Chloe was having a fitful dream. She saw Brady standing with his arms around another woman, hugging her tightly. Jealousy punched Chloe in the gut. She moved closer. Brady turned and smiled brilliantly at her. That's when she saw the other woman. It was his mother.
"Brady..." she whispered.
"I love you, Chloe." He said. "But I have to go now."
"Go where?" she asked.
"I know what we had planned, but I'm going to spend my birthday with my mother. I hope you understand, Chloe."
He waved at her one last time and turned with his mother and disappeared.
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"Chloe... Chloe honey. Wake up."
Chloe opened her eyes. "Brady?"
"No, honey."
Chloe rolled over. "Craig? What are you doing here?"
"Chloe...C'mere Sweetie."
Chloe sat up. "What's going on, Craig? Is Nancy ok?"
"Oh Sweetie, I'm sorry. Nancy's ok, but..."
Only now did it occur to her that something could be wrong with Brady.
The look in Craig's eyes confirmed her thoughts.
"Craig, what's wrong with Brady?"
Craig took her in his arms. "I'm sorry." There were tears in his voice.
"Craig is something wrong with Brady?"
Craig took a deep breath. "There was an accident." He said.
"And...?"
"I-I had to operate on him. I tried my best, I really thought we could save-"
"Craig! Tell me what's wrong with him!" Chloe demanded, frantically.
Tears slid down Craig's face. "He-he didn't make it Chloe. I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."
"He didn't-" Chloe didn't understand. His words made no sense to her. It wasn't conceivable that Brady could not be alive. So the thought never crossed her mind. Not even after he'd said it.
"What do you mean?"
"Chloe...baby. Brady didn't make it. We couldn't save him. I'm sorry."
"You mean he's...NO!" She screamed suddenly. "Your lying! He can't be dead! Please Craig!"
"I'm sorry Sweetie. I wish I were. But-"
Tears burst from Chloe's eyes. "It's his birthday! I had everything planned. We were going to celebrate! We were going supposed to be together forever! He can't be dead, Craig!"
"I'm so sorry. I tried, I tried my damnedest to save him, to bring him back to us, to you!"
"You didn't try hard enough! It's your fault!" She screamed. "You could have saved him! You killed him!" She slammed her fist repeatedly into his shoulder. "I hate you! I hate you! You took him away from me! You could have saved him!" Her beating stopped and she slumped against him, sobbing.
"You could have saved him..." She said again, softer this time.
Craig never said a word. He understood everything she was feeling.
Chloe's sobs turned into anguished whimpers as she realized she would never see Brady's face again, never see him smile that crooked grin, never hear his beautiful voice singing softly to her, never hear him call her Diva, never look into those gorgeous eyes- "NO!" She screamed through her tears. "It's not fair! I love him, he can't be dead! @#%$ you Brady, you PROMISED! You promised me you'd never leave me! You said you'd be here forever! Where are you now? I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..." Her screams faded into sobs again and Craig held her tighter to him. Chloe gasped, remembering the last night. "Oh my God, I thought he met someone else, I thought he had left me-I called him a bastard! How could I have done that?! It's my fault!" She realized. "God's punishing me for thinking that about him!"
"No, Chloe." Craig said firmly. "It is not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. It's just a terrible tragedy and-"
"But this is BRADY! He was supposed to live forever!"
All Craig could do was hold her. Chloe couldn't be comforted. The man she loved was dead, and it was all her fault.
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