Chapter 11

Kendra Mason stepped out of the cab in front of her mother's house. She had taken the late flight out of New York last night to come and meet her new niece. Unfortunately, work had kept her from leaving any sooner, but everyone in her family understood how demanding her job was. She was blessed to have the family she did, especially Spinner for a brother. If it had not been for him, she would have had to leave New York and her career to take care of their mother during her illness. She did feel guilty that a lot of the burden fell on him, but she was determined to pay him back now that she had a couple weeks off. Since they had a newborn, Kendra offered to take Irene to all of her upcoming doctor's appointments.

She rang the door bell, but no one answered. She called her mom's phone, nothing. Finally, she pulled the set of keys from her purse and unlocked the door.

"Mom, I'm home. I came to change, and then we can go to the hospital together. I can't wait to meet Charlotte."

Still, Irene did not answer.

"Mom, are you here? Where are you?"

She looked in the living room and kitchen, but no sign of Irene. She made her way up the stairs and to the door of her mother's bedroom. "Mom?" she called out once more before opening it.

There was a brilliant light all around her. Irene could not believe how beautiful everything was bathed in glowing light. She saw people lining the sides of the path and wondered where she was. Nobody would answer her when she asked of her whereabouts. However, they were not rude about it. They just appeared to be preoccupied with something, but she could not figure out what. Finally, some of the faces began to look familiar like something from a dream or her past. She kept moving forward looking for the end of the path or some sign of her location. Then, she heard a voice that she had never forgotten.

"Irene, is that you?"

A man stepped out of the throng of people, and Irene finally knew where she was. She was standing face to face with her husband. He looked so handsome and far from the gaunt man she laid to rest more than a decade ago.

"Hurry! I need an ambulance at 52 Allen Ave! Hurry, please. It is my mother, she isn't breathing, and I can't find a pulse!"

"Miss, we are sending a dispatch right away. Just hang on. Have you done CPR before?"

"Yes."

"You need to try and open your mother's air passage, and begin mouth-to-mouth."

Kendra used all the training she had received through years of lifeguarding at the neighborhood pool, but nothing was working. She refused to believe that her mother was already gone, and she kept doing CPR until the paramedics arrived, and pronounced her DOA.

"So this is what eternity really looks like?" Irene asked her husband.

"Yes, and now it looks ten times better since you are here. But what happened?"

"Well I guess I died sometime after I went to bed last night. Oh, it was such a good day yesterday. We became grandparents."

"Really? What was it?"

"Well Spinner and his wife Emma; you would love Emma so much; had a baby girl. Charlotte Ruth Mason. At least I got to hold her once before I left."

"Were you sick?" James asked his wife.

"I had leukemia for almost two years. I recently had a transplant, and the doctors thought I was fully recovering. It has been such a hard time for Spinner. He was trying to take care of me and a pregnant wife. You would be so proud of the man he is today. Hell, he even battled cancer himself, back in high school."

"I have missed you so much Irene. I know our children will be sad that you are gone, but I have been waiting for the day that I would see you and hold you again. Now, we have are eternity back."

"Sis? What is wrong?"

Kendra walked into Emma and Charlotte's hospital room with a look of utter tragedy and sorrow painted on her face.

"Kendra?"

She finally realized Spinner was trying to talk to her, and she snapped out of her trance like state.

"I don't know how to say this Spin, but Mom is gone. She passed away in her sleep last night."

Emma immediately began to sob uncontrollably. She could not believe Irene was no longer living. She thought for sure the birth of Charlotte had ensured a longer and healthier existence for her mother-in-law.

Spinner fell to his knees and began to weep and shake simultaneously. His worse fears had become a reality. He was an orphan, and he had let his mother down. She was not going to be able to see Charlotte grow up. Her fight had been in vain to end up losing now, right after the birth of her granddaughter.

A/N: I am so sorry that I have not updated in awhile. I have a new job and less time on my hands. Mainly, I was not looking forward to writing this tragic chapter. I will hopefully post the last three chapters of this story in a timely manner.