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Okay, so it's not over yet. This chapter came to me today and I think I have a few more ideas.

Chapter 11

I walked into the factory like a zombie that afternoon. I'd spent hours holding her hand. She didn't feel cold to me and I just couldn't believe Katie was gone. The beginning of our relationship flashed through my mind like I was reliving it. In that moment I wished we were back at the beginning. As horrible as it was. I'd relive those moments a million times if it meant I didn't have to say goodbye to her.

I sat down at my desk in my office. Our office. Katie decorated it for me and she always said it was mine, but it was ours. We'd really made that business into something to be proud of. All of us. Jacob, Gus, me and Katie. She was the center of it all.

I picked up the soft fabric hair tie she'd taken from her hair and dropped on the desk. I played with it. Katie had been there working on the computer when her labor pains hit. She'd been really uncomfortable all day, but she wouldn't stay home. She wanted to be by my side. I remembered sitting on the sofa, watching her do the payroll and she wouldn't leave the office until it was done. She'd dealt with every pain. They weren't coming that close and I remember how I chuckled at her persistence.

Everyone that worked for us loved her. She was the one they all stayed for. In the beginning the employees weren't sure about new owners. Many had handed in notices to the prior owners as soon as they heard the news. But after meeting Katie and working beside her, they didn't want to leave.

We'd learned it all together and it wasn't uncommon for one or all of us to be on the floor working right beside our employees when the work load was hectic.

I touched the mouse to Katie's laptop. She'd left it sitting beside my desk top when she usually carried it everywhere with her. The certificate she'd made just before I made her go to the hospital was there. I finished filling it in and printed it. She made things for the bulletin board for all the employees. Birth announcements, marriages, anniversaries, birthdays. Every moment was special. Now it was our turn.

I walked slowly to the big board, opened the glass panel and pinned it to the cork board. The entire room clapped and whistled. Everyone was happy and had been awaiting news of the new heiress. Jacob placed a hand on my shoulder and I took a deep breath. I turned to face them and put my hand ups up slightly to calm them.

"Katie didn't make it." I choked back my sobs. "Everyone – you can all go home."

I turned and headed to my office and listened to the machines wind down until all was quiet. It didn't seem right to keep the factory running. Not then. Not when all the employees felt the pain of losing her. She just meant too much for us to keep it business as usual.

XXX

I walked down a misty path. It wasn't fog. It looked more like billowy clouds. It wasn't cold or hot. It was perfect.

"Hello, Katie."

"Mama?"

She nodded and welcomed her embrace. She looked so pretty and so young. Just the way I remembered her, but she wasn't pale. She wasn't sick.

"Look." She waved her hand toward the ground.

I gasped. I saw myself. I looked like I was sleeping but I wasn't. Roman sat there holding caressing my hand. He tried so hard to hold it together, but I saw the tears running down his cheeks. He rocked our daughter in one arm. I strolled to his side and touched his cheek. He glanced my way, like he sensed me. I touched my daughter's tiny head. Then a nurse came and took her.

"She's a beautiful baby." My mother sighed. "She's going to be so loved."

I took in a breath. I understood. I embraced Roman from behind the way I did so often. I kissed his cheek. I didn't want to say goodbye. I wasn't ready to say goodbye, but I knew I had to go. I stepped back toward the clouds, but paused and turned. I had to see him one more time.

"This is it?" I know I was supposed to be happy, but a tear escaped. "We went through all of that and – it doesn't seem fair."

My whole childhood had been horrible. Roman had fought so many demons. We managed to fall in love despite everything in our way then we struggled for years to make that failing dairy farm into something special. And now, just as things were so wonderful ...

"I know what you're thinking Katie," My mother gently consoled, rubbing my back. "But we all have a scheduled time to go."

"I know … but … I don't want to leave him."

"Here, there is only peace. No pain. No suffering. You can watch them both …"
"But that's not true." I shook my head. "My heart hurts. I can't be whole without Roman."

"Are you sure, Katie?"

"What a shame – she was pretty."

I heard a faint whisper and suddenly my entire body felt cold. Freezing. My eyes popped open. I sucked in a big breath. I felt like I had been choking.

"Oh Geeze! Son of a bitch!" The man in front of me stumbled back, tripping and falling over the stool behind him.

I sat up. Grasping my chest and taking heavy breaths. I felt a little sore, but nothing major.

The man stood up slowly. His eyes wide.

"Well," He ran his head over his messy hair and nodded. "That's one hell of a trick lady." He swaggered over to me. "I'm Dean." He introduced himself. He seemed a bit crazy to me, but I guess he had to be to do his job.

"Katie Reigns."

"Well, Miss Katie. You'll have to excuse me, but I have some phone calls to make?" he started to step back. "You need anything? You want anything?"

"I'm cold."

"Oh, yeah. I bet. Here." He took off his jacket and put it around my shoulders then strolled into the office like he saw people wake up in the morgue every day.

XXX

I sat up in the chair beside the bed and watched television. I couldn't sleep and I couldn't stand to crawl into that bed without Katie. I rocked. Clutching a pillow that still smelled like Katie's shampoo and gazing at the diamond set I held in my fingers. The nurse handed me all Katie's things. Then she removed the rings from her finger and handed it to me. I guess that's when it really sunk in. Till death do you part – right?

The phone rang. It was the middle of the night. The phone had rang a lot that evening. I was tired of hearing everyone say how sorry they were. How much they loved her and would miss her. But for how long? A couple weeks? A month? Their lives weren't going to be that different.

I let the phone ring. I was trying to figure out what to do next. My baby was coming home soon. They said they would keep her a couple days and then I could take her home. I had made plans. I had a lot of plans – but they all included Katie. I never thought for a second that I would have to do anything without her.

I knew I had to come home and get the suitcase she'd packed. It was sitting by the front door. I didn't have time to get it before I took her to the hospital, but I had planned for that possibility to. I was supposed to come home for the suitcase. I was going to stop and get her laptop – and then spend the night at the hospital with her. I never could stand to stay away from her at night. I had to go on a business trip once. To meet some new clients. Katie was too far along to travel and I couldn't stand it. I stayed on the phone with her the entire time. Even during my meeting. I put her on speaker phone and told the men in the room that she couldn't be there in person, but she was very important to the meeting. I probably could have done it alone, but I needed her. We did it all together. Always. I didn't know what to do – I didn't know … I just didn't know.

The phone kept ringing. It would stop. Then start again. It interrupted my shock. It angered me. It was four in the morning. I know I was usually up. I was usually heading the barns. Maybe the farm hands didn't know yet. Maybe they were wondering where I was.

I slowly rose, keeping that pillow with me as I crossed the room to retrieve my cell phone. I sat it on the dresser like I always had. Charging right next to my wife's. Like every night. I touched hers. It still had a slight hint of makeup on the screen. Like it always did when she held it and it touched her cheek. I touched that spot. Missing the feel of her cheeks beneath my hands.

My phone rang again.

"Hello?" I didn't even look at the number.

"Mr. Reigns?" A man said on the other end. "Um – I don't know how to explain this – but I need you to come to the hospital. Um – we made a mistake."

Instantly, I was worried about my daughter. I rushed down the stairs. I couldn't lose them both. I couldn't lose the only piece of Katie I had left.