This story is about Duncan, Courtney, and a little girl named Nora. For those of you who are strictly D/C (and I know a ton of you on this site are) it is only D/C romance, though it isn't really a romance story. Also, I hope that anyone who reads this isn't over emotional, cause if you are, you may not want to read.

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You Are My Sunshine

"You are my…,"

Her soft mumbles were only heard by herself, and I without her knowing. The sniffs and whimpers of tears were covering up her sweet humming.

" sunshine,"

I stood solemn and stern in front of the lowering casket with my arm chained around my wife in an embrace that could never comfort her or protect her from her pain.

" my… only… sunshine,"

When the white casket hit the bottom of the seven foot deep hole, my wife's body trembled and her melodic whispers turned into croaking cries.

" you make me happy,"

I wish this day was more bright and sunny. If I had ever imagined a young child's funeral, I would have probably thought it would be held on a day that resembles whimsicality and laughter. Not depressing skies or frigid winds that nipped at the skin. Not like this one.

" when skies are grey,"

The preacher had gotten to the ground and made the sign of the cross with his pointer finger. The other black-dressed figures had followed his lead.

" you'll never know d-dear,"

The people had started to disperse. All heading to their cars with tissues clutched in their hands.

" how much I- I love… you"

Courtney and I stayed.

" please d-don't…. Oh God, please don't take her away!"

She dropped to her knees, with me kneeling right behind her, my arms still wrapped around her waist. Her tremulous hands cradled her face. She let out an agonizing wail before her body began to convulse. This only made me grip onto her tighter, and her sing the song, Nora's song, even louder.

" when I lay slee-eping,"

I rocked her in my arms as she had done to Nora every single night since she was nineteen years old. She is now twenty-two years old.

" I dreamt I held you,"

Courtney's voice became more steady. Probably thinking of the memories of 'our' little girl.

" in my arms,"

I'll miss Nora with all my heart. Truly I will. She really was like my little girl… but she wasn't. So now I have to keep glazed eyes for Courtney, so I can help her stay strong to accept our little girl's death. So I don't lose my only sunshine.

" when I awoke dear,"

I remember that day, when we found out about her leukemia. Nora was only one and a half years old. That was after I was engaged to Courtney. We woke up in our bed around nine in the morning to a phone call from the doctors. They gave us the news over the phone. Courtney was devastated.

" I was mistaken,"

I was brought out of the past with weak arms that wrapped around my neck. I looked down at her swollen, red face and pulled her into me. She nudged her face into my neck and whispered in a hoarse tone, " Duncan, let me say one more last goodbye to Sissy, before we head off to the luncheon." I nodded my head with approval.

" so I hung my head and…"

She bent over the grave plot and whispered, " I love you Sissy, say hi to Daddy for me," and blew a kiss down toward the casket.

" cried,"

New tears began to form in Courtney's eyes, but this time it was a light cry.

" You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,"

We sat down in the car. She gracefully slide in the passenger seat despite her heavy sobbing just a short while ago. She began to, again, sing Nora's favorite song. This time without trouble from her tears.

" you make me happy,"

Courtney was my entire life, and she will always be my entire life. Her sadness hurts me almost as much as she hurts.

" when skies are grey,"

She is probably the only person that can get me to truly smile.

" you'll never know dear,"

I would be totally miserable without her, as much of a cliché that is.

" how much I love you,"

And that is why in the time of her little sister Nora's death, the baby that is like her own child, I am going to be there for her one-hundred percent. Because…

" please don't take my sunshine away,"

I don't want my sunshine to go away.

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I wrote this for Nora Baby.

-Marlynn