After your mother’s funeral you spent the entire night roaming the small suburban town and around 3am you found this diner. A woman, about sixty or so was taking out the trash when she caught sight of you.
“ Hey little flower what’re doing out so late ? Your mama’s probably spooked “ she said with a kind smile. She reminded you of your mother. Except she wasn't, she had long red hair and freckles adorning her cheeks where as your mother had pitch black short hair cut into a bob.

“ Shes dead.” you reply. Theres no malice in the way you say it, just acceptance because thats what you've done, you've accepted that your mother was gone, that she will never come back. The woman looked down at you with sad eyes. You were use to that look, it was the look everyone shot you while they stood on the green grass in front of the casket that held the best 14 years of your life.

“ Come in little flower i’ll fix you up some warm cocoa “ The woman held out her hand and you stared at it blankly. After a couple of moments your body seems to unlock from its frozen state and you grab her hand squeezing tightly because you're afraid she might disappear as quickly as your mother did.

“ Can I get marshmallows in my cocoa ? “ The woman,you later find out, is named Amy. She reveals that the diner belongs to her family and her and her husband Rory are the owners for now so to speak.Amy tells you stories about her childhood, growing up on a farm and marrying her high school sweetheart. And you sit drinking her amazing hot cocoa and listen because Amy has one of those voices you could just listen to for hours on end.

“...and he opens the box and the ring is nowhere to be found ! “ you laughed and in that moment you know you love Amy because she replaced the weight on your chest with a lightness you hadn't felt in what seems like forever. Then that bloody song came on.

" Oh I love this song, it's quite sad though " Amy said pensively.
"Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
I'm tired and I, I want to go to bed
Sing me to sleep
Sing me to sleep
And then leave me alone
Don't try to wake me in the morning cause I will be gone
Don't feel bad for me I just want you to know -"

“Turn it off ! “You screech with all your might. Your eyes are clouded with tears and your face is red and everything is just wrong. You suddenly hate your mother for making you feel this way, for making you feel this horrible weight on your chest that makes it impossible to breathe. You hate her for taking all those fucking pills. You hate her because you were the one that found her sprawled on her bed with the empty bottle in her hand with this wretched song playing on repeat.
" Turn it off ! " you chuck the coffee mug at the radio. The mug hits the radio and they both clatter to the floor. There's silence. The sound of loud sobbing pierces the silence.You don't realize that there are yours until Amy wraps her arms around you. Suddenly you’re mad all over again because your mother hasn't held you like Amy was holding you since before she got sick.

You spend the night in the apartment above the diner with Amy and Rory, they let you stay in the small guest room they have set up for friends and relatives who decided to visit. Its large considering its above a small diner but you don’t mind. A double bed covered with a white duvet sheet was perched in the middle of the room and you wanted nothing more than to throw yourself on the soft looking mattress but you need a shower, badly. After your shower you're sitting on a stool in front of a mahogany vanity trying to brush out the knots in your long brown hair. A soft knock stops you and your carefully place the brush back down.

“ Can I come in ? “ Amy’s voice sounded hesitant.

“ Its your home you can do whatever you want “ The door open and revealed Amy decked out in her nightgown.

“ Its not very polite to barge in on your guest “ she smiled faintly.

“ We need to call your father, he must be going mad looking for you.”

“ He’s too busy looking for solace at the bottom of a whisky bottle “ you said tightly. Amy sighs and runs her hand down your hair.

“ You poor child “ She keeps running her hands down your hair, in a petting matter, she reaches across from you and takes the brush in her hands.

“ May I ? “ She asks gesturing to your hair. You nod mutely. She brushes your hair slowly, running her hand down as soon as the brush goes through, its calming, you think to yourself. Then she starts humming and you feel your throat constrict for what seems like the millionth time today. You closed your eyes tightly and wish that this was all a dream, that you’d wake up in this guest room and Amy would be your real mother. Not the woman who took her own life a week ago. You wish that you spent every night doing this, having your hair brushed lovingly by this same woman.
Your mind is slowly creeping back into consciousness and your eyes start to peel open. Even through your blurry vision you can tell you’re not in your room. The unfamiliar room unsettles you and you shoot up out of bed. A wave of vertigo passes through you and you have to hold onto the bedside table until everything in the room is finally still. Memories of the previous night start to slowly piece themselves together in your mind. You’re at Amy’s. She let you spend the night.

“ Knock knock, “ A bright voice seeped through the door.

“ Come in “ you say shyly, you weren't use to people asking you permission to enter the room. Amy burst in with a tray filled with food, and set it down on the table beside you. On the plate was an egg done over easy with sliced toast surrounding it, next to that plate were bacon stripes lined up perfectly and next to that plate was a perfectly peeled and cut grapefruit. Your mouth was watering.

“ Amy, I don't know what to say “

“ Don't say anything, finish your breakfast and go have yourself a shower when you're done we can head on down to the diner” After finishing my breakfast and showering you headed downstairs to the diner. Rory was wiping down the counter getting ready for the busy day ahead of them.

“ I um... I should go my dad’s ..” You don't know how to finish the sentence because you know your father wouldn't be worried about you. Amy pulled out a foiled wrapped plate and placed it on the counter beside you.

“ Here’s a little something for when you get home, come back will ya ? “ Her smile was smoldering, you couldn't breathe.

“ Of course “ She leans in and hugs you tightly, pressing a kiss to your temple lovingly. When she pulls away Rory steps up to you and hugs you just as tight rubbing his hands up and down your back comfortingly.
“ If you need anything..” He pulled away and strokes your hair like a father would on his child's first day of school. “.. Don't hesitate to come back to ask ya hear ? “ You nodd fat tears spilling down your face. You grab the plate Amy set out earlier for you and walk out of the restaurant. The bell jingles as the door closes and you let out a deep breath. Your turn your hood up to fend off the cold and start walking up the street adorned with pretty little shops.
Fifteen minutes later you in your neighborhood and the difference is painfully obvious. Cracks coated the sidewalks and roads, houses stood or perhaps slumped next to each other sadly. Eventually you get to your house and wish you were back at Amy’s. You push open the rusting gate and scurry up the stairs and into your prison. You open the door shattering the silence inside the building. You fling the door closed behind you not caring about the noise it made. You duck into the kitchen checking out the bottles of liquor decorating the dining table. Lovely. A groan brings your attention to the living room and you begrudgingly stomp over to find your father face down in a puddle of his own vomit. Disgusting. You bend down next to him and roll him over onto his back carelessly. You flop down on the couch, the furniture groaning in protest. Rory wouldn’t do something like this, he wouldn't drink himself into oblivion, and Amy.. Amy would've never coward out and killed herself. You hated them both - your real parents, you hated that they turned out so messed up, you hate it even more that they're not Amy and Rory.