DISCLAIMER: Any recognizable characters and the basic premise of Jurassic Park belong to the fertile minds of Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg.
As he drove to the cemetery, his mind returned to the strange dream he had had that night in the forest. He still did not know if it had been a dream, but Amanda's words remained etched in his mind.
"Amanda?"
"Yes, Alan."
"How..." He could not tell if he spoke aloud or in his mind. "Am I dreaming?"
"Think of it as a dream. You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened to me and our baby."
"Amanda, I can't... I can't help wondering, if you hadn't been pregnant I wouldn't have lost you."
"The pregnancy did not cause the aneurysm. It was meant to be, both for me and our baby."
"The doctor told me that, but still, I couldn't help thinking it caused it. Your mother… what she told me."
"I know what my mother said," Amanda said, regret in her voice. "It was a terrible thing to say."
"She didn't mean it, she was distressed. But she said what I was thinking."
"I'm so sorry, Alan. Do you love Ellie?"
Somehow, Alan was not surprised Amanda knew about Ellie. "Yes, I do," he said, without hesitation.
"She needs to hear that from you, or you'll lose her.
"I know, but I feel like I'm betraying you."
"You're not betraying anyone. We had a wonderful marriage, and nothing will ever change that. Ellie's a good, kind woman, and I know you will have a full loving marriage with her as well."
"You don't mind if I get married again?"
"Of 0course not, I want you to be happy. If the situation was reversed, wouldn't you want me to be happy?"
Alan thought a minute. "Yes, of course." He felt the emotional walls he had taken so much time to construct around his heart begin to crumble.
"I have to go now," Amanda said. "I'll always cherish the time we had."
"I will too."
"Goodbye, Alan."
He had been meaning to visit her grave since he and Ellie had returned to Denver, but this was the first time he had had the opportunity to visit her. Stopping at a traffic light, he glanced down at the vase of flowers he had brought for her gravesite. He decided it did not matter if it was a dream or not, she had given him a final healing gift.
He drove into the cemetery and made his way to the section her grave was located. Picking up the vase, he stepped out of his pickup and walked the short distance to the grave. Kneeling before the headstone, he carefully set the vase in front of the grave. For a moment he did not say anything, only gently stroked the head stone.
Finally he spoke. "Amanda. I remember what you said that night. I told Ellie I loved her, and I'm going to ask her to marry me tonight."
He had visited her grave many times, and always had spoken to her. This time he felt especially compelled to speak to her. "Amanda, you made me whole again. I'll always love you, but because of what you said that night, I know I can love again. It's such a beautiful gift you gave me, and I'll always treasure that."
With a final gentle touch of the headstone, he rose and walked back to his truck and drove towards the future.
