A/N: I swore to myself I would never do another death story…but I fell in love with "Here Comes Goodbye'' by Rascal Flatts the moment I heard it.
I can hear the truck tires coming up the gravel road
And it's not like her to drive that slow, nothings on the radio
Footsteps on the front porch, I hear my doorbell
She usually comes right in, now I can tell
Jeff watched silently as a truck pulled up in front of his house. He had been waiting for this day, even though he didn't want it to come, he knew it had too. He looked down at the little girl sitting on the windowsill and smiled softly.
"Looks like mama's here baby girl." He sighed softly running his fingers over the light blonde hair of his daughter who just looked up at him and smiled. He reached down and picked her up, making sure that she had a hold of the rabbit that was given to her on her 5th birthday. "Why don't we go say hi?"
"But she..." Jeff laid his fingers over her lips shushing her.
"Hush baby" He tugged a jacket and hat on her, laughing as she fussed about losing her rabbit for just a moment. "See? You've still got it. I just needed to get your arms in your coat silly goose." He said as the pair headed outside, staying a few feet behind the retreating figures of Jeff's girlfriend and her mother.
Here comes goodbye, here comes the last time
Here comes the start of every sleepless night
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry
Here comes the pain, Here comes me wishing things had never change
And she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye
"I still can't believe they're both gone" She whispered softly as her and her mother walked down a small gravel road towards a large tree. "I thought we'd be together forever. All of us" Her shoulders shook slightly in silent tears, her mother holding her tighter.
"I know baby…I know it doesn't seem right. But things like this happen." Her mother whispered softly into her ear.
I can hear her say "I love you" like it was yesterday
And I can see it written on her face that she had never felt this way
One day I thought Id see her with her daddy by her side
And violins would play here comes the bride
The pair watched as she knelt down in the snow, staring at something. Jeff's heart wrenched as a heart felt sob escaped her lips. He wanted to reach out to her and hold her but it was impossible. He could feel his little girl squirming in his arms desperately trying to get to her mother. He set her down and watched her run the best she could through the snow towards her.
"Mama!! Mama we're right here!!" She called out trying to get to her before she stood back up. She threw herself at the kneeling form and huffed when her mother didn't turn around at her voice.
Here comes goodbye, here comes the last time
Here comes the start of every sleepless night
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry
Here comes the pain, Here comes me wishing things had never change
And she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye
The little girl flopped into the snow and cried quietly hugging her rabbit to her.
"Mama…behind you Mama…." Jeff moved behind his little girl and lifted her back up into his arms.
"Are you ready?" He whispered into her hair
"What's it like?" She asked tilting her head up to look at him.
"There's no more goodbyes" He said softly as they moved closer to the young woman. Jeff reached out and gently laid his hand on her shoulder, even though he knew she couldn't feel it.
Why does it have to go from good to gone?
Before the lights turn on, yeah and you're left alone
All alone, but here comes goodbye
She reached out and touched the smaller of the two headstones speaking softly.
"You tell your daddy I miss him so much baby…"
Oh-oh-oh-oh
"Daddy? I don't wanna leave her."
Here comes goodbye, here comes the last time
Here comes the start of every sleepless night
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry
Here comes the pain, Here comes me wishing things had never change
And she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye
She stood up slowly and looked back down at the headstones. They didn't have dates on them. She had refused to place the dates of their deaths on them.
Jeffery Nero Hardy
"Loving husband and father"
Amanda Diane Hardy
"Beautiful baby girl"
"I love you both so much…I'll be back soon" She whispered placing her hand on Jeff's headstone. As she turned to go her eyes widened slightly and she blinked quickly rubbing at her eyes. "Jeff? Amanda?" she whispered softly. She shook her head hard looking at her mother. "No. I'm seeing things. I…I could have sworn…" Her tears starting falling again as a light snow began to fall with a gentle whistling wind. As she started to walk away she stopped, straining her hearing.
"Goodbye princess…Amanda and I love you" She whispered softly smiling. "Jeff…I knew you'd be here…" She tilted her head up into the falling snow. "I'll see you eventually baby. Don't forget me"