Eternally (Prologue)

The sun was shining brightly and the air was warm and crisp. Bees were buzzing lazily from flower to flower and children were playing barefoot on the grass. RnB music was playing from a car's radio as it passed.

She laughed as the little girl in front of her wrapped her arms around her waist "You got me, come on babes, your turn". The little girl giggled and ran off as Latifah covered her face with her hands and slowly counted to twenty. As she got to eight she peeped out between her fingers and saw Maxine running into the road. Panic engulfed her and she ran forward to catch her baby, her arms outstretched. Maxine shrieked with delight when she was snatched up into the air and twirled around. She stared up into the face of her beautiful mother, her brown hair cornrowed and clacking as the beads connected and her green eyes on her Maxine’s face. Latifah’s head swiveled as she heard the insistent beeping of a car and she had just enough time to form a shield around Maxine with her body before the bumper of the ford launched her into the air.

Briefly, she felt pain all over her body, it was especially worst on the left side of her chest. But then her mind wandered to her baby, who was lying tucked under her armpit, her eyes closed, but she was breathing, shallow but alive. Latifah was sprawled out on the ground, her leg in an unnatural position and every time she took a breath pain seared through her torso like jagged glass. She could hear a door slamming, but it was very faint. Using her last breath and all the strength she could muster, she opened her heavy lips.

"I love you" She twisted her head and kissed Maxine on the forehead before closing her eyes and letting the darkness take over.