Marilyn and Kevin raced into the hospital with their two adopted daughters. They had
gotten married in May and adopted the girls shortly after. The younger one, Amy Elizabeth,
was only three months old and the older one, Jennifer Madeline, was almost three years old.
Marilyn held Amy and Kevin was clinging to Jenny's hand.
"My god, is she OK?" Marilyn asked, turning to Scott with tears in her eyes. But his stone-solid face provided only the wrong answers for Marilyn, so she turned to Harry instead. He put an arm around her shoulder, careful not to lean on the baby, and gave her a gentle hug.
"I'm so sorry, Marilyn. She..." Harry stopped when he saw her face. Her bright brown eyes had lost their shine. Her face was expressionless, which was worse than any other face Harry had seen all day. The lack of sadness, lack of anger...outwardly of course. He could tell she was about to crumble on the inside. Kevin released Jenny's hand suddenly and sat down in a hard plastic chair. Harry held his arms out to Marilyn and she gave Amy to him. He handed the baby to Dana. Marilyn looked up to protest, then she sighed and her face went blank once more.
"I'm a daddy." Harry said expressionlessly. Marilyn glared at Dana contemptuously. Harry saw and shook his head. "Lauren was pregnant, Marilyn. I have a daughter." Marilyn's features crumpled and she began to sob silently. She put her arms cautiously around Harry's neck, then sank into his friendly embrace. When she took her face away from his shoulder, there were tear stains all over his blue shirt. She looked at them apologetically, but he just shook his head.
"Mommy, why are you crying?" Jenny asked innocently. Marilyn couldn't answer her little girl.
"Jenny, come sit with me." Harry helped Jen climb onto his lap after he had sat down on the orange plastic chair. "Your mommy is crying because her friend...our friend...died today. That means that she...she went to a place called heaven, where they make you an angel. And angels watch over everyone on earth and make sure you don't get hurt." Harry carefully explained, trying not to scare the young girl.
"Don't cry, Mommy, your friend is an angel!" Jenny exclaimed, pulling at the hem of Marilyn's tank top.
Marilyn snapped out of her crying streak, allowing a few tiny tears to trace their way down her cheek. She lifted Jenny up and held her. "I know, Jen, but I just miss her. I'll be ok." Jenny hugged her mom. Steven got up and put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. As Kevin turned to tell her he was alright, Lauren's parents and Louisa arrived, followed by a man none of them had ever seen before. While they were saying hellos and having the situation explained to them, Dana noticed that Harry was nowhere to be found in the crying bunch. She looked once again at the room where Lauren had died. There was Harry, crying. She moved closer to the door, not hard because none of the other mourners wanted her there anyway. She had given Amy to Kevin, who seemed stable enough to hold her without dropping the little girl. Dana could hear Harry talking inside. She listened and began to cry herself, though she quickly wiped away the tears.
"Lauren. God, I'm so sorry, I can't believe it. I thought...I always thought...that we would end up together again. I thought you were my soulmate. I don't want to love anyone like I love you. I just want you back. God, please, I just want her back!....but I love you, and we have a daughter... if I can't have you, I'll take care of her for you. Goodbye." He kissed her cold lips and turned to leave. Dana began to cry openly, not because she was upset, but because she thought Harry would never love her like she needed to be loved. She turned and walked around the corner to cry, still embarrassed around the teachers. Harry didn't bother to go after her retreating form, he just went back to his chair, numb with pain.
"My god, is she OK?" Marilyn asked, turning to Scott with tears in her eyes. But his stone-solid face provided only the wrong answers for Marilyn, so she turned to Harry instead. He put an arm around her shoulder, careful not to lean on the baby, and gave her a gentle hug.
"I'm so sorry, Marilyn. She..." Harry stopped when he saw her face. Her bright brown eyes had lost their shine. Her face was expressionless, which was worse than any other face Harry had seen all day. The lack of sadness, lack of anger...outwardly of course. He could tell she was about to crumble on the inside. Kevin released Jenny's hand suddenly and sat down in a hard plastic chair. Harry held his arms out to Marilyn and she gave Amy to him. He handed the baby to Dana. Marilyn looked up to protest, then she sighed and her face went blank once more.
"I'm a daddy." Harry said expressionlessly. Marilyn glared at Dana contemptuously. Harry saw and shook his head. "Lauren was pregnant, Marilyn. I have a daughter." Marilyn's features crumpled and she began to sob silently. She put her arms cautiously around Harry's neck, then sank into his friendly embrace. When she took her face away from his shoulder, there were tear stains all over his blue shirt. She looked at them apologetically, but he just shook his head.
"Mommy, why are you crying?" Jenny asked innocently. Marilyn couldn't answer her little girl.
"Jenny, come sit with me." Harry helped Jen climb onto his lap after he had sat down on the orange plastic chair. "Your mommy is crying because her friend...our friend...died today. That means that she...she went to a place called heaven, where they make you an angel. And angels watch over everyone on earth and make sure you don't get hurt." Harry carefully explained, trying not to scare the young girl.
"Don't cry, Mommy, your friend is an angel!" Jenny exclaimed, pulling at the hem of Marilyn's tank top.
Marilyn snapped out of her crying streak, allowing a few tiny tears to trace their way down her cheek. She lifted Jenny up and held her. "I know, Jen, but I just miss her. I'll be ok." Jenny hugged her mom. Steven got up and put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. As Kevin turned to tell her he was alright, Lauren's parents and Louisa arrived, followed by a man none of them had ever seen before. While they were saying hellos and having the situation explained to them, Dana noticed that Harry was nowhere to be found in the crying bunch. She looked once again at the room where Lauren had died. There was Harry, crying. She moved closer to the door, not hard because none of the other mourners wanted her there anyway. She had given Amy to Kevin, who seemed stable enough to hold her without dropping the little girl. Dana could hear Harry talking inside. She listened and began to cry herself, though she quickly wiped away the tears.
"Lauren. God, I'm so sorry, I can't believe it. I thought...I always thought...that we would end up together again. I thought you were my soulmate. I don't want to love anyone like I love you. I just want you back. God, please, I just want her back!....but I love you, and we have a daughter... if I can't have you, I'll take care of her for you. Goodbye." He kissed her cold lips and turned to leave. Dana began to cry openly, not because she was upset, but because she thought Harry would never love her like she needed to be loved. She turned and walked around the corner to cry, still embarrassed around the teachers. Harry didn't bother to go after her retreating form, he just went back to his chair, numb with pain.