Every Last Breath - Jessica Gaffney Page 0,4

sleep before the sun came up. The nightmares rarely returned once she went back to sleep.

Eli sprang out of bed like a fireman ready for duty. He yanked his door open and rushed into the kitchen, as if the day were getting away from him. Maggie smiled. No matter what had happened during the course of the night, that little boy was the light of her morning.

She put a plate of toasted waffles on the table and waited for him to take a seat. As if on cue, he poured too much syrup on his food, then wiped his hands on his corduroys; at this rate, he may even end up with a mustache before leaving for school. Getting out the door before seven thirty was always a chore, especially in Colorado, hat, gloves, coat, boots, sneakers, lunch, batman book bag, and homework, were just about as much as Maggie could handle. But the view of the mountains made it worth the effort.

Eli stared up at Pikes Peak. “Look mom. I think it’s gonna snow today.”

She dipped her head down below the visor. “It might,” she sighed hopefully.

The mountains had been covered with snow for months now. The thirty minute ride down the mountain was just as breathtaking as the day she laid eyes on the small city. There were hilltop mansions and cabins built into the steep cliffs. Some people had driveways half a mile long, some of them were even heated to prevent ice from forming. It would be hard to get homeowners insurance if the fire rescue couldn’t get to your house because of the snow.

Maggie viewed some of the larger homes on the mountain side, thinking they may afford her more security. She opted for a smaller home in a planned community so Eli could make friends and blend in. And he had.

As she dropped him off at school and watched him walk inside, she felt a tug on her heart.. Even after all this time, leaving him seemed like a mistake.

Maggie pulled to the head of the car line and made a right. She liked to take the scenic route through the campus before heading back to Cascade. The eighteen acre campus was nestled at the foot of the mountains. The school was over 80 years old.

Today the campus had nine buildings and a state of the art performance center. Eli loved the small classrooms, and their jungle gym. But even with all the hype, she didn’t quite fit in with the other families. There was a glass wall separating their unit of two from other families, and no matter how hard she tried, Maggie just couldn’t blend in to normal life.

Maggie waved to Henry at the security station. He seemed sweet but she knew the school only had security for political reasons. They weren’t actual cops with authority. Not that cops were the final authority, in her experience that was lawyers. Still, it was reassuring that the school tried to protect the children; she’d seen what happened at other schools. This one had a strict policy on who could pick up the child at the end of the day and they also personally delivered each Kindergartner to the car. Parents were not allowed on campus until school was officially over.

Dr. Gibbons was the only suitable choice for Maggie. She’d been going on and off as need be, after the first full year of biweekly visits. Her sessions were expensive, but Dr. Gibbons helped her keep a grasp on reality. In their work, Maggie discovered she had a lot of untying to do. Her memories were discombobulated and her reactions were severe and harsh, as they should be.

Right now Maggie was coping well. She had taken major strides in putting her life back together. But the work was far from over.

The doctor opened the door and greeted Maggie. Some weeks Maggie enjoyed the small talk, but other times she voiced her concerns as soon as the doctor sat down.

“Do you have anything pressing for today, or shall we start with your chart?”

“Go ahead.”

“How was your anxiety?”

“The same.”

“Meaning?”

“Things are normal. I’m learning to control it in some instances and ignore it in others.”

“That’s wonderful Maggie. It’s what we’ve been working toward.”

Maggie felt her lips curl up. Feeling proud was something she was not accustomed too.

“And how are the nightmares?”

Maggie bit her lip and looked away, “They keep coming.”

“Any new details?”

After asking Maggie that question for months, she finally had something to report. “A truck appeared. A