I would like to say Thank you very much, not only for the reviews, but for your prayers and good wishes, it means a great deal x My sister is doing okay and, although it will take time to heal, we will do it together as a family. God bless you guys x


As he lay unmoving, Shannon felt another tear escape from his eye, the sleep that his wearied body so desperately needed, evading him for yet another night. The lonely hours seemed to mesh into one another until he could no longer tell what day it had become, only recognising the difference between day and night by the changing light in the sky. His heart had grown heavy since Alana's passing, her continued absence a chronic reminder that life had become a little colder, that, all that he had held so dear prior to meeting her, suddenly seemed somewhat immaterial to him now.

"Shannon, look at that…"

Broken from his reverie, he shifted his gaze slightly to the left, his eyes searching for whatever had just been pointed out to him. Unable to locate any anomalies that would be cause for inspection, his brow creased in confusion and he averted his baby blues to look upon his companion.

"What am I looking at?"

"On the window"

"All that is on the window is drops of rain, has been for days"

"Exactly! The raindrop race was a favourite pastime for Alana, it was something to keep her amused on days when she felt really ill and had to stay in bed…."

"The raindrop race?"

"Yeah, you know? You both choose a raindrop from the top of the window and watch as they make their way down the glass…whoever's raindrop gets to the bottom first, wins…"

"That's….so lame"

"Well if it's that lame, you won't mind when you lose will you?"

"When I lose?"

"That's what I said Shan….come on it might help, doing something she enjoyed rather than focusing on her…her death. It m-might do us both good"

Shannon regarded his companion with a degree of caution, was this another one of their games? A way for them to win back his affection now that they had no-one else?

"Okay…for Alana"

"For our little girl"

Shannon swung his frame around until he was laying on his front next to Tianna, he watched as her slender fingers deftly twirled her long brunette curls into some semblance of order, her graceful features free of make up and her eyes still red from the myriad of tears shed over her lost angel. The last decade didn't seem to have aged her at all; she was still as handsome as she had been in her youth, Shannon sometimes found it hard to retain any ill feeling towards his ex as soon as his eyes came to rest upon her, such was her beauty. Turning to face him, Shannon coloured slightly as she offered up the most heart stopping smile.

"Ready?"

"You bet…but I must warn you, I'm not a very good loser"

"Yeah, I remember"

"Uh, so... you choose first"

Contrary to the raw emotions of the recent passing of their daughter, Shannon and Tianna found themselves crying tears of laughter as they battled to win the raindrop race, each time one of the couple took the lead, the other would contest the score and up it to a 'best of' competition. The best part of an hour had passed before either adult realised, the morning sun creeping through the sky their only clue as to the time. Glancing at the bedside clock, Shannon saw that it was indeed close to 6am, their bodies were tired but their minds relaxed at the special moment they had shared.

"Ok, I give…you win"

"Damn right too!"

"Alright, alright….quit with the boasting already!"

"Sorry, it's been a while since I won…Alana was too good"

"I can believe that, must have taken after her father!"

Shannon mocked hurt as Tianna landed a smack on his decorated arm, a genuine laugh escaping his lips at the yelp she gave as his finger connected with her ribs. Not wanting to be outdone, Tianna grabbed a plump pillow from the head of the luxurious four poster and landed it perfectly on the back of his blonde mane, chaos soon ensued as it seemed the two forgot all about the events of the past for the time being, looking at them in that moment it was almost as if they were carefree teenage lovers again…almost. Shannon grabbed Tianna as she made a bolt for freedom and flipped her over, her body pinned under his as he held her hands high above her head, a bolt of electricity shot through him at the intimate position of their bodies. Releasing his grip on her hands, Shannon ran his fingertips lightly over her lips and down her throat, without thought his lips had landed on hers and for the minutes that followed, neither participant had any urge to break away.

"Tia..."

Tianna placed a finger upon Shannon's full lips to silence him, no words needed to be spoken; all that had needed to be said lay in the kiss just shared between the two and the passion they still ignited in one another. Placing a feather light kiss on his smooth forehead, Tianna eased her frame from under his and made for the door.

"I'm gonna take a shower and get ready…we have to at the church for eight thirty. I don't want to be late to say goodbye"

Shannon could only watch as Tianna sashayed away from his prone form, his heart raced and his head struggled to comprehend what his heart already knew.