Seventeen-year-old Maeve survives a devastating car crash that takes her mother’s life, but the truth about that night keeps haunting her. Sent to live with a distant father, an eager stepmother, and a baby brother she struggles to connect with, Maeve faces a difficult choice: keep running from her past, or confront it to find where she truly belongs.
Maeve can’t remember the crash itself, only the moments before—the gentle rain, her mother’s laughter, a boy from school, and then the headlights, too close and too fast. She wakes up outside the car, covered in blood and mud, with her mother lifeless on the pavement. The sirens, the voices, the news that her mother was driving—all blur into blackness.
When Maeve wakes in the hospital, her father, whom she barely knows, is the only visitor. Two weeks later, she finds herself in a strange house with Julia, her stepmother, and a baby brother she refuses to accept. Julia’s healthy meals and constant kindness feel foreign, and Maeve longs for the simple, messy moments she shared with her mom.
As the trial begins, Maeve struggles with what to wear—nothing feels right when preparing to face the man responsible for her mother’s death. When asked to recall the accident, memories she’d buried come rushing back. Shockingly, she realizes it was she who was driving that night, not her mother. The fog lifts, and with it comes guilt and confusion.
At home, she confesses the truth to her father, expecting anger or blame—but instead, he comforts her. Overhearing a conversation between her dad and Julia reveals his deep regret over their fractured relationship and his uncertainty about being the father Maeve needs.
In the quiet moments that follow, Maeve discovers a letter from her mother expressing hope for her future and for her father to step up. This bittersweet reminder gives Maeve the courage to consider staying and healing rather than running away.
The verdict brings little justice—her mother’s killer takes a plea deal. But standing before her mother’s portrait, Maeve finds a moment of peace, whispering words she never had the chance to say.
Healing begins in small ways: Julia makes real waffles, and Maeve starts to imagine this house as a home. She talks with her father, acknowledging their distance but expressing a desire to start over. They make plans to bond, from painting murals in her baby brother’s room to learning new recipes together.
For the first time in a long while, Maeve allows herself to hope that maybe, just maybe, life can be okay again.
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