Jamie opened her eyes the next morning. She smiled when she saw Landon
lying next to her. She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. He
opened his eyes. "Good morning sunshine," he said to her with a smile.
"Good morning," she said.
After having breakfast, Landon left Jamie's house but assured her that he would be back later that afternoon. He kissed her as he headed out the door, while Reverend Sullivan was making French toast for her for breakfast. As she waited for the toast to cook, he held out her hand and turned it and moved it around and around, seeing how it sparkled in the sunlight coming from the kitchen windows. Jamie finished her breakfast and went upstairs back to bed for a while.
Her father was in his study, rehearsing and revising his speech for the next Sunday's sermon, when he looked at the clock. Jamie had been in bed all day and had not called for him or come down once. He thought he'd better go and check on her. Maybe she was just sleeping, but you never know. He wanted to be sure.
When he got upstairs, he saw Jamie lying in bed, but she looked paler than usual. "Landon, I want Landon," she said softly. Maybe it was just the bright sunshine coming from the windows in her room, but maybe not. He shut the blinds a little so the sun wasn't in her eyes so much. "Do you want to see someone Jamie? Landon?" he asked. She didn't answer. He saw her trying to reach over on her nightstand for something. "Jamie, honey, what do you need?" he asked, walking over to the nightstand where she was trying to reach something. It was the book that Landon had read to her from, the one that was her mother's. She handed it to him, and he took it. She looked over at the clock, but couldn't see what time it was.
Jamie's dad realized that she might not make it through the night. He went next door to his study and called Landon. "Hello?" answered Landon, sounding pretty chipper. "Landon?" asked the Reverend. "Is everything okay?" he asked, worried. "Come, please come. Jamie might not make it through the night. And she wants to see you." "I'll be right there," said Landon, hanging up the phone. He didn't even say anything to his mom as he rushed out the door to his car. But she understood that Jamie needed him right now, and she was proud of him for being so good to her.
Landon drove as fast as he could to Jamie's house. Even though it wasn't that far from his, it seemed to him to take forever to get there. His brakes screeched as he stopped in front of Jamie's house and ran up to the front door. He knocked loudly and Reverend Sullivan came to the door, his eyes teary. Landon thought he was too late.
He rushed up the stairs, two at a time to Jamie's room. He saw the door was partially open, and he went in quietly. The door creaked a little because he opened it slowly. She saw him coming in and smiled. She seemed to brighten up whenever he was there.
He set his jacket down on the bay window and sat on the bed near her. She was lying down, but Landon helped her prop up her two fluffy pillows, and she sat up. "I waited for you," she said. "Well everything's fine, I'm here now," he said, stroking her long auburn hair. She handed him the book that was lying on the bed next to her. "I want you to keep this for me," she said, handing it to him. He took it, but didn't know what to say. "I love you," she said. "Look out for my dad for me," she said. "I will, but Jamie, do try," he said, almost to the point of tears. He kissed her gently, still stroking her hair. "Will you do something for me if I asked you?" she asked. "You know I would, anything," he said. "Will you sing to me?" she asked. "Of course," he said, and started singing. Jamie closed her eyes and listened to his voice.
My gift is my song And this one's for you
And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind That I put down in words
How wonderful life is While you're in the world
As he finished singing, Jamie whispered, "I love you," and took her last breath. Her hand fell from his and lay limply on the sheet. Landon hung his head as he kissed her one last time.
After having breakfast, Landon left Jamie's house but assured her that he would be back later that afternoon. He kissed her as he headed out the door, while Reverend Sullivan was making French toast for her for breakfast. As she waited for the toast to cook, he held out her hand and turned it and moved it around and around, seeing how it sparkled in the sunlight coming from the kitchen windows. Jamie finished her breakfast and went upstairs back to bed for a while.
Her father was in his study, rehearsing and revising his speech for the next Sunday's sermon, when he looked at the clock. Jamie had been in bed all day and had not called for him or come down once. He thought he'd better go and check on her. Maybe she was just sleeping, but you never know. He wanted to be sure.
When he got upstairs, he saw Jamie lying in bed, but she looked paler than usual. "Landon, I want Landon," she said softly. Maybe it was just the bright sunshine coming from the windows in her room, but maybe not. He shut the blinds a little so the sun wasn't in her eyes so much. "Do you want to see someone Jamie? Landon?" he asked. She didn't answer. He saw her trying to reach over on her nightstand for something. "Jamie, honey, what do you need?" he asked, walking over to the nightstand where she was trying to reach something. It was the book that Landon had read to her from, the one that was her mother's. She handed it to him, and he took it. She looked over at the clock, but couldn't see what time it was.
Jamie's dad realized that she might not make it through the night. He went next door to his study and called Landon. "Hello?" answered Landon, sounding pretty chipper. "Landon?" asked the Reverend. "Is everything okay?" he asked, worried. "Come, please come. Jamie might not make it through the night. And she wants to see you." "I'll be right there," said Landon, hanging up the phone. He didn't even say anything to his mom as he rushed out the door to his car. But she understood that Jamie needed him right now, and she was proud of him for being so good to her.
Landon drove as fast as he could to Jamie's house. Even though it wasn't that far from his, it seemed to him to take forever to get there. His brakes screeched as he stopped in front of Jamie's house and ran up to the front door. He knocked loudly and Reverend Sullivan came to the door, his eyes teary. Landon thought he was too late.
He rushed up the stairs, two at a time to Jamie's room. He saw the door was partially open, and he went in quietly. The door creaked a little because he opened it slowly. She saw him coming in and smiled. She seemed to brighten up whenever he was there.
He set his jacket down on the bay window and sat on the bed near her. She was lying down, but Landon helped her prop up her two fluffy pillows, and she sat up. "I waited for you," she said. "Well everything's fine, I'm here now," he said, stroking her long auburn hair. She handed him the book that was lying on the bed next to her. "I want you to keep this for me," she said, handing it to him. He took it, but didn't know what to say. "I love you," she said. "Look out for my dad for me," she said. "I will, but Jamie, do try," he said, almost to the point of tears. He kissed her gently, still stroking her hair. "Will you do something for me if I asked you?" she asked. "You know I would, anything," he said. "Will you sing to me?" she asked. "Of course," he said, and started singing. Jamie closed her eyes and listened to his voice.
My gift is my song And this one's for you
And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind That I put down in words
How wonderful life is While you're in the world
As he finished singing, Jamie whispered, "I love you," and took her last breath. Her hand fell from his and lay limply on the sheet. Landon hung his head as he kissed her one last time.