chicago, let alone to be a mother. When she found out she was pregnant, she was scared shitless. She didn't think the father would want anything to do with them, since the hook ups were meant to fuel a hole so big, neither knew what to do with it. But needless to say, her and Amelia were better off without the dad in the picture. But that wasn't all Shae was afraid of. Her drug use and blatant disregard for her own safety was enough to concern any therapist. And knowing herself, she should have gotten committed long ago. No one really knew her past and she didn't let a lot of people know if for various reasons. You even mutter the word r a p e and people look at you different. It was almost taboo to say it so she kept that part of her a secret, even years later. It's probably a reason she's so fucked up, having not dealt with the trauma at all since it happened.
But now her and Amelia were living life in Chicago and even though Shae had suffer an incredible loss after the train explosion, she couldn't really complain about her life. She was on track to going back to school for business and psychology, wanting to further herself than just the owner of a coffee shop. She had plans of making her cafe a franchise but she needed the business aspect to get things off the ground. Just thinking about it filled her with anxiety but also the same level of excitement. She just hoped she could go through with it without giving up and feeling even more like a failure.
Tonight was cold as her and Amelia walked to the diner by her apartment to get Lia some waffles. She had been begging for them for days, even though Shae knew she wouldn't eat more than a quarter of one. But Shae had become the type of mom, at least at this age, where she spoiled her child a bit. She savored these moments and wished she could freeze them in time for later on. But Shae was content enough with the thousands of photos she had on her phone. Each frame poised at a precious moment she'd never get back as Amelia grew older. Shae felt fortunate that Lia was a angel of a child. Always smiling and only throwing tantrums when she truly felt life was unfair for her. She rarely got sick, except the occasional colic, and she always woke up happy and ready to conquer her day. Shae wished she could be that carefree again, oblivious to the cruel world that Amelia would face eventually. No matter how Shae tried to protect her.
They walked into the diner and Shae picked up Amelia to hold her while they ordered their meals. Eden had sent her a little money to spoil Amelia with and she chuckled when the text came through. Anything for Melia. The little girl had that man wrapped around her tiny finger and Shae was pretty sure she knew it too. She had the order made to go and held Amelia close while they waited. Still scrolling through her phone to keep her daughter occupied, their order was completed before Shae even realized and she paid quickly enough so they could leave. She wanted to get back to the apartment to eat their food while it was still hot because Shae for one, didn't like reheated waffles.
As they walked, Shae kept fiddling with her cochlear implant, the thing was more finicky and temperamental than her ex. But it helped her navigate the world like she used to, being able to hear her daughter laugh and the way she babbled her words. But the one sound she didn't expect to hear was the loud popping sound that came from the distance. She heard the screech of tires on pavement and more popping sounds and that's when it dawned on her what they really were — gunshots. Shae used her body to crouch low against a wall, having no cover whatsoever to really dodge. She shielded Amelia as she cried, nearly suffocating her inside her jacket. Shae's body was cold from the weather and from the fear but the second she felt the first wave of pain, her eyes clamped shut until everything went quiet. She felt the warmth of liquid seep through her clothing but the eerie silence was what caught Shae's attention because just as she noticed Amelia went silent, Shae's world went black.
She woke up to the sounds of monitors beeping and a too bright light above her head. Her eyes peeled open and at first, she was confused as to why she was in a place she didn't recognize. But then the events came crashing through and she jerked the oxygen mask away from her face to sit up. The pain nearly knocked her unconscious again but fear had her scrambling to her feet, gripping anything she could get her hands on. She bolted from the room, screaming Amelia's name, until a nurse came over to assist her. She was brought back to the bed she was just in, being reassured that the doctor would be right in to speak to her. After waiting what felt like an eternity, a woman in a white lab coat came into her room and explained everything that happened from her understanding. Shae had got nicked by a stray bullet, going through her shoulder and exiting the front. The bullet then lodged into Amelia and the blood drained from her face so fast, her entire body shivered.
"I'm so sorry.." The doctor started but Shae didn't hear the rest of it. It's like she shut down, blocking out the news while shaking her head. She stared at the doctor, eyes wide, frame trembling, waiting for her to either say she was making a bad joke or they had the wrong patient. But none of that came. She had read lips the past few months and the doctor was still trying to explain what had gone wrong and apologizing even though they did the best they could. The doctor could see Shae wasn't listening and heaved a long sigh. She made Shae lay down before finding her phone, pulling up the emergency contact list. Eden Hendrix was at the top of the list and they called him first. Meanwhile, all Shae could hear inside her head was.. Amelia didn't make it. Amelia didn't make it. Amelia didn't make it.
Her daughter was dead. And it was all Shae's fault.