It is a dark and rainy summer day in Seattle, Washington. Samuel is the father of two girls, Stacy who is a rising senior in high school and Kami, who was going into her freshman year of high school. Their mother, Shay, had left them very early on in their life, about 9 years ago. Samuel never knew exactly why she left, no note or explanation was left behind. He woke up one day to start getting the girls ready for school to discover all of Shay’s clothes and other belongings to be gone, cellphone disconnected, and wedding pictures cut up all over the floor. He thought their marriage was going great, Samuel was beyond perplexed about the situation. He was more hurt that she abandoned their children more than him, but he remarried a woman, Tanya, who made the girls feel as they have never lost their mom. They all grew up as a family, never hearing a word from Shay.

“It has been raining for literally weeks, when is the sun going to come out?” said Stacy in a whining voice while staring down at her phone.

Samuel had been planning a surprise trip to sunny San Francisco for a couple weeks now, he has yet to tell his girls. He wants it to be a surprise, they are due to leave in about four days, so he decides now is the best time to tell them.

“Kami! Tanya! Come in here!” Samuel yells from the living room where he and Stacy are sitting. “I have an announcement, I think you will be pleased” he continues with a light smirk.

“Huh?” Stacy says looking up her phone with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Kami and Tanya come into the living room. Kami, half asleep and slightly grumpy from being woken up from her nap

“Yeah, what is it dad?” she questions with an attitude.

“Well, first off, someone needs to wake up and perk up a little up. Maybe this news will do it for you. Hey Stacy, can you check the weather for San Francisco for me real quick?” Samuel says, barely holding his excitement in.

“No why would-,” Stacy begins before being cut off by her father.

“Stacy, my gosh just do it,” Samuel states with annoyance in his voice, yet still keeping a smile on his face.

“Uhm, okay?” Stacy says before looking up the weather, “Sunshine all week, 90s?” she goes on, still confused on her father’s request. “Wait-”

“Okay, pack your bags, we leave in four days!” Samuel says in a cheerful voice, cutting of Stacy.

Kami and Stacy begin to jump in excitement, squealing, smiling, and hugging their dad.

“Thank you dad!” Screams Kami before running to her room to begin packing.

Tanya, still shocked she had no idea her husband was planning this, finally realizes the news and begins to cheer as well. She was so excited to get some much needed sun with the people she loved the most in the world. Samuel’s heart was warm, nothing made him happier than seeing his girls filled with so much joy. This was a plus for Stacy since she was eager to visit a school there, University of California, San Francisco.

“Dad, can we please visit the University of California while in San Francisco, please?” Stacy begins begging.

“One of the reasons I chose to go there honey, of course!”

Stacy, filled with excitement, begins to thank her dad and goes on her phone to book an open house.

Four days pass and the family is at the airport waiting to board their plane. They all cannot wait to feel the sun on their skin. It has been raining for weeks in seattle and this was the perfect getaway. Sunny beaches and nothing can go wrong or get in the way of their trip.

They arrive to the warm air of San Francisco. The family smiles as the setting sun, still warm, beams down on their skin. Samuel starts to smile thinking about how happy his family must be.

“I’m starving dad,” whines Kami

“Me too,” reply Tanya and Stacy

“Let’s go to the hotel and unpack, then we can go out for dinner,” Samuel says since it was getting close to dinner time.

The family goes to the hotel and each go to their room, they go and get ready and are said to meet at the lobby at 7:00 p.m..

“Hey, so I found a cool seafood place right next to the beach, does that sound good to everyone?” Samuel asks cheerfully.

They all nod their head in unison, not really caring where they go, just as long as they go somewhere to cure their hunger. They walk since the distance was short and they wanted to take in the view and the little sun that was left for the day. As they reach the seafood restaurant, they get seated almost immediately, the family was prepared to wait for a table but were pleased by this.

“Hello, what can I get you guys to drink?” Asks the waitress.

“Water ple-,” Samuel says while looking up at the waitress. He suddenly turns very pale and has a look of shock on his face. “Shay?”

Shay completely ignoring Samuel and the rest of the asks again what the family would like to drink and eat. Shay is no longer the waitress as she switched tables with someone else. Samuel ignores this and refuses to let this encounter ruin their vacation. The food comes out and Samuel receives his oyster bisque. Tanya seemed interested in it right away and asks for a bite.

“Sure hun, here,” Says Samuel

Tanya takes a bite and a few moments later as Samuel is about to taste his food, Tanya begins choking and turning blue.

“Are you okay?” everyone at the table begins asking.

They all try helping her and check her airway, but it does not seem like she is choking. Samuel calls 911 immediately.

As Samuel and Tanya reach the hospital, Tanya begins to be treated. The doctors say it seems to be like she has been poisoned in the past hour, how if they waited any longer to help her, she would have been dead.

“Poisoned? How could this have happened?” Thought Samuel

He then thinks to the restaurant, to Shay.

“It had to be the only explanation,” He thought “But why?”

He immediately calls the police and reports Shay.

The girls stayed at the restaurant, so Samuel calls a taxi and rushes there to pick them up, before Shay can do anything to them. He arrives and notices Shay in handcuffs and police with evidence in their bag linking her to the crime.

As they walk by, she whispers “For what you did,” with a cynical look on her face.

Chills run down Samuel’s spine and he knew exactly what she meant. He begins to realize why she left all those years ago. He can't believe she knew. He turned pale once again and rushes his girls out to go back to the hospital. Hoping he would never have to see Shay or relive what he did ever again.