I've been reflecting on death a lot lately (cause I'm a weird gothic chick XD), and this is what I ended up with. Sorry it's so sad... I'm in a sad mood this weekend ^^ It's nice to take a small break from my main story, but I promise, it's not permanent. I just needed to get off track. This HAS NOTHING to do with H is for Hatter. Oh and I don't own Alice In Wonderland or Rascal Flatt's wonderful song, Forever.

It wasn't long enough,

It wasn't long enough

Together

She's been dead for six years today. I can smell the grass outside, the damp earth, the flowers blooming out in her garden… the world is moving on without her.

I don't feel like getting out of the bed. My body is too heavy on the mattress. I can disguise my feelings every minute of every day… I can do my crying at night… but today is her day. My day to mourn her. I can't hold it back today.

"Tarrant!"

I can hear Mally pounding on the door. I know I should open it… but I don't want to. I don't want to see anyone but Alice.

I have a lock of her hair in the pocket watch on my bed table. Thackery thinks I'm crazy for keeping it. To me, it makes her feel real. I close my eyes and see her moving through the air, a free spirit among the clouds. She belonged in heaven from the very beginning. I'm sure she's the prettiest angel there.

The closet is open. I pull myself up slowly and make my way over to it. I still have her favorite blue dress, wrapped in a sheet of plastic at the very end of the rack… today I take it out and hold it to my face. I can still see her wearing it.

She was wearing it the day she ran to tell me that she was with child. I picked her up and shouted with joy, too excited to make actual words. She was wearing it when we decided that she was in need of a maternity wardrobe. I sewed her the prettiest dresses I could imagine, all of which pulled out the glow of her skin.

She had smiled about wearing it the day she died. "When this is over," she said between two extremely hard contractions, "I'll be able to wear my blue wind dress."

I can still hear Mirana telling me that there had been a problem with the birth. Alice's heart had burst at the last minute and there was no way to save her. My wife was gone.

I put the dress away and sit on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. In so many ways I feel like I should have died a long time ago. I should have given up the fight and laid down beside her the day they put her in the ground.

"Daddy!"

Evangeline runs in the room and throws her arms around me. I hold her close to me, hiding my tears in her long blonde curls. "Good morning, darling," I manage. "Why are your boots so muddy?"

"I went to see Mommy!" she beams. "Today is Mommy's day, remember?"

The little girl that puts her mother's death before her own birthday. I sniff and tuck a strand of her hair behind her little ear. Her big green eyes are sparkling lightly, filled with her mother's adventurous fire. I feel so lucky to see the love of my life reflecting in eyes that match my own.

"I remember sweetheart."

"Come on then," she insists, pulling me up. "Stop being so sad! I made her a cake!"

No. I can never give up. I have everything in the world to live for.

But it was long enough,

Yes it was long enough,

To last forever

Review please darlings o3o