On Angel's Wings by Nikki Prince Page A

jagged pieces cutting at her flesh as they hit a large tree. Then she heard Tessa moaning and then silence.
    “Shit!”
    Gasping Alexa sat up in her bed, drenched with sweat, and gripping the covers tightly as she tried to calm herself. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and her hair was plastered to her face, proof of the terror she'd just undergone. The dream was so real she could still hear Terrance and Tessa, and she could feel the cut of the glass. Then her eyes focused and she realized she was alive, and they were very much dead. They had been for the past five years. Sobbing, she covered her face with her hands as reality hit her dead on. What hurt the most besides being the one to survive was she’d escaped without a scratch. She was unscathed, with no scars of any kind other than being in a coma for a few months. She’d awakened and was told soon after that her family had died.
    Every Christmas it was the same. She had to pretend that she was happy and that everything was ok. She had to walk around and act like nothing was wrong, that things were beautiful when they weren ’t. When she saw her in-laws, she had to be cheerful and the same thing went for the neighbors if by the off chance she saw them. Everything about Christmas reminded her of what she'd lost and what she’d never regain.
    No one understood that celebrating that holiday made her feel like she was betraying their memories. They were dead and gone, and she needed to honor them by being diligent. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of Tessa and Terrance and once again relived her loss. It was going to be a long day. Sighing, she turned over in the bed and hugged Terry's pillow and Tessa's ‘Teddy’, as the tears continued to fall.
    When the tears finally stopped falling, she got up, showered, and dressed for the day. It was sad really, and she knew it, but ever since that day, she hadn't been able to be around a lot of people. So she hid herself away at home, doing data entry for several area hospitals. But before she could get any work done, she had to make a trip into town to visit with her counselor. She hated having to see one, but it was a requirement in order to keep the house that she lived in.
    Her in-laws had made it a requirement for her to have once-a-month sessions with a counselor in order for her to be able to stay in the house. They allowed their son and his new wife to stay in the house, but they hadn’t signed it over fully to them. Alexa had told Terrance that his mother and father were only doing that to monitor them. Of course, he’d argued, saying they’d do it soon. Soon never came. She expected that they felt some sort of pity for her as they allowed her to continue to live there.
    Glancing at her watch, she gasped and ran out of the room, grabbing her keys that hung by the front door. If she waited any longer, she'd be late, if she took some side streets she could shave off a bit of time to make it there faster with a few minutes to spare.
    She pulled the car to a stop and got out, locking it, and made her way into the small clinic and to the reception desk. She signed in and sat down, waiting to be called back. Five minutes later, Dr. Fenton stood at the door and called her name.
    Standing, Alexa followed the older woman to her office. God, she hated to be here. All she wanted to do was go about her business. She didn't need a reminder about how life would get better. If it got better, she wanted it to get that way on her own terms. She wanted things to work out, because she’d made it happen, not because she was forced to make it happen.
    Why they couldn ’t just leave her alone was beyond her. She settled in her usual spot next to the desk and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for the counselor to get settled. She handed her a paper cup filled with water and the tissues as was customary. Taking the items from her, Alexa smiled and gave her thanks. All of this was very routine, and she found herself wishing for