Flipside
He watched as she cried, his heart ached for her, his soul cried out as he reached out to touch her. The leaves of the maple moved with his essence and, sweeping his hand forward to touch her face they followed, as his will guided them downwards to brush, ever so gently against her delicate cheek. To complete the caress and transmit the love carried with it.
He had watched her all that day, as he did every day. He was never far away, always nearby. Never letting her stray too far. He had chosen to stay, chosen to be near her, he could not leave yet, it wasn't his time. So many things had been left unsaid and he knew the guilt tore her apart. So he waited and he watched over them both. The two loves of his life, his beautiful wife and incredible daughter. Until the time was right to leave.
He waited for a time when she could let go, waited for a time when she would stop blaming herself. It wasn't her fault. He hadn't looked; he had stepped off the kerb, not her. He'd been so driven to get the flowers, so much in a hurry to make it up to her. That in his blindness he hadn't seen.
There had been a lot of things he hadn't foreseen in life. Her heartbreak at losing him, the pain that she carried with her and the gaping hole ripped clean through her soul. He had never planned on leaving her, never planned on him being the one to leave first. All he had seen was a lifetime of togetherness. That with one rash, moment of decision had torn them asunder.
He had felt the impact as the car flung his body like a rag. He had felt himself moving through the air then felt the road come up to meet him. Her name had been the last thing he breathed, as the air was slowly expelled from his failing lungs. He had felt the darkness envelop him as his spirit ebbed slowly from his broken body.
He had stood and watched the car continue on, even as his body succumbed to its injuries. He knew even then that the evidence would be found and the person who had taken his life brought to justice. Yet he couldn't help but wonder if he had made the mistake, he had rushed to cross the road. He was just as much to blame as the driver of the car was.
He had watched from a distance as the ambulance arrived, he couldn't leave he had to see. He watched surreally as they took his mortal self away, before his celestial self returned home. He had seen his old and dearest friend walk slowly up the drive to their home and knock on the door. He had witnessed the look of horror in Calleigh's eyes as the realisation dawned; his own heart broke as she collapsed to the floor allowing the sorrow and anguish to pour out.
He had reached out to her then; but she couldn't see him, the heartache and sorrow blinded her to him. All he wanted was to hold her, to comfort her, to tell her he was still there. To protect, to cherish, to love her. He had been amazed at her strength and her resilience at the way she dedicated herself to their daughter. How she sat and talked to her telling her about daddy. How he wept when he heard the love in her voice. He so nearly left then. Almost, but not quite.
Something held him there, keeping them together, He wanted to say goodbye, and he wanted to be able to make some sort of connection with her. Just one last time, for her to see he was there, for her to see she was never alone. For her to see he was sorry for leaving.
He never went with them to the garden; the pain he felt from her tore into his soul, and crucified him. Today was different. His daughter was leaving to go to college, and the pride he felt brimmed over. He slowly followed as they made their way down the tree-lined avenue to where he had first kissed her. Something made him go with them today, something told him it was time.
He listened as the burden of so many years spilled from her lips, listened as the sobs tore into her body. Listened above all, to the sound of reason that came from his daughter, wise beyond her years. He felt a weight that had held him so long, shift and he knew it was time. Time to rest, all would be fine in his world without him. He knew that as the connection he had sought all the years came to fruition