We pulled into the parking bay for the drop off zone and I saw that most of my friends had already congregated on the little grass verge outside of the main entrance of school.

As I opened the door to get out of the car, Mom gently grabbed my arm. I stopped and turned to look back at her.

“Remember, Roderick is going to give you a ride home after school.” She said as she let go of me. I nodded, remembering that my brother had offered to take me home because I was going to be at basketball practice after school and wouldn’t be able to get the bus. He would hang out at the skate bowl by the school gym until I was ready.

“Thanks Mom, yeah, Roderick reminded me before he left this morning.” I said. Although he was a few years older than me, and ran in different social circles, I loved my brother. Or should I say, I adored him. Mom used to tell us stories about how I would follow him around when I was small like a little shadow and I would always want to be doing what he was doing. He would start swimming lessons, I would have to start swimming lessons. He would start skateboarding, I would have to start skateboarding. He would start wearing his clothes inside out, I would have to start wearing my clothes inside out and so on. When I got into basketball on my own accord, he was really encouraging because I think he thought that he would finally get some space from me to do his own thing too.

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That was Roderick though, always supportive and kind, especially over the past year. Dad had disappeared one night on his way home from work and Roderick had been a rock for both Mom and I which made me love him even more. Mom had been a mess which was completely understandable, given that her soul mate and love of her life was…well, we just didn’t know. The police had no leads, there was no evidence, no trace. It’s like one minute he existed and the next he didn’t. It was being treated as ‘suspicious’ and even though it was still under investigation, things had only just started to get back to normal, or the new normal that we had to live through without Dad.

“Awesome. Have a wonderful day sweetheart.” Mom smiled and blew me a kiss.

“You have a great day too Mom, I'll see you later tonight.” I said as I got out and closed the door behind me. Blowing her a kiss back, I noticed how happy she looked, she exuded a gentle calm for the first time since Dad had disappeared. The heavy suffocating cloud of grief that we had all endured in the aftermath was slowly dissipating to let light back into our lives again.

Winding down her window, she leant out. “I love you Ariah.” She called as she began to turn the car back into the parking lot to head out onto the road.

“I love you too Mom!” I gave her a wave as I walked over to my friends. She gave me a little toot of the horn and then drove off in her silver SUV, its metallic paintwork glinting in the low light.

Little did I know that would be the last time I would see her alive.