That Day

"You ready?" Lisa asked.

"Just a sec." Jane said adjusting her skirt. "Okay ready now."

Lisa nodded and they headed outside and straight to the car. After a while of driving, Lisa pulled by in front of a restaurant. "I'm hungry." She said. "I need to eat. So c'mmon now, let's go."

"Okay."

They stepped out of the car and in to the restaurant. It wasn't that big or classy but it was well decorated and the nice aroma of food filled the restaurant.

"They make good foods here." Lisa said as they walked in. Jane nodded.

A waiter approached them as soon as they sat.

"Good day ma'am." The waiter greeted handing them the menu list.

After a while of contemplating on what to eat she finally spoke. "I'll have this and this." Lisa said pointing on a particular food on the menu.

"Okay ma'am. And you ma'am?" He asked facing Jane who was still looking a bit confused on what to pick.

"Uhm, I'll have same thing."

"Okay ma'am." He bowed and left.

After few minutes, he arrived with a tray of food in his hands. They ate quietly and left. 

Within a span of few minutes, they arrived at a park. It was full with people both old and young and different playing activities like the roller coaster, merry-go-round, flat rides, seesaws, monkey bars, dark rides and still rings.

"We're here." Lisa said sounding really excited. "Ah.." She inhaled and exhaled sucking in the fresh air. "It's been so long." She added opening up her arms as if calling for an embrace. "C'mmon, it's time for some fun." She said and dragged Jane's hands. "So what are we trying out first."

"Uhmmm, let's try the roller coaster." She said excitedly. 

"Okay. The roller coaster it is." They ran to the location of the roller coaster and played on it before trying other things.

"Dark rides." Lisa screamed in excitement as they set out to try the new ride.

Lisa and Jane giggled and laughed hard as they had so much fun which they hadn't done in such a long time.

"Ah, I'm so tired now Lisa. I think we should take a break for now." Her voice sounding excited but tired as they sat on the bench.

"Hmm, yeah. Me too. Hold on. I'll go get ice cream." She said and stood up.

"Okay."

She stared at Lisa who was on the crew waiting for her ice cream. She averted her gaze to the playing children in the monkey bars. 'Wow', they look so happy,' she thought. Her smile widened the more but slowly disappeared from what she saw. 

She saw a mother with her two female children. She was handing the one with light brown hair, burgers which seem to be the younger, and the other with darker brown hair ice cream.

The whole scene from that day started playing in her head little by little. That day came up on her mind again, and making her want to tear up not averting her gaze from the mother and her children.

"Jane?" Lisa called out softly noticing Jane's change of facial expression as she approached her.

When she didn't get a reply, she slowly followed her line of sight and saw what she was staring at. She slowly kept the ice cream on the chair and sat down. "Oh Jane." She said hugging her from behind. "It's alright. It's okay."

"It's my fault. It's all my fault." She bit her lips hard fighting the tears not to rain down.

Lisa pulled away from the hug and held her chin, motioning Jane to stare at her. "It's not your fault. Whatever happened that day, was never your fault. You did all you could remember. So stop it."

"No. It's my fault they..." She couldn't finish her sentence as she broke out completely.

"Oh Jane." She said hugging and coaxing her back. "You know, I don't think aunt will be happy seeing you like this. I think you should forgive yourself. You don't have to leave in guilt forever."

"I....I wish, but....but I can't. How.... how can I forgive myself. Everything that happened that day was all my fault. If.....if....I had listened, then.....then, I don't think that would have ever happened. Who knows, may be they....."

"Oh gosh Jane." She pulled away from the hug and cupped her face wiping out her tears. "It's alright. It's alright okay. It's now in the past now. I think it's high time you let go. I think it's high time you should start your life accepting reality and move on. I don't think aunt will be happy seeing you in this condition you know. That you've not forgiven yourself, you've not let go of that day."

What Lisa said made her eyes flooded more. "I can't. I.... Just can't."

Lisa pulled her in for another hug coaxing her back. "It's okay. People are here, except you really want them to pull their attention to you."

Jane pulled away and wiped her tears. She inhaled and exhaled and let out a smile. "It's our fun day. I'm sorry. I really don't plan on ruining this day with painful memories of that day. Something that happened in the past."

Lisa smiled. "It's alright. Now that's my girl. Here." She said handing her the cup of ice cream.

"Thank you."

"Yeah. I think we should go home soon after finishing this. The sun's setting now."