My tragic loss of my most loved people

All real events. The first event is a happy one from the year 2017.

I graduated highschool in 2016 so I'm still young and have had a girlfriend that has a daughter from her being raped in the year 2014. Her name was Grace and her daughters name was Ellie. I had been dating her since the summer of 2016 after we had both graduated highschool and were in love. Grace was from Kansas City and I met her on a school field trip through choir.
Grace was the star of her glee club and the choir as she had many solos and had an amazing voice. She was also very very smart. She ended up graduating a year early because she was that smart. She graduated at the top of her class with a 4.9 GPA and was on her way to be a Broadway star. Unfortunately she never made it that far.

Fast forward to 2018 (six years ago, seven in this case since it was early February) and Grace and her daughter were at my house watching the Superbowl with my family, friends and long time family friends. At the end of the game before everyone left, I proposed to her and she said yes! The people there congratulated Grace and I for this momentous event in our lives. There were hugs, tears of joy, clapping and a lot of hand shaking.
They stayed with me for three weeks after that, my new fiancé's life got turned upside down. Early in the morning (around 7:30 AM) Grace got a text from her father saying her mom was in a horrible car wreck and she needed to get home to say her goodbyes. I hugged and kissed my fiance and soon to be step daughter that was already calling me dad and cried with them as they left for KC without me.

Around 9:30 AM, Ellie called me crying like I've never heard her cry before. I just wish I would have gone with them so I could've given her hugs and lots of kisses to comfort her. I tried to calm her down, but failed at that. She handed the phone to Grace and we talked for a good half hour. I told her that I loved her, little did I know, that would be the last time I told her and Ellie those three simple words.
At 10:45 AM, I got a call from a Kansas City patrol officer. As soon as he said, and I quote: "Kenneth, this is Sargent Marrion with the Central Police Officers in Kansas City." my heart sank. I already knew. He then broke the news that my new family and life's were dead at the hands of a drunk driver. Grace, Ellie and the cowardly drunk driver were killed upon impact and that's when my world came to an abrupt halt. I dropped the phone, fell to my knees and bawled like a baby. My parents heard me and came to my side, as did my brother. I was inconsolable. I pushed their help away and got in my car and drove until I ran out of gas in Nebraska, on my way to Kansas City. I sat there crying on the rainiest day for hours. The sun was setting at this time. As soon as I thought I'd be stuck there forever, the spirits of my now lost family sent an angel my way. It was a young mother and her identical twin daughters. They saw me and stopped to help.
The mother (Holly) and her daughters (Terry and Molly) saw me crying and got me to sit in their car with them. They took me to the restaurant just around the corner. I stopped crying when I got in with them because I felt safe, yet insecure at the same time. They asked me why I was crying and I told them everything. We all got out as soon as the rain stopped and they all wrapped me in a big hug. They didn't even know me besides my name, and all I knew of them was their names as well.
I still don't know why I told them everything, but I did and I don't regret it one bit.
Fast forward to today. Wednesday September 25th, 2024, 12:30 AM. I'm crying just thinking of these events. I'm still healing too. Talking, typing or even just thinking about what was and could have been still kills me inside and it shows on the outside. I'm laying here petting my cat, typing and crying.
I'm trying to relay a message and a lesson too. If you're drinking, have been drinking or are drunk don't drive. You never know what life or life's you will affect. I'm still feeling the affects of all these events. Just over seven years and I'm still broken inside.

For reviews, don't be mean, bullying or leave any kind of criticism. I won't tolerate it at all.
Live, laugh and love. That was Grace's motto in life. Ellie followed that for everything of was worth too. I followed their lead as well.
I feel fortunate for knowing them, even though it was just a short three and a half years.
Love your family, remember those you lost and always, I mean always, love your family, kids if you have them and tell them that you love them every day, because it just might be the last time you do. What will be the last words they hear? Will it be, I love you, or will it be mean. That's up to you. Choose love and speak it to your loved ones every day.

Choose to live life to the fullest, love your family and yourself with your whole heart and laugh at something every day. If you need a laugh, there are tons of things on YouTube. I need that right now because I'm bawling like a baby again.

Are happier times yet to come? Yes they are.

Kenny B.