The Stranger I Know

Summary

At the scene of the crash, a man was holding my father's body, his cries raw and torn from his soul.

My mother's lips parted in confusion. Then, a bitter, knowing smile touched her lips as she drew her last breath.

After the funeral, the house was filled with relatives, all of them wearing troubled expressions. No one wanted to take me home.

I sat in the yard, ten years old, praying over and over for my mom and dad to come back to life.

The man from the crash site pushed open the gate. His eyes were steady as he declared, "I'll raise Rose."