Stronger
Prologue
"You look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart."
"Simply exquisite."
"He's not going to be able to take his eyes off of you!"
The compliments washed over her as Kyrine stared in the full length mirror, running her hands down her sides to smooth any creases and blemishes of the breathtaking white gown she wore. It was a simple silk one piece with a hoop neckline and long sleeves, showing off her slim curvy body, flowing out at her feet. It had embroidery beading on the front that made the dress shimmer in the lights, giving the dress that special bridal feeling. The moment Kyrine laid eyes on the dress, she knew this was the one she wanted to marry him in.
Her eyes closed thinking of her fiancé, not believing what an unbelievably unselfish man he was. Kyrine still had no idea how she was going to tell her mother what was going to transpire later on that night, but she would figure it out eventually. All that mattered was being married to him, being his wife and living. Kyrine swallowed hard as her mother fixed the veil over her eyes, which was a simple silk sheer material that brought out her beautiful midnight blue eyes. Her dark chestnut hair –it had natural red tints throughout it- was half swept up in tons of spiral curls that framed her face and rested on her shoulders gently.
Tears came to her eyes at the thought, remembering the first time she met him and sighed gently. Kyrine had to move to Forks, Washington because of an operation, diagnosed with congestive heart failure at the tender age of six. She'd lived with this condition for a decade, though it'd been two years since Kyrine moved to Forks. She had multiple surgeries to replace heart valves to help her heart pump faster, but it was getting to the point where the heart wasn't getting better or healthier.
Slowly but surely, her heart was slowing down as every day passed, remembering what her cardiologist, Doctor Miles, told her a few years ago. A heart transplant was needed in order to save Kyrine's life or she was going to die. Time was running out and Kyrine had begun losing hope until Doctor Miles gave her the news that changed her life. Her eyes closed, remembering that moment Doctor Miles walked in the exam room and gave her the news that changed her entire life forever…
The door opened as Doctor Miles walked in, a middle aged man in his fifties with graying short black hair and deep grey eyes. He was tall and the best, which is what the McTavian's required, having moved from their home in Michigan to Miami to see the best doctor in the world. He was the preeminent cardiologist in the country, only the finest for their daughter, and the McTavian's wouldn't take anything less than that.
"Well hello there, Kyrie." Doctor Miles greeted with a soft smile, holding her chart in his hand, wearing dark blue scrubs with a white overcoat. "How are you feeling today?"
"Nervous." Kyrine repeated the same thing she told the nurse, Patricia, when asked earlier, causing the doctor to chuckle softly.
"Well, there's no reason to be nervous because you're here for a very good reason today." Doctor Miles set the chart down and pulled the chair up, sitting right in front of Kyrine, Natalie standing beside her daughter in pure anticipation.
Kyrine felt as though she couldn't breathe; especially when Doctor Miles took her hand in his own comfortingly, midnight blue eyes incredibly timid.
"Kyrie, I have incredible news for you. We found you a heart." Doctor Miles announced with a bright smile, watching those midnight blue eyes widen as they instantly filled with tears.
Natalie couldn't help it and instantly began sobbing, knees giving out as they hit the floor, burying her face in her hands. "Oh thank you god!" She cried out with joy, Kyrine just sitting there as huge tears slid down her face, not able to take her eyes off of Doctor Miles.
"A-A heart?" She stammered out, covering her mouth with a shaking hand when Doctor Miles nodded, confirming it again.
"We found you a heart, Kyrie."
Kyrine couldn't help it and began crying as hard as she could, feeling as though her heart would burst in her chest. Her mother's arms wrapped around her, holding her close as she buried her face in her chest, clinging for dear life. They found her a heart, which meant Kyrine wasn't going to die. She was going to live a full and happy life, slowly pulling away from her mother as Natalie mopped her face up with tissues.
"The heart is in Forks, Washington and they're waiting for the donor to die. They will not take him off of life support, but he only has so much time left." Doctor Miles explained, causing Natalie to nod, smoothing her daughter's hair out with her hand.
"When can she get the transplant?" Natalie instantly asked, hardly containing her excitement, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "You're going to live, my darling."
"Well, you will have to move to Forks and wait until the heart is ready to be harvested. It can be anywhere from three to four months." Doctor Miles stated, sighing when Natalie and Kyrine looked at him in confusion. "The family refuses to take the donor off of life support until a family member arrives home from overseas. They promised and signed a consent form that if the relative doesn't arrive home in time, they will take him off life support and harvest his organs. That heart is yours, Kyrie."
Kyrine just nodded, still not believing this was happening, looking up at her mother through tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry we have to move again." She whispered, the guilt washing through her, and Natalie just held her close.
"Don't you dare apologize, Kyrine Elizabeth McTavian! We don't mind moving. Forks, Washington will be happy to have us just like Miami and Detroit did." Natalie stated, knowing Nicholas would more than agree to do anything for their daughter, kissing the top of her head.
"Now then, you know what needs to be done, but I want you to take extra precaution Kyrie. Minimal activity and I want to add a couple of foods to your diet to help you gain some weight. You need to be strong enough to withstand the transplant and ninety five pounds won't cut it. I'm also going to prescribe a new blood pressure medication to help that lower, which means absolutely NO STRESS whatsoever." Doctor Miles instructed in a strict voice, knowing this girl would be fine as long as she obeyed what he said. "I think that's it, if you have any questions, you know how to contact me."
"I actually do have one, Doctor Miles." Natalie cleared her throat, placing her hands on Kyrine's shoulders gently but firmly. "Nicholas and I talked with Kyrie about this and we don't want anyone else doing the transplant. We will pay you handsomely and do whatever it takes to fly you out to Forks, Washington to perform the surgery. We want only the best for our daughter, you understand right?"
Doctor Miles smiled gently, nodding, and stood up from the chair. "I was already planning on doing the surgery. When the organs are ready to be harvested, I will be on the first flight to Forks." He promised, causing Natalie and Kyrine to sigh with relief, shaking both of their hands.
"Mom, I'm getting a heart." Kyrine whispered after Doctor Miles left the room, causing both of them to burst in tears again, holding each other tightly.
"Don't cry sweetheart, you're going to ruin your makeup." Natalie McTavian stated, jolting her daughter out of her thoughts, trying not to cry and couldn't help it since this was her only baby girl.
Now she was getting married and Natalie just wished she could have a little more time with Kyrine. She remembered bringing her home from the hospital wrapped in a purple blanket –Natalie despised the color pink- and the first time she'd taken her into the newly built nursery. Kyrine was a lonely child, Natalie only wanted one child and Nicholas understood that completely, happy with their beautiful daughter. Neither realized just how much of a nightmare their lives would become six years down the road and how they'd gotten to this point now.
Swaying slightly, Natalie immediately wrapped an arm around her daughter's waist, frowning. "Kyrie, do you need to sit down?" She asked, watching Kyrine shake her head, sighing heavily. "Sweetheart…"
"I'm fine mom, I promise."
Kyrine smiled when her cousin, Amaya, walked up to her, wearing a blood red strapless bridesmaid gown that went two inches above the knee, hugging her hips and had a hoop neckline. She had black lace arm warmers, being the only bridesmaid and maid of honor, the wedding just a very small ceremony. Amaya Robinson stood around five nine and had blonde hair with blood red highlights throughout it –she changed it every three months to a different color- with deep violet eyes. The McTavian's took her in when she was five years old, after her parents were involved in a horrific car accident, both of them killed instantly on impact. To say Kyrine and Amaya were close was an understatement; they were sisters.
Amaya also knew what Kyrine was planning that night with her fiancé and completely understood why.
"Why don't you go find the coordinator and make sure everything's set?" Amaya suggested with a smile, wanting a minute alone with her sister, tears shining in her eyes. "Give the bride a few minutes to collect herself."
Natalie sighed, knowing Amaya wanted to talk with her sister alone, and kissed her cheek gently. "I'll be right in the hall if you need me, both of you." She squeezed both of their hands before exiting, her sisters Sally and Amelia following suit.
"Thank you." Kyrine breathed a sigh of relief and went back to staring in the mirror, closing her eyes as a wave of nausea overtook her. "I'm fine." She held her hand up before Amaya could touch her, just needing to breathe. "I'm nervous, I'm only eighteen and I'm about to get married."
"To save your life." Amaya reminded her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, tears stinging her eyes. "How do you think it will feel?"
"I don't know." Kyrine whispered, still not believing she agreed to go along with this, but at this point there were no other options. "You know this is the only way, Maya."
As much as Amaya didn't want to admit it, she knew Kyrine was making the right decision, swallowing hard. "Just promise me this isn't the last time we'll see each other..." Grasping her hands, tearful violet eyes stared into saddened midnight blue. "Kyrie…"
"I can't promise that." She whispered, slipping her hands out of Amaya's, knowing this was going to tear the woman apart. "We've already had this discussion. It's going to be a very long time before we see each other again."
A knock on the dressing room door caused both women to snap their heads toward it, the father of the bride, Nicholas McTavian, poked his head in with a smile. "Mind if I come in to wish my daughter well?" He asked, causing both women to giggle and stepped inside, first hugging Amaya, his second daughter in his mind and heart. "You look lovely."
"Thanks Dad." Amaya whispered, accepting a kiss on the cheek before he moved to the most beautiful bride, even though she was slowly dying. "I'm gonna go make sure Mom isn't changing anything."
"Good idea." Nicholas chuckled, the door closing as he took Kyrine into his arms, trying hard not to muse her. "You look stunning, Ky."
"Thank you, Daddy." She whispered, closing her eyes, remembering when she told her father she was getting a new heart.
"What did Doctor Miles say?"
"Daddy…" Kyrine couldn't help it as tears filled her eyes, feeling him cup her face in his warm hand, touching her cold one over his. She had cold hands because of poor circulation, though Nicholas had gotten used to it over the past decade. "Daddy, I'm getting a heart."
Nicholas's deep sea green eyes stared down at his daughter in shock, tears filling his own eyes, and lifted her up as he twirled her around very gently. "My beautiful angel…" He murmured in her ear, feeling her hold onto him as tightly as she could, not believing this was happening.
"I couldn't believe it either." Natalie was crying like a baby again, but couldn't help it. Their family had been through pure hell over the past decade and this news was the biggest weight lifted from their shoulders. "We have to go to Forks, Washington, Nicholas."
"Anywhere." Nicholas stated, setting Kyrine down on her feet, kissing the top of her head lovingly. "We'd fly to Australia if that's what it took to get you this heart, angel."
"You're getting a heart?" Amaya finally asked, letting the shock wear off, and tried like hell not to start crying, but it wasn't happening. "Oh man chick, that's great! Get over here!" She hugged Kyrine close, they were more than cousins, more than sisters…Kyrine and Amaya were best friends and hung out as much as they could, though they were completely opposite.
"I know! I started crying in front of Doctor Miles when he told me." Kyrine sniffled as she pulled back, wiping her tears away, giggling because Amaya instantly went to check her makeup and hair. "We have to move again, I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing, Kyrine." Natalie ordered her daughter, feeling Nicholas's loving embrace, sighing gently. "We told you we'll do whatever it takes to save you."
"That's right Kyrie, stop worrying so much." Amaya ordered, wrapping a loose arm around her shoulders, a smirk spreading across her magenta colored lips. "So when do we leave?"
"As soon as possible." Natalie had already called her realtor while at dinner with Kyrine earlier that night.
"Forks, Washington here we come!"
"Are you ready to do this?" Nicholas asked, trying hard to keep his emotions at bay around his daughter, not wanting to let her go.
"Yes, I'll be out in a minute. I just need a minute to myself." When her father hesitated, Kyrine sighed and kissed his lips softly, hugging him tightly around the neck. "I'm fine, Daddy."
Nicholas nodded, hugging her tightly against him as his eyes shut as well, swallowing hard. "I love you, Ky." He murmured in her ear, being very gentle because he knew how fragile she was right now, even though she tried hiding it.
"I love you too, Daddy." Releasing him, Kyrine turned back to stare in the mirror, the door closing once more, and took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart…her dying heart.
No matter what, Kyrine knew she couldn't back out of this because it was her only chance to survive. Her fiancé would give her what she needed most and Kyrine wasn't going to pass it up for anything or anyone in the world. He promised her as soon as they left the reception, their wedding night could commence and Kyrine shivered at the thought, clasping her hands tightly together in front of her.
This was it.
The time had finally arrived.
Grabbing her bouquet, Kyrine fixed a few flowers on it with a smile on her face, inhaling the beautiful roses the florist had gotten for her. It was made of blood red and white roses, the colors of her wedding, the most important day of her life. The door opened and closed, Kyrine too busy fixing her bouquet to look perfect for this moment and turned around with a huge smile on her face, ready to walk down the aisle to greet her soon-to-be husband.
"Hello Kyrine."
Suddenly, Kyrine's eyes closed as she slumped forward, a strong arm catching her before she hit the floor. He nodded once, lifting her up gingerly, knowing he didn't have much time to get out of there. Walking over, he slipped out of the window he'd snuck in, knowing everyone was at the ceremony, waiting for a bride that would never show up.
It was for Kyrine's own good.