It was another normal day in the life of Caitlin Snow. The sunlight breaks into her dark bedroom, illuminating the place and stirring her awake. She turns her back to the window and looks at her alarm clock.
"Five more minutes til the alarm goes off." she says to no one but herself.
It was then she realized that it was the first time since the accident last year that left her fatherless, that she slept without a nightmare of some sort. She stares into space as she vividly remembers that night.
"Can we go to the movies tonight, pretty, pretty please?" Caitlin begs to her parents.
"I don't know baby girl. We have a lot of work to do." Robert, her father reasons.
"But you and mom are always busy with work to spend time with me anymore. It's like I stopped being important to you both when I stopped wearing diapers" Caitlin says getting upset.
"That not true, sweetheart. We love you very much and you are the most important thing/person in our life." Carla, her mother says.
"Prove it. Go take the day off and spend time with me." Caitlin provokes.
"We can't both take the whole day off sweetie. The company won't function with out us." Her father states.
"Fine! Dad why don't you take the whole day off and spend time with me and mom can go to work but only until the afternoon." Caitlin negotiates.
Her parents are silent for a few minutes pondering her deal.
"Okay, sweetheart. If you really want to spend time with us. We'd love nothing more than to do the same." Her mom accepts.
So while her mom was working in the morning, Caitlin persuades her dad to go to the beach. At 1:00 they drop by the company and pick up her mom.
"What movie are we going to be watching, sweetheart?" Her mom ask as she a looks at Caitlin from the rear view mirror.
"Well my friends said that the Black Panther was amazing so I was thinking we could go see it." Caitlin answers.
"Whatever you want, sweetie. Today's all about you." Her father says.
"Thanks, daddy." She says pleased.
After the movie the weather has taken a bit of a turn it was snowing and there were some ice on the road. They went to dinner and went home. On the way home laughter filled the car. Caitlin couldn't keep the smile of her face. But that was short lived because before she knew it they were spinning on a thin black sheet of ice. She saw their lives flash before her eyes, she didn't even have time to cry she was so scared. The car flipped and she blacked out.
When she came to, she was on a stretcher on the side of the road. There were flashes of red and blue lights everywhere. The roads had been sealed off with police cars. She looks around her, looking for her parents. She spots her mom talking to a tall, black and muscular man wearing a detectives clothes. Her mom notices she's awake and turns and walks towards her. She knew the moment her mom turned around with her blood-shot eyes that something terrible happened. She looked around again, this time looking for her father but couldn't find him anywhere. There was a dreadful feeling forming in her stomach.
"Are you sore? Do you want some painkiller?" The nurse ask.
"No, thanks. I want my mom and dad." She tells the nurse.
"I'm here, sweetheart." Her mom says. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm ok considering. Where's dad?" She finally ask.
Her mom avoids her eyes and remains silent.
"Mom..." Caitlin says the dreadful feeling in her stomach growing even more.
Her mom starts crying "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Your dad...he...he...didn't...make it...he's...he's gone."
Caitlin felt a bomb go off in her heart, shattering it to a million pieces. Her scream resembled that of a canary's cry.
"Caitlin...Caitlin." Someone's voice pulls her out of her trance. "Everything ok?" Her mom ask.
"Yeah." Caitlin replies
"You sure? Your alarms been going off for a while and you seem to be out of it when I came in." Her mom says with a worried tone.
"Yeah, I'm fine, mom. Just remembering something." Caitlin tries to reassure her mom.
"If it's about that night, you know you can talk to me about it. You can talk to me about anything that going on in your head." Her mom says as she sits on the foot of the bed.
"I know it's just it's the first night since that night that I slept with out having a nightmare about it. Usually I wake up sweating profusely and crying but this morning I woke up and I wasn't. Does that mean I've forgotten about dad?" Does that make me a terrible person?" Caitlin tells her mom.
"It's ok to not think about it all the time. It doesn't mean you have forgotten about your dad or that you're a terrible person. It makes you human, Caitlin. You may still have nightmares about that night now and again but eventually it will lessen. I would be more worried if you still had nightmares every time you closed your eyes. It will destroy you and your life if you keep reliving that night. It okay to move on from that night as long as you don't forget. Living in the past will only destroy your future, my sweet baby girl. Your father wouldn't want that for you. He would never be truly happy wherever he is if you're not happy." Her mom explains to her.
"I know, you're right but I just can't help it sometimes. Thanks mom for everything. For being there for me, I know you lost him too." Caitlin hugs her mom.
"No need to thank me, sweetheart. We're in this together. We'll move on together. You're what's put me through all this pain." Her mom hugs her tighter. "Now get ready for school. Can't be late for first day."
"Yes, master. As you wish." Caitlin teases.
On the other side of town Barry Allen was just getting ready for school.
"Barry hurry up with the toilet will you. You're not the only one who needs to use it." Iris West yells at her foster/adopted brother.
"Yeah, in a minute Iris. I just have to shave." Barry yells back.
"Open the door then we can share. I have to brush my teeth." Iris says.
Just then the door flies open revealing a fresh showered and shaved Barry Allen.
"Bathroom's all yours, Iris" Barry teases.
"Finally, is it Christmas yet?" Iris teases back.
Barry goes to his room and fixes his hair in the mirror. He will be forever grateful to the West family for taking him in after the death of his mom and his dad was arrested for child abuse.
"Morning dad" Barry greets his foster/ adopted father. "What's for breakfast Wally?" ask his foster/adopted brother.
Joe smiles at his son. "Morning Barry. I made French toast. Help your self." Wally replies.
"Talk less, eat more guys. We're going to be late for first day back." Iris says.
"Chill Iris, we're not Speedy Gonzales." Both boys say in unison as Joe laugh at his kids usual routine.