"So honey, I was thinking. How do you feel about adopting a child?"

Treville lifted his head from the newspaper he was reading in the family room and looked across the room at his wife sitting at the table, papers in hand. "I'm sorry?"

Maria just laughed and walked into the room, holding out the papers she received in the mail. "Since the doctors told us we can't have children he had sent me all the information on adopting a child."

Treville smiled and took the papers, looking them over. It had everything to prepare them for adopting, what to expect, how long it would take to adopt a child, and so fourth. They have been trying to a child for years now only to find out that Maria could not carry children. She was very depressed and wouldn't go near a child at family gatherings or look at one in the store. He didn't remember when that all change but now it seems she's able to hold a child's hand and look them in the eye.

"I was thinking either twins or get a boy and girl. Perhaps the boy already potty trained, maybe about four years old and the girl can be a baby."

"Maria, are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes."

Treville stood up and handed her the papers. "Then how about we get started?"

Maria laughed and gave her husband a hug. She knew she married him for a reason. "As much as I would love to do it now, I afraid I'm needed at the bank. Chrissie called and said she needed help getting a loan going."

Treville nodded and gave Maria a kiss. "Then we'll do it this Saturday."

"It's a date." She turned and grabbed her purse off the banister and walked out the door, happier than she ever was.

Treville watched her through the window as she got in the car and drove away. He had to admit he was worried when Maria disappeared inside her head. He asked the doctors what he could do to help and they said it was normal for a woman to feel this way, especially if they wanted a family and was getting denied. He was told to just be there for her, be the shoulder she needs to cry on, to lean on, and on the occasion to punch. He made sure she was always comfortable, always made sure she ate when she would forget, got her ready for work and even sent flowers to work once a day to brighten her day. Sitting back down in his chair, he picked up the newspaper and thought about making a nice romantic dinner for them tonight.

But dinner never made it. Just as Treville was getting the chicken out the phone rang from the family room. Picking up he wasn't expecting to hear the police on the other line. He wasn't expecting to hear the bank his wife worked for was robbed and he wasn't expecting the police to tell him that one of the robbers shot his wife in the chest and she was being taken to the hospital. Dropping the phone, he took off out of the door, keys in hand, and jumped into his car to see his wife. All sorts of thoughts ran through his head. Was she alright? Where did the bullet hit her? Did it hit her lungs or heart? How much blood did she lose? Would they need some of his blood? Would they need someone to donate their blood? Would this put her back on wanting to adopt two children? Would she live to see those children? Way too many thoughts ran through his head he really couldn't think of any positives.

He pulled into the hospital in ten minutes and just ran inside, not caring about the looks he was getting and ran to the front desk. "Mrs. Treville. I'm here to see my wife. She was brought in here after being shot in the chest during a robbery."

"Please have a seat. She's in surgery right now."

Treville wanted to shake the woman and tell her this was his wife and demanded to see her, but he couldn't do anything while she was in surgery. Sitting down he put his head in his hands and just prayed Maria would be okay. After about two hours he lifted his head when a doctor called his name.

"I'm Mr. Treville." He watched as the doctor walked over to him and sat down, a sad look on his face. "Please no."

"I'm sorry Mr. Treville. We did everything we could but the bullet hit her heart. I'm afraid we lost her."

"No." Treville didn't care if he looked like a baby in the middle of the waiting room. He broke down in tears, clinging to the doctor that did his best to save his wife but it seemed that God had other plans.

"I'm very sorry."

Pulling himself together, Treville walked out of the hospital to make phones calls he never thought he would have to make.

Five days later Treville stood by himself in front of the headstone, an angle holding her hands up in the air as if grabbing for Gods hands to guide her home. Everyone had gone home but he couldn't make himself to move. All her dreams have been shattered and now he was not going to be able to adopt the children Maria wanted. Turning to walk away, he let the adoption papers fall to the ground and fly away with the wind.

So sorry this was short. I've been having a hard time getting back into writing.