Chapter Two

Stephanie walked from the kitchen into the dinning room. She carried two plates of food she had spent two full hours preparing. She placed the two plates on the table with care. She wanted everything to be perfect for her and Paul's dinner for two.

"Any minute now." She said aloud to herself as she lit two candles that sat in the middle of the dining table.

Steph smiled, setting down the lighter. She looked down at her diamond watch. 9:29…

"Geeze, take your time, Paul." Stephanie said with a laugh as she went into the kitchen to grab the salad bowl.

Ding dong

Stephanie quickly grabbed the salad bowl and made her way to the front door. She opened the door. Suddenly her heart sank as she saw a state trooper standing on her doorstep.

"Yes officer…..Can-can I help you?" Stephanie asked, she felt a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't right. Where was Paul?

"Mrs. Levesque?" The officer asked.

"Yes…"Stephanie said, her face now showing her uneasiness.

"Mrs. Levesque… I-I hate to be the bearer of bad news…Your husband and daughter…" The officer stopped and shook his head. He looked down at his feet.

"What about my husband and baby! Where are they!" Stephanie asked trying to look out her front door behind the officer.

"They're gone Mrs. Levesque. There was an accident on the highway. They both died on impact…I'm sorry."

"No!...No…" Stephanie gasped as she dropped the salad bowl that smashed on the hard wood floor. Millions of little tiny pieces of glass scattered around on the floor, mixing in with the fresh salad Steph had lovingly prepared for her husband and her to share. Just like the glass bowl, Steph's reality and the life she knew came crashing down.

"Woah, Mrs. Levesque?" The officer shouted as he caught Stephanie who almost dropped to the floor.

"Where's my baby! Where's my husband! My husband is coming home for dinner…He's on his way. Paul's coming home for dinner!" Stephanie screamed through tears.

"Mrs. Levesque, please calm down. Why don't you go sit down." The officer said trying to help Stephanie to her feet.

"NO! NO! Get off of me! PAAAUUULLL! PAUL!" Steph screamed at the top of her lungs as the police officer allowed Steph to pull away from him. He grabbed his radio and asked for a medic team.

"Where's my baby! Where's Adriana! She's fine! She's- she's at her grand parents' house! She's fine! Paul's on his way home! He's- he's coming home and- and we're going to have dinner together and have the whole weekend to ourselves!" Steph now dropped to her knees right in front of the door as she began to sob.

The medic team was quick to respond. They rushed in and helped a still sobbing Stephanie to the living room couch where they administered a syringe full of sedative to calm her down.

"Paul….Paul…" Stephanie whispered as she breathed heavily staring off into space as the drugs began to take affect.

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"Oh Steph!" Linda said through tears, quickly rushing to her only daughter who now sat in an almost dazed state.

The past four hours were like a clouded dream for Stephanie. The medics remained at her home. They feared her trying to hurt herself. Vince and Linda drove from Connecticut as soon as they heard the news from Paul's parents.

"Stephanie, honey, why don't you come home with us. You shouldn't be alone." Vince said as Linda pulled Stephanie into her arms and embraced her. For the first time since being medicated, Steph responded. Stephanie grabbed hold of her mother forcefully hugging her as she began to sob into her mother's chest.

"It's okay, baby. Let it out." Linda said in a soothing voice that put Stephanie somewhat at ease as she stopped crying for a moment. She released her embrace and looked into her mother's eyes.

"Why did this happen to me?" Steph asked on the verge of crying again. "Why Paul and our baby? I don't understand…"

"Mrs. Levesque…"A police officer said as he walked up to where Stephanie and Linda were seated. "I thought you would like to have this. It was found at the scene."

Stephanie looked down at the somewhat soiled and damp pooh bear that was in the officers hand. The sight of her little girl's favorite stuffed animal sent Stephanie over the edge again as she grabbed the bear from the officer and clutched it to her chest, letting out an agonizing shriek as if her insides were being ripped out of her body.

"Haven't you guys done enough? You've done your job, please leave." Vince said to the officer as his wife tried her best to comfort their daughter.

The officer slowly nodded his head and gave a head nod to his colleagues who were loitering in the vestibule. The medics packed up the little gear they had brought and left.

"Steph, come on, let's pack some things in a suitcase for you and you'll come back to Connecticut with your father and I. Shane, Marissa, and your nephews would love to see you." Linda said in a soft voice.

"No…No I can't leave my home. I-I have to make the arrangements…" Steph said through her tears and she leaned her head on her father's broad shoulder.

"Honey, you don't have to make the arrangements, if you want your father and I will-"

"No…I have to. Paul would have wanted me too…The police…they asks me if I would come down to the morgue and give a confirmation of their bodies…They said it wasn't completely necessary for they had his wallet with identification…Still…I think I may want to see them…One last time…"

"Steph, no, no you don't want to see them like that. You're better off remembering how they were. Seeing them like that…It will only make it harder on you, Stephanie." Linda said brushing Steph's hair behind her ear as Vince cuddled Stephanie close.

"…The police…said…Adriana…went-went right through the windshield…She wasn't-wasn't in her car seat…" Stephanie sobbed as Vince tried shooshing her.

Vince himself was having a very hard time keeping his composer. Nothing like this had ever happen in his family. There had never been such a tragedy of this magnitude. He didn't know what was worse: Finding out that he had lost his son-in-law and grand daughter in one day or seeing his daughter on the verge of a nervous break down.

"Stephy, honey, it's going to be okay. Your mother and I are here and we're not going to leave you to face this alone. I love you so much, Stephanie." Vince said as his eyes filled with tears that gently cascade down his face.

Steph felt secure in her father's arms. The feeling of security only made her think of Paul. The way she would feel in his muscular arms, warm and protected. Stephanie had been looking forward to being held by the man she loved. Life had suddenly been turned upside down for Stephanie on a night that she had thought would be one of the best since her honeymoon. She was not in the arms of her husband, but her father, who was comforting her on the loss of what, was in fact her whole life….Her husband and child.