The Rewind Program ✓

/ / 8 / /

Two months passed and everything has been going well.

I've been going to therapy because that horrible incident had never really left my head. Brent thought that it would help me strengthen my mental health and overcome my fears. I also came clean and told my dad and Kera about what happened because I didn't want to pretend that it didn't happen anymore.

Kai, on the other hand, had surprisingly helped me a lot as well. He has been very present during the two months and he actually became a friend. I got to know more about him. Like how he is human and was birthed by his mother like a normal human being. I also found out that his whole family works at Rewound. He says his family was one of the chosen ones. Of course, he didn't explain further.

I've been doing well mentally and I'm happier than I was before. Through therapy, I realized that I haven't been truly happy. Apparently, I didn't allow myself to be as my therapist would say. Dr. Addams seems to think that my mother's death has something to do with that. I tried to tell her that she's wrong but she's convinced that she's right.

"So, how have you been doing?" Dad said as he sat opposite me while giving me pancakes.

Dad wanted to have breakfast on a Sunday morning out of the blue. We never do that. I should have known that he wanted to interrogate me. "I'm doing great, as usual."

"That's good Bella, I guess therapy's working?"

"Yup."

"Laura told me something interesting."

"What did my therapist tell you that you made you make breakfast on a Sunday morning?"

"It's normal to have breakfast on a Sunday morning."

"Yeah. For normal people. But we're not normal. Now spill."

"Fine. She told me that you don't allow yourself to be happy and that it has got to do something with Mom."

I sighed. "Come on, that's ridiculous. I told her, it isn't like that."

"Bella, your Mom's death is not your fault."

I stayed silent because words refused to come out. I nodded instead.

"Honey, I can't believe you would even think that. Have you been faulting yourself this whole time? Why didn't you just talk to me?"

"Dad, can we just eat in peace? Please?"

"No, we're not avoiding this. We are going to have a heart-to-heart young lady."

I stood up and snapped. "Fine, you want a heart-to-heart, I'll give you a heart-to-heart. I killed my own mother. I killed her when she was giving birth to me. I took her life when she was still so young. Because of me, you lost the love of your life. Because of me, grandpa and grandma lost the daughter-in-law they loved so much. And they hate me. They hate me so much that they wouldn't even come to visit us. I ruined our family by coming into this world. I shouldn't even have been born."

My legs gave up on me and I felt myself falling to the ground as I sobbed with all I had. Dad quickly pulled me into his chest and gave me a warm and comforting embrace.

"Don't ever say that, okay? Mom didn't die because of you, Bella. Glue that in your head because that's the truth. You are a miracle, my miracle. I love you so much and I have never once resented you. And grandpa and grandma don't hate you. They call me every day and they always say they love you. They usually call me when I'm at the office so it slipped my mind to tell you and I'm sorry for that." Dad held me away to look into my eyes. "But Bella, all of us love you so so much so don't you ever forget that, okay?"

By now, we were both sobbing messes but we had to halt our heart-to-heart session because my phone started to ring blaringly. I wiped the tears off my face and answered it after clearing my throat.

"I need you to call Kera. Right now." Kai said before I could even let out a 'Hello'.

"Why?"

"Just do it, bye."

I stared at my phone screen, confused. Then, I dialed Kera's number.

"Hey, Kera."

"I'm so sorry but who is this?"

"Oh, Mrs. Pritchett, hi, it's me, Bella."

"Bella, darling, hi. You're looking for Kera, I suppose?"

"Yeah, is she there?"

"Kera, uh-" She sniffed. "-she's in hospital now. She had a heart attack."

I almost dropped my phone. "I'm coming over." I said and immediately took my car keys.

"Dad, Kera's in the hospital, I have to go." I said and left without waiting for his reply.

"You okay to drive?" Kai teleported into my car as I was putting on my seatbelt and shocked the life out of me.

"Give me some warning before you do that and yes I'm fine." I said and drove off.

After we arrived at the hospital, We speed-walked to the Kera's room. When we reached, her whole family was waiting outside with distressed expressions. Kera's mom saw me and hugged me.

"How did it happen?" I asked with concern.

"She has had a weak heart since she was young. She's been experiencing chest pains, shortness of breath, and more symptoms basically her whole life. And the past few weeks, it has been happening so frequently but we just overlooked it because we couldn't see that it was getting bad. Kera—this silly girl—kept acting like it was nothing too so we just-" The anguish she was experiencing was too much too handle that she couldn't finish her sentence but she still tried anyway. "We didn't know it was this bad, Bella. The doctor said that there's a-" She wept. "-high chance of her dying."

I gasped. Kai held my arms from behind as if I was going to fall at any moment.

"She never told me about this."

"She didn't want to be a pity case, that's why she never told anyone."

I squeezed Kai's hands and he instantly knew that I needed air. He said something to Kera's mom and brought me to the hospital's rooftop.

"Breathe, Ellie."

And I did. "How could I not know about this?" I asked.

Kai placed his arms around me. "She didn't want you to know."

I started hitting his chest while tears fell uncontrollably from eyelids. "But, I'm her best friend! I'm supposed to figure it out."

Kai's hold on me tightened as his chin made contact with my head. "You couldn't have known, Ellie. She made sure."

"Why?"

"You'll find out soon." Kai pulled away and handed me the familiar square-shaped envelope.

I opened it and found the words I expected on the square-shaped paper.

BEST FRIEND