(Part 7)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song is "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill. The poem mentioned is "Birches" by Robert Frost. All the medical information in this story is all correct. I did my research! LOL. Thanks to everyone for the encouraging feedback. I wouldn't have continued with this if I hadn't received such positive responses! *~*~*~*~*~*~*
In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky In my heart there'll always be a place for you, for all my life I'll keep a part of you with me And everywhere I am there you'll be. And everywhere I am there you'll be. There you'll be.
The sun was disappearing over the horizon, leaving the sky painted with golden tinted hues. The calm evening air carried an aroma of lilacs from someplace afar. Someplace where troubles are far behind and everyone will know where to find you. That someplace is where John Carter wants to be. Just like all the ones he's lost along the way. Someplace.
"Hi." A voice whispered, interrupted his reverie. "Thought I'd find you here."
Carter took his gaze away from the view of Chicago on the hospital rooftop and turned around. Before him stood Abby Lockhart- his best friend, his love, his life. The reason he got up in the morning. The reason he was alive. She meant everything to him, and there was a chance she would be gone forever.
"How are you feeling?" Carter asked the fragile woman standing before him. She appeared weary and defeated. He never thought in a million years his life would turn out like this. Not only loosing a brother and good friend to cancer, but the love of his life as well. It was as if she was already gone.
"The specialist says I have only one chance at this point, and that's to get a bone marrow transplant." Abby answered quickly and without feeling, without contemplating the actual meaning. It was better this way; no time to ponder what would happen if she was unable to get the procedure accomplished.
Carter understood what she was doing and instinctively moved closer to her. Before she had time to turn away, he reached out and held her hand in his.
"I want to read you something. It's part of a poem I read a while back." Carter reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper.
"I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches."
As Carter read, he noticed Abby's response. She looked so resigned, and a sense of peace illuminated from within. She had felt the urge to cry as he recited the poem, yet she wasn't sure if she was able to anymore. These past few weeks were all a blur of tears, and the tears faded, replaced by a feeling she couldn't quite explain. The only way to describe it would to say it was a hundred different emotions all mixed together to create one.
Carter couldn't bear to watch Abby suffering. He loved her too much. There was no way he was going to let her go. He folded the poem carefully and placed it into her hand. As he did so, Abby looked up into his deep brown eyes. They were staring at her with such intensity. She was lost for a while, just staring back. And then, it happened. Their lips met in a slow, gentle kiss that sent chills up and down her spine. It was so soft, yet there was a passion to it. It felt so natural. so right. so forever.
After a few moments, they pulled apart, panting for breath. The sun had completely disappeared now, and the stars became visible. Carter smiled at Abby, and then pulled out another piece of paper. This one was neatly written and folded. He glanced at it, and then took Abby's hand and pointed it up towards the heavens.
"See that star right there?"
"Yeah. what about it?" Abby asked him, obviously confused.
"It's yours." Carter whispered into her ear, grinning like crazy.
Abby turned back around to face him, with a smile playing on her lips as well. Being there, in that moment, with everything she could ever want, would be a moment that could last her a lifetime and so much more. He had given her a star, and it happened to be the brightest one out that night. The star's light shone down upon them as they embraced and kissed once more on the rooftop, and then followed them as they walked away together, finally going home.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song is "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill. The poem mentioned is "Birches" by Robert Frost. All the medical information in this story is all correct. I did my research! LOL. Thanks to everyone for the encouraging feedback. I wouldn't have continued with this if I hadn't received such positive responses! *~*~*~*~*~*~*
In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky In my heart there'll always be a place for you, for all my life I'll keep a part of you with me And everywhere I am there you'll be. And everywhere I am there you'll be. There you'll be.
The sun was disappearing over the horizon, leaving the sky painted with golden tinted hues. The calm evening air carried an aroma of lilacs from someplace afar. Someplace where troubles are far behind and everyone will know where to find you. That someplace is where John Carter wants to be. Just like all the ones he's lost along the way. Someplace.
"Hi." A voice whispered, interrupted his reverie. "Thought I'd find you here."
Carter took his gaze away from the view of Chicago on the hospital rooftop and turned around. Before him stood Abby Lockhart- his best friend, his love, his life. The reason he got up in the morning. The reason he was alive. She meant everything to him, and there was a chance she would be gone forever.
"How are you feeling?" Carter asked the fragile woman standing before him. She appeared weary and defeated. He never thought in a million years his life would turn out like this. Not only loosing a brother and good friend to cancer, but the love of his life as well. It was as if she was already gone.
"The specialist says I have only one chance at this point, and that's to get a bone marrow transplant." Abby answered quickly and without feeling, without contemplating the actual meaning. It was better this way; no time to ponder what would happen if she was unable to get the procedure accomplished.
Carter understood what she was doing and instinctively moved closer to her. Before she had time to turn away, he reached out and held her hand in his.
"I want to read you something. It's part of a poem I read a while back." Carter reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper.
"I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches."
As Carter read, he noticed Abby's response. She looked so resigned, and a sense of peace illuminated from within. She had felt the urge to cry as he recited the poem, yet she wasn't sure if she was able to anymore. These past few weeks were all a blur of tears, and the tears faded, replaced by a feeling she couldn't quite explain. The only way to describe it would to say it was a hundred different emotions all mixed together to create one.
Carter couldn't bear to watch Abby suffering. He loved her too much. There was no way he was going to let her go. He folded the poem carefully and placed it into her hand. As he did so, Abby looked up into his deep brown eyes. They were staring at her with such intensity. She was lost for a while, just staring back. And then, it happened. Their lips met in a slow, gentle kiss that sent chills up and down her spine. It was so soft, yet there was a passion to it. It felt so natural. so right. so forever.
After a few moments, they pulled apart, panting for breath. The sun had completely disappeared now, and the stars became visible. Carter smiled at Abby, and then pulled out another piece of paper. This one was neatly written and folded. He glanced at it, and then took Abby's hand and pointed it up towards the heavens.
"See that star right there?"
"Yeah. what about it?" Abby asked him, obviously confused.
"It's yours." Carter whispered into her ear, grinning like crazy.
Abby turned back around to face him, with a smile playing on her lips as well. Being there, in that moment, with everything she could ever want, would be a moment that could last her a lifetime and so much more. He had given her a star, and it happened to be the brightest one out that night. The star's light shone down upon them as they embraced and kissed once more on the rooftop, and then followed them as they walked away together, finally going home.