Her mother was gone.

“A cargo ship crashed into a Sailfish tourist boat just yesterday,” said the news reporter. “Eyewitnesses on the cargo say that they didn’t see the tourist boat in the thick fog.” June laid there on the hospital bed listening to the woman summarize the event that would change her life forever. She hated it. She wanted the woman to stop talking. “Ten were injured, one hospitalized, and one presumed dead. The rescue teams have not found the body of thirty-nine year old Willa Moreau, but are still on the search.”

Her father turned off the TV.

June heaved a sigh. She looked at the blackness of the television, then to her left leg.

Her only leg.

She closed her eyes, and heaved out a sigh.

Six weeks later, June finally returned home to a coffee table full of flowers and cards. Most of them from family, some from friends. Her best friend Aggie sent a bouquet of balloons instead of flowers. June picked up her friend’s card and opened it.

“Didn’t think you wanted flowers, so I gave you balloons. Hope you like them! See you this summer, and get well soon!”

June saw her friend’s little smiley face. For the first time since before the accident June smiled, just a little. Crutches were still a new thing for her. She would often stumble. A couple of weeks later Aggie came back from Vermont. She helped June use her elbow crutches, and helped bring some color back into June’s monochrome life. Despite the dwindling number of June’s so-called “friends,” she still had Aggie to help her out. Once school began, Aggie had to go back home to Vermont. The two friends kept in touch online, though they would have rather continued to hang out in person.

It was November, seven months after that foggy day. June was spending first evening of brake video chating Aggie.

“F10.” June looked down at her sheet of graph paper.

“Miss,” came Aggie’s staticky voice from the laptop. “A4.”

June smirked. “Miss.”

“Dang it!”

“B2,” June chuckled.

“Crap! How did you--” Aggie looked at the vanity mirror behind her. “Can you see my paper?”

“Come on,” June laughed, “I wouldn’t cheat.”

The electronic “Uh-huh,” came from the speakers as Aggie rolled her eyes.

“We’ll play again, and you’ll see that I don’t cheat.”

Aggie let out a groan of frustration. “I can’t. My sister and I are going food shopping soon. And I probably can’t talk much tomorrow too.”

“Cooking?”

Aggie ran her fingers through her hair. “Like everyone is coming! Even my grandparents!”

June blinked in confusion, “But they never go anywhere.”

“Yeah,” Aggie sighed.

There was a sudden silence between the two friends. Both unsure what to say, both wishing they could talk longer.

“Well,” Aggie spoke up, “I got to go. Maybe we can talk in the morning?”

“I’ll get online when I wake up.”

“Talk to you then.”

“Be seeing you.” June’s screen went black. Her reflection looked back at her in the glare of the light from the window. She couldn’t even see the scar on the bridge of her nose in the dark screen. But she did see her father coming into the living room.

“Hey, Junebug.” He was dressed in his work apron.

“Hey, Dad.” June turned around. “How was work?”

He put his keys down on the coffee table next to June’s laptop, and sat down. “It was fine except for one customer. She tried to return an eaten pie.”

“Half eaten?”

Her father chuckled, “No, the pie was gone. It was just an empty tin with the receipt. But it was still a good day.” He gave June a side hug. “How has your day been, Junebug? I thought you’d still be talking with Aggie.”

“She had to go. But school was okay.”

“Just ‘okay’?” he ruffled her hair. “What did you do in class?”

“Oh, we had a party in Mr. Lee’s. We watched a documentary about the Mayflower.”

The corners of her father’s mouth turned down slightly, “How was it?”

“It was okay,” June shrugged.

Her father shifted and sat straighter, “Want anything to eat? I think we have some leftover egg rolls in the fridge. Or I could make you something.”

“Egg rolls are fine.”

“Here, let me--”

“No,” June put her hand on her father’s shoulder. “I can get it.”

“You sure?”

“Yep.” June grabbed her crutches and slipped them on. She was getting better at using them, but she wouldn’t call herself a pro yet. After a quick trip to the fridge and the microwave, June was sitting at the table quietly eating her egg rolls. Meanwhile her dad was satisfied with toast and milk. June looked out the screen door watching the browning leaves shiver in the breeze. Just beyond the foliage in her backyard she saw the distant blue of the ocean. June took another bite and furrowed her brows. A part of her wanted to take a walk, but she couldn’t do that. Right? Her father wouldn’t want her, a girl in crutches, to go out walking by herself. Well come to think of it, as long as she tells him she could take a short walk. Maybe. Honestly June wasn’t sure what her father would say. He didn’t like her going out on her rowboat since the accident, she knew that. But this was a walk. She thought of the cool air on her face, listening to the cars and birds, it sounded nice. June quickly finished her meal and turned to her father. “Hey, Dad? Is it okay if I go on a short walk?”

He turned his head and raise an eyebrow. “You want to go on a walk? Are you sure?”

June nodded.

“Um,” he scratched his head, “I guess so. You have to bring your phone, though. And call me when you’re heading home.”

June’s hazel eyes shined, “Really?”

“Sure. Just,” he paused, then sighed, “just be careful, Junebug.”

June slipped her arm through her elbow crutches again and stood. “I will. And I’ll call you.” June made her way to the door. She heard her father speak just as she turned the knob.

“Where do you plan on going?”

“I dunno.” Then she was out the door.

Her father didn’t come to get her. She wouldn’t really care if he did. Would she? She wasn’t sure. June passed by house after house. First the neighbors with the pink flamingos in their front yard, then the family with six little yippy chiwawas, then June passed by the house with the perfect yard. But with each swinging step June noticed how familiar and boring her neighborhood was. What sounded fresh and fun while she was inside was now bland. Yes, the air was nice, and the sound of humming cars was fine, but she wanted something different. June kept walking. House after house. People passed her by with wide eyes, but June wasn’t paying attention. Suddenly she found herself in front of a nature-filled path.

A old tree hung over a dirt path faded by overgrowth. Something about that path made her mouth curve into a smile and her heart ache with nostalgia. Then came flashes of brief memories. Some of imagined adventure. Pirates and princesses. Secret clubs and spy missions. And Aggie was there. And they were both happy. June chuckled, “Our secret hideout. I remember.”

June carefully swung her crutches in the dirt, and walked through the path. Above she saw the blue of the sky in between the leaves. The tall grasses brushed on her pant leg and threatened to grab her crutches. She could hear the birds and the ocean.

The ocean. June took a deep breath in. The ocean didn’t bother her much, she just felt a slight discomfort at the sound of crashing waves. But scraping metal and beeping monitors... June shook the sounds out of her head. She didn’t feel like having a mental breakdown right then, or ever. Then June felt a tug at her crutches.

Suddenly June found herself eating sandy dirt. She had gotten tangled in the grass. Slowly she lifted herself into a sitting position, spitting out the grainy dirt. June looked around and found herself close to a shallow cove. But it’s what was in the cove that left her speechless.

The sunken remains of Bridget.