Starr and Jeff walked across the threshold three months later, now pronounced man and wife. It was a huge step to take, with all the problems in their life. Now with their rings and their shared vows of eternal monogamy, their were ready to start anew.
It wasn't until one night that Jeff had found Starr bleeding and unconscious in their bed. He took her to the hospital, where he finally was told that she was pregnant with twins. He was told that if the twins were not delivered immediately, they would not survive. On the other hand, if the doctors could not control Starr's hemorrhaging, she would more likely die than the twins would.
By Caesarean, their twin son and daughter had arrived, but Starr had stopped breathing. Jeff had stayed every night throughout the week she had been in the hospital. Things looked bleak for her, but no one was ready to give up on her---not even Jeff. They just got married. They had a family to raise. Jeff didn't want to raise his children alone!
On the seventh night, Starr's eyes finally opened, but stared blankly in space. The only thing she could understand was the sound of Jeff talking to her.
"Hey, baby doll," he whispered tenderly, "I missed you so much! We all missed you terribly. We thought you wouldn't survive. We have a beautiful baby girl and a handsome baby boy. Starr, why aren't you saying anything?"
Her eyes finally cast themselves upon Jeff, and with a sad smile, she took his hand.
"I never thought I had to do this," she said weakly, "but… I really have to go. Something was telling me that I couldn't stay here. That's why I came back. My time was so short, and I knew it would be. I'm not sick or anything, except in my heart. Listen to me, Jeff: I want you to take care of the children for me when I leave, and I want you to always tell them about me. Don't let them believe that I was never real. Tell them that… I'll always love them….. and I hope they'll love me just as much."
Jeff wanted to tell her that she couldn't leave, but he couldn't get the words out. She knew this, and he would never have thought this if he didn't love her as much as he did. So with much reluctance, he complied with her request as he turned out the lights and watched her fade away. He placed his head upon her stomach and sobbed bitterly, but stopped when he saw the bright light from the window. He heard the song in his head once again and took the hand of his dead beloved…. watching the spirit fly to the moon.
The End