Chapter Thirteen:
A lump rose in his throat as he stared at the familiar, neat handwriting. Oh God, he thought, I can't do this. Not right now. This is too much. He closed the journal and looked around at all the things they'd collected. Mementos of their short time together. All the things gathering dust. Forgotten. But only for a little while. His eyes watered. He told himself it was from the dust. He knew he was lying to himself.
He tucked the journal under his arm and turned the light off. Then he went back downstairs. Back to the bedroom they'd shared. His eyes scanned the room. Pictures covered the walls. Pictures of him and Sheridan. Pictures of the three of them together. A family. Pictures of Ali.
Sheridan had all of Ali's milestones documented. All of Ali's milestones she lived to see. His favorite photo was of his wife and his baby daughter on Ali's first birthday. He'd taken that one. Chocolate cake covered their faces. Twin pairs of blue eyes sparkled. It was the last picture he had of Sheridan. The last photo of Ali and her mother together. The accident happened the week after the party.
He looked to the journal again. And made his decision. Settling back against the pillows with the lamp casting a soft glow about the room, Luis began with the first page. Christmas. The Christmas he'd thought he'd lost her. The Christmas she came back to him. His miracle. He remembered it so well. As he read, he could hear her voice. See the look in her beautiful blue eyes. She was here with him. He could feel her.
He skipped ahead several pages. Valentine's Day. That same year. That night, he knew what it meant to be completely, utterly happy. She was so beautiful that night. The night they first made love. He remembered every look. Every touch. Every kiss. If he hadn't known before then, he certainly knew that night. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Holding her. Making her happy. Making her smile that brilliant smile. For all eternity. He read on.
"It's me again. Tonight the most wonderful thing happened. Luis and I made love for the first time. I've never felt this way before. I didn't think I could love anybody this much. Love Luis more than I already did. I was wrong. So wrong. Luis is the sweetest, most loving man."
"I want to spend forever with him. Be his wife. Mother of his children. I can see our children. Our children of the future in my heart. They're so beautiful. Luis is beautiful. I love him. I don't think I can say that enough. I'll never get tired of saying it. He has to know. How happy he's made me. How I feel. I've already said the words. But I wonder if he realizes, truly realizes, that now he's a part of me. I can't let him go. Ever again. I won't."
A tender smile lit his face. Tears pooled in his brown eyes as he read her words. The entry ended with her signing goodbye. He remembered waking up without her. The panic he felt. The joy when he saw her. In the moonlight. Wearing his discarded suit shirt. Scrawling away. Looking so thoughtful. So serious. But so happy. He'd called out her name.
She'd looked up. Smiled at him and said, "I'm here, Luis." He'd held out his hand. Beckoning her. Took her hand in his as he pulled her back against the pillows. Back into bed with him. Her soft laughter filled the room. Her eyes shone in the darkness. He kissed her. Slowly, gently. Eased the buttons of her shirt--his shirt--open and bared her to him once more. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. They made love again. Their happiness so great, their feelings for each other so clear in their eyes. He didn't have to tell her he loved her. She didn't have to tell him. They just knew.
A lump rose in his throat as he stared at the familiar, neat handwriting. Oh God, he thought, I can't do this. Not right now. This is too much. He closed the journal and looked around at all the things they'd collected. Mementos of their short time together. All the things gathering dust. Forgotten. But only for a little while. His eyes watered. He told himself it was from the dust. He knew he was lying to himself.
He tucked the journal under his arm and turned the light off. Then he went back downstairs. Back to the bedroom they'd shared. His eyes scanned the room. Pictures covered the walls. Pictures of him and Sheridan. Pictures of the three of them together. A family. Pictures of Ali.
Sheridan had all of Ali's milestones documented. All of Ali's milestones she lived to see. His favorite photo was of his wife and his baby daughter on Ali's first birthday. He'd taken that one. Chocolate cake covered their faces. Twin pairs of blue eyes sparkled. It was the last picture he had of Sheridan. The last photo of Ali and her mother together. The accident happened the week after the party.
He looked to the journal again. And made his decision. Settling back against the pillows with the lamp casting a soft glow about the room, Luis began with the first page. Christmas. The Christmas he'd thought he'd lost her. The Christmas she came back to him. His miracle. He remembered it so well. As he read, he could hear her voice. See the look in her beautiful blue eyes. She was here with him. He could feel her.
He skipped ahead several pages. Valentine's Day. That same year. That night, he knew what it meant to be completely, utterly happy. She was so beautiful that night. The night they first made love. He remembered every look. Every touch. Every kiss. If he hadn't known before then, he certainly knew that night. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Holding her. Making her happy. Making her smile that brilliant smile. For all eternity. He read on.
"It's me again. Tonight the most wonderful thing happened. Luis and I made love for the first time. I've never felt this way before. I didn't think I could love anybody this much. Love Luis more than I already did. I was wrong. So wrong. Luis is the sweetest, most loving man."
"I want to spend forever with him. Be his wife. Mother of his children. I can see our children. Our children of the future in my heart. They're so beautiful. Luis is beautiful. I love him. I don't think I can say that enough. I'll never get tired of saying it. He has to know. How happy he's made me. How I feel. I've already said the words. But I wonder if he realizes, truly realizes, that now he's a part of me. I can't let him go. Ever again. I won't."
A tender smile lit his face. Tears pooled in his brown eyes as he read her words. The entry ended with her signing goodbye. He remembered waking up without her. The panic he felt. The joy when he saw her. In the moonlight. Wearing his discarded suit shirt. Scrawling away. Looking so thoughtful. So serious. But so happy. He'd called out her name.
She'd looked up. Smiled at him and said, "I'm here, Luis." He'd held out his hand. Beckoning her. Took her hand in his as he pulled her back against the pillows. Back into bed with him. Her soft laughter filled the room. Her eyes shone in the darkness. He kissed her. Slowly, gently. Eased the buttons of her shirt--his shirt--open and bared her to him once more. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. They made love again. Their happiness so great, their feelings for each other so clear in their eyes. He didn't have to tell her he loved her. She didn't have to tell him. They just knew.