Together at the Last
FLORIDA 2065
Ross had fought off death in the hope of seeing his youngest daughter Stephanie one last time. The rest of the family had been gathered in the house for two days but Stephanie had been more difficult to contact. Only now Ross did not have time to wait. He lay in his large bed scarcely recognisable from the man that smiled out from the photograph taken with his five friends, which stood on the nightstand. His breath, coming in sharp gasps, was the only noise in the room.
Martha came in, his youngest grandchild, who yesterday turned 30. She fussed over his sheets for a while, trying to make him comfortable, trying to do anything she could for the grandfather who she adored. He indicated with his hand and, very gently she lifted Ross up the bed so that he could see out of the window better, but even her gentle touch brought gasps of pain so she let him sink back to the pillows despondent.
His thoughts drifted as always to Rachel. After all these years the only thing about death that frightened him was leaving Rachel. He could not remember a time when his thoughts did not revolve around her. Even when he married Emily part of him had hoped that that would be what Rachel needed to make her jealous enough to forgive him.
He had few regrets. He had lived his life without any malice to others… He was suddenly alert and worried, he tried to sit up but the strength had gone. He mouthed her name and Martha understood and went running for her grandmother.
Rachel came into the bedroom and Ross's heart lurched in the same way it had for 80 years. He had married other women but never truly loved another woman. She sat on the bed and gently stroked his hair refusing to believe that they would soon be parted.
"Rachel" he gasped.
"Schh - I know honey - I know."
"No. I'm sorry. I never said… sorry."
"For what honey. What do you need to say sorry for?" She looked into his face, curious.
"The break-up. It was my fault." Ross gasped.
"Now - you're thinking about that now?"
"I don't want anything…. left unsaid."
"I should have forgiven you sooner. We wasted so many years"
Ross tried to reply but could only mouth "I love you" before even that movement was denied him. The reaper had no patience, only his brain was still under his control, all else was gone from him. Rachel lay on the bed next to him and put both her arms around him clinging onto the life that was now so weak.
He could do nothing more. Life was no longer his but belonged to his children and his grandchildren. His own life, like those of all his friends, would soon be nothing more than a memory for the next generation to trample into the ground. He felt Rachel beside him and felt his heart lurch for the last time and gave way to the inevitable, it was too late for regrets. He relaxed and his head sunk into the pillows and the woman beside him heard him draw his last breath.
Rachel pulled her head up and saw that the man she loved was gone. She gave one sob that caught in her throat then sunk back down beside him holding him tightly. One tear escaped and made its way through the creases in her face down her neck and onto the sheet where it slowly disappeared. She felt her own heart tighten and tighten and she knew that God was going to be kind. She let it wash over her clinging to the body beside her.
Stephanie arrived and ran up the stairs with Martha. She knew immediately she entered the room that her parents were not asleep. The personality had gone from their faces. But the way that they lay in such a tight embrace gave her comfort. They had bickered and loved their way through life but now, at the last, they lay in perfect love.
Outside a bird was pecking at the ground to bring the worms underneath to the surface. She carried them in her beak back to her untidy nest in a hole in a wall of the tall trees that scraped against the windows of the room where Ross and Rachel had died together.
I know its bad but it is a first for me. Let me know what you think.