CHAPTER ONE

Sitting in the shade was much cooler than out there in the hot sun where Joey was playing with Chloe. He was sweating. But Jaime was too tired from last night to be out there with their daughter. The previous night, Chloe had woken Jaime upon having a nightmare, and crawled into bed next to her. Jaime hadn't gotten much sleep after that. Joey slept through it somehow, so today it was him who got to play with Chloe during their weekly visit to the park that Chloe loved. Even though it was an hours' drive, they managed to go every Saturday, for Chloe. 'For Chloe' seemed to have become her motto, for everything she did, she did with the reasoning that she was doing it for her daughter. This included things like going to Disneyland with Darren, but also things like spending hundreds of dollars on clothes when she and Lauren went shopping. Because of Chloe, Jaime and Joey didn't get to spend as much time together as they'd like, as they used to. And especially now that they both had part-time jobs; this new life had taken some time to getting used to, but after five years they were well adjusted. Jaime saw Chloe running towards her with something in her hand.

"Mummy, Mummy!" she squealed, "Look what I found!"

She unfolded her hand to reveal a golden four-leaf clover necklace pendant.

"Ooh, that's very pretty isn't it?" Jaime said, "Where'd you score that, beautiful girl?"

"It was in the dirt next to the slide," the five-year old replied.

"Really? Well how about you give that to me, and go back to Daddy and tell him we're leaving now because it's almost time for dinner, okay?"

"Okay."

Chloe sprinted off back to Joey and Jaime stood up, put the pendant in her pocket and picked up her bag as Joey climbed off the playground and he and Chloe joined her.

"Did you have fun in the heat?" Jaime teased.

"Oh yeah, and I wouldn't mind coming back tomorrow when it's meant to be even hotter," Joey replied, the sarcasm thick in his voice.

When they got to the car, Jaime strapped Chloe in her child seat in the back, and then got into the driver's seat.

They'd been driving for half an hour when they got to the bridge they always had to cross; thankfully there wasn't much traffic. They were driving when suddenly Jaime saw a black four-wheel drive speeding down the opposite direction. The driver had obviously misjudged themselves and crashed into the car in front them. Jaime slammed her foot on the breaks. Another car from behind them, probably also speeding, didn't stop soon enough and crashed into their car, causing it to spin. A series of unfortunate events then occurred, as car after car swerved and turned and crashed, and the small car that contained Jaime, Joey and Chloe got pushed off the bridge into the water below.

The car was sinking. The top of the car went underwater, and Chloe was too young to swim, especially so far to where the shore was. There was no way out, they were stuck. Stuck in a car, sinking in the river. With no way out. The water had started to fill the car, and Jaime reached into the back seat, unstrapped Chloe and pulled her into the front with her and Joey. She was so young, hadn't even started school yet. And she was going to die. All three of them were going to die. It was over.

"Chloe," Jaime said, tears threatening, "You know Mummy loves you, don't you? I love you so much, baby, so much."

She looked at Joey. They had only been married for five years, been together for only seven, and now they were going die together. With their young daughter. This was not how they had planned this fan family day out to end.

"I love you, Joey Richter. My sexy hair." She reached over and stroked his hair, then his cheek.

"I love you, too, my Jaime Lyn Richter," he replied, "I love you, too. And you, my other beautiful girl. I love you so much."

"I love you Mummy and Daddy," Chloe said.

Jaime held Chloe tight as her thoughts drifted to the people she would miss the most: Lauren, Meredith, Darren, Brian, Joe. And her family – her mother and father, and her sister, Ebony, who she hardly ever saw after she moved in with Joey. None of them would ever know what happened to her. Or any of them, for that matter. They would have just disappeared.

Joey was watching Jaime, and a tear rolled down his cheek as he thought of their friends and family who would miss them.

"Jaime," he whispered, "Ring someone."

Jaime turned to look at him, "Okay," she said. She took her phone out of her pocket and unlocked it. She knew who to call.

Miles and miles away in Ann Arbor, a middle aged woman with sparkling blue eyes picked up her phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

Jaime had never been happier to hear her mother's voice.

"Mum?"

Jaime's mum could tell instantly that something was wrong.

"Jaime? What's wrong, baby?"

"Nothing, I-I'm fine," she sniffled as the tears came, rolling down her cheeks. Chloe looked up at Jaime and watched her mother crying and talking.

"Where are you, Jaims?"

"I'm in the car, with J-Joey and Chloe. We just went out t-t-to the park and we were just heading home."

"Jaime, are you crying, baby?"

"I'm fine, Mum, really, I just-"

She put the phone away from her ear to sob into Chloe's hair.

"I'm fine," she said into the phone once she had composed herself, "I was just ringing to tell you that I-I love you, Mum, I love you so much and I never te-tell you. And I know... after Joey came into my life we never really got along, and I know y-you used to yell at me for wearing short skirts and staying out late and not doing as well in school as I c-could have done, but I know now that it was a-all for my own good... and I just wanted to say... thank you, Mum. Thank you for keeping me in line and telling me to change my clothes and telling me to do my homework and picking me up from the city at three in the morning. And thank you for all those times you grounded me because at least I know I learned my lesson, even if I did it again the next day, at least you grounded me because I know I did something wrong a-and I know I could have been a better daughter to you and I'm sorry, Mum, I am so, so sorry." Jaime's whole body shook as she cried and cried and cried. She already knew it was over but saying all of his to her mother just confirmed everything.

"And could you please do something for me, Mum, could you please? Could you tell Daddy, and tell Ebony that... that I love them and that I'm sorry for anything I might have done to hurt them. Can you do that for me, Mum?"

"Of course I can, baby," her mother replied, "Jaime... Baby can you tell me where you are?"

"I'm fine, Mum, please, I-"

Jaime felt the water around her waist and she looked at Joey.

"Goodbye, Mum."

"Jaime, don't you dare, don't you dare go, Jai-"

"I love you."

And she hung up. Joey took Chloe off of Jaime's lap and put her on his own. He leaned over to Jaime and kissed her soft and sweet on the lips.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you."

And Jaime closed her eyes as the car sank even deeper into the river, Joey's hand in hers.