FOREVER IN MY HEART

CHAPTER ONE

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"A father's love is a magic wand: it sways with the passing of a wish, and a miracle happens..."

Every father's joy heightens the day he hears the word "daddy" from his child.

Such is the emotions of Lance; toward his daughter, whom he admires with devotion.

Emily is putting on faint blue pajamas, gotten by her mom on her trip to Paris.

She dives with euphoria as she sights her dad beside her bunk.

"Daddy," she chuckles. He moves forward and lifts his daughter in an embrace to his chest and says,

"My charming little sunshine, radiant like the golden crest of the sun."

"My pretty, sweet rose." He says.

A flood of sweetness hits his heart as Emily's head rests on his chest.

"Cynthia left me a beautiful gift." He thought to himself, and his mind raced back to that awkward moment.

His wife, Cynthia, died at childbirth a year ago. He received the news 7hrs afterward at the clinic. When he went to visit his wife and baby.

Cynthia was in acute pain, and she left repeated messages on his phone, but his cell was switched off for hours. He was in a business meeting with the board of directors and time passed like a jiffy.

"Oh my, Lance! My water broke, and on my way to the hospital, please meet me there soon." She said.

Cynthia's pregnancy was high risk, but she adhered to instructions given by the doctor. He and Cynthia believed everything would be fine if they adhered to the doctor's instructions and, besides, the doctor saw no risk to her health. So, they both believed everything will be fine.

The meeting lasted until late at night. He became agitated by the agony of his wife's voice when he switched on his cell to listen to his text messages...

He hurried to the hospital, fearful and hopeful.

At the ward, he felt disoriented by everyone's reaction toward him. He wondered what could have happened that made them all sullen and silent.

He met peter stark (the doctor) in the lobby, and he said: "Lance we need to talk."

"Let's go to my office."

He followed behind him, hoping for the best news, but he kept wondering what could have transpired and why was everyone acting so....?

He cursed that period: he entered the office and peter asked him to take a seat.

Lance looked so confused and nervous; his heart kept pounding incoherently towards his eardrum.

He sat down, and the doctor said: "I have good news and sad news."

Lance's heart skipped a beat.

He tensed up, fidgeting about which news will be first:

Lance told him, "The great news first."

The doctor smiled and said, "congratulations it's a baby girl."

"Yes!" He screamed.

Lance tried to calm his tension down. He looked at the doc.

"And the sad news?" He asked, getting himself ready for the worst news.

The doctor sounded so hollow and drained, and he says,

"Am sorry, Mr. Lance, we did all we could." He said further: "Your wife lost a lot of blood, she passed away, am so sorry." He said solemnly.

Lance stood up at the speed of light. Electric waves run from his spine to his brain, and echoes of screams run from his front brain to his eyes.

His whole body is a quacking volcano ready to erupt.

His senses could not digest the shock of losing his wife.

"What happened to my wife?" he lamented, struggling with the enormous hurricane that was about to explode in him.

He shook profusely with his cheek turning red like a fiery storm, eyes bloodshot, his eyeballs magnified, they were ready to gush out of his eye's sockets, he tripped and slipped in within, falling into deep darkness...

The darkness was endless.

Lance understood something. He saw a speck that grew into a big bulb that pulled him into a tunnel of a bigger light, where he found consciousness.

He realizes he has been unconscious for 72 hours and had been under close observation by the doctors.

Time heals all wounds; his mind is a shred of thorn roses since the death of his wife.

His family had been so worried about him and stood with him during the difficult times.

He got discharged from the hospital a few days later. His father was by his side throughout his unconscious state until he got discharged.

Still seated on his bed, his father held his palm in his palm and said,

"Life is a cycle of pleasant and unpleasant surprises, no matter what happens; you got to be strong, son."

Lance sat upright on his bed and held onto his dad, not able to understand why she had to leave so unexpectedly.

Brian hugged him so strongly and tapped his back. They both left the ward and walked to the waiting room where the whole family was waiting for Lance and his father to come out.

The Stone's family was shocked about Cynthia's death, and they were all downcast.

Lance struggled to hold back the avalanche of tears from cascading over his eyes.

His mum rose from her seat when she saw her son and her husband coming toward them.

She held Emily in her arms, wrapped in a white swaddling shawl. His twin brother Josh and his sisters held on to each other for support and comfort. Dorothy shakes and sobs silently, while Natasha holds her hand.

Lance trembled, shaking and sweaty, as he approached his family.

He struggled with his tears with so much strength and wished this was all a nightmare.

"Mum, she's gone," he murmured.

His mum stood frozen and perplexed by her son's sorrow.

"Son, am so sorry." She cried.

His twin brother Josh rose from his seat and stood beside Lance. He placed his hands on Lance's shoulder. Lance rests his head on his twin brother's shoulder and wept.

His mum, shakened by her son's misery, moves toward him and says, "son, am so sorry but you got to be strong, and your daughter needs you."

Emily's tiny vocal cord opened to its full strength, and her cries rang in the air.

Lance became conscious of his daughter's cries.

He summoned the courage to lift his head and looks towards his mother to speak.

"Mum, I can't." He said while nodding his head.

"Son, you got to be strong." She said, placing Emily in his arms.

She looked so tiny and frail, helpless and needing protection.

She has tiny blue eyes and full gold hair like her mum….

Amidst his tears, he felt a surge of emotions that killed every sorrow he felt as he held her in his arms. It's like a miracle.

He wondered how something so small could bring so much joy to His pain.

He never understood how he made it, but she was a miracle, which engulfed the pain in his heart. He is grateful to God and his late wife for her sacrifice.

She is an angel with a beautiful dazzling blue eye, which brought a new purpose to his life.

A precious gift from God, to soothe his bleeding heart.

Coming back to the present moment, he looks at his daughter and places a kiss on her head, and says,

"Dad loves you, and so does mom. We both cherish you."

She smiles and giggles, resting in his bosom

"You know princess, let us go to mommy."

"What do you say, angel? Let us visit mummy."

He lifts Emily and tosses her up and down in the air. She is ecstatic and laughs with her eyes sparkling bright,

"Let us visit mummy; he repeats humming."

The excited child, beaming with so much delight, gets carried off by her dad's play tricks.

Lance points towards Cynthia's portrait of his wife hung on the wall.

"That's your mummy over there in that portrait; let's go say hello to her."

"She will be so happy to have you visit her, my princess," he says, placing a peck on her forehead.

THE CHAPEL

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! the chapel bell rings through the air, the chapel is overcrowded with devoted and visiting worshippers.

The eager congregation is ready for service at St Luke's Chapel in Houston Texas, there is a lot of rejoicing in the air as the choir stands up to start the praise session.

The voices of melodious songs run through the air, creating a lot of excitement in the chapel with singing and dancing.

Lance arrives at the church as he struggles with the bag on his shoulder and carrying his daughter in his hands.

The Stones family worship in this sanctuary: his dad, his grandparents, and great grandparents. It is more of a family legend or tradition, and they display it with pride.

He remembered he married Cynthia in this church, and they buried her here in the chapel cemetery.

He did Emily's christening and dedication in this church and also all other family traditions.

His heart sinks once he remembers Cynthia buried six feet underneath in this chapel cemetery.

His heart looms in disgust, angry at the universe for taking what he loved most.

It has been a nightmare ever since she passed away. He lives with the pain and he knows the scar in his heart canot be erased. He wished he had the strength to get over this agony for Emily's sake.

His household and friends volunteered aid, but he cut them out of his misery and this loneliness keeps eating into him.

He hates being a burden, and besides, his father always taught him to be strong. "Real men do not weep," he says.

Lance wishes to maintain the old memories of his late wife alive in his heart, even though it was a selfish act. That's all he has left about her, apart from his daughter.

It is an actual struggle for him to keep his daughter happy, but he is grateful he has help from those who care for him.

He progresses towards the seats in the middle rows, searching for any vacant seats.

From a far distance, he sights his cousin Violet who is seated next to his father, (his father shakes to the melodious song in the chapel, he hates standing in an enormous crowd for too long, so he prefers to sit and hum to the songs.)

He moves forward, still searching for a vacant seat as his feet ache from walking in the big chapel.

Someone tapped him on his shoulder. He turns around to find who it was and wonders who that could be.

He turns back and sees a classy-aged lady wearing a silky white dress standing behind him with her back bent, and he thought what could have happened.

"How may I help you, madam?" He inquires.

The old lady points towards a teenage boy, waving his hands excitedly at him

His cousin motions to him to come closer with a smile on his face.

Violets notice Lance struggling to keep Emily calm, also holding the bag on his shoulders, and Violet shrugs his head in pity.

He points toward a vacant seat for Lance to sit and a wave of relief sweeps over Lance.

Quickly, he moves towards the open seat, passing through the crowd and stepping on a few toes as he surges forward. He pads on his toes as he tries to avoid stepping on people's feet, which is a struggle for him.

At last, he gets to the vacant seat, sits in the middle rows next to his aged father and cousin, puts Emily down with his bag beside him, and winks at his cousin and dad.

He straightens himself up. The entire congregation rises to their feet as the priest progresses to the altar to start the service properly.

The mass starts, and the priest coordinates the mass with the opening of the lord's prayers. Lance bows his head as he recites the lord's prayer.

The service progress and it's time for the sermon. The preacher's sermon was short and very precise. He listens with great attention.

Emily is ecstatic; giggling aloud, creating a side distraction for Lance and those seated around him. Emily is a real spectacle to watch sometimes.

Mrs. Doris Smith gets distracted by Emily's noise and stands up from her seat and heads towards Lance's seat.

She looks adoring at Emily and mutters to Lance: "May I hold her, so you can stay focused?" she asked.

"Thank you, Doris." He says.

"My pleasure." She replies.

Lance places Emily in her hands. "Here, she is all yours," Lance whispers.

Mrs. Doris's smith is a family friend to Lance and Cynthia. She has been so kind to Lance since his wife's passing.

Doris and her husband love to help take care of Emily as he struggled with the loss of Cynthia. They love her so much and wish for a baby girl like Emily.

She lifts her and whispers in the back of her left ear.

"Hello, princess."

"What do we have here?"

"Let's go say hello to your friends," she says, as she carries her in her arms and leaves for the children's chapel.

"Oh my," he heaves a sigh of relief.

"For the moment, this is off my shoulders." Lance thoughts to himself.

Lance adjusts himself properly into the mass and concentrates on the words of the sermon given by the priest.

The mass ends in an hour; Lance rises to greet his friends and family.

He exchanges pleasantries with a few friends, and people with whom he's acquainted. He moves past them to hug his aged father.

"Hello, Dad. how are you?" he asked

"Am good, son," he replies.

"It's a lovely mass today and I'm so glad you are here." He hugs his dad tight.

Turning his face sideways around to search for his cousin. "Where is Violet?" he asks.

"He's with his friends." His father replies.

His father replies once more,

"You know how violet gets; when he's with his friends, he forgets time; don't expect him soon." He says.

"That's alright dad, I want to say hi to him," Lance says.

Brian remembers his granddaughter's first birthday, and they all have a surprise prepared for her….

His father was about to ask him for lunch when Lance says,

"How about we spend the day together at my place, as am free today?"

"We can go get mom and spend some time together at the beach house."

"That's a great idea, Lance." His father replies.

His father says, "But am going to refuse your offer, son." his face brightens up and he says, "I have another idea."

"How about spending today at our house?"

"At least your mum gets to be with you and her first grandchild."

"Your mum misses her a lot; Emily can spend some time with her grandma." His father says.

"That's ok, dad," Lance replied.

Lance's face pales, and his voice chokes in between his throat as he struggles with his words.

"Dad, it's been a year today since Cynthia passed away. I miss her a lot."

"Well, son, it's true. It's a year today and we all miss her, but I am worried about you." It's time to move on, son. You need to stop this…. Brian says.

Lance, not comfortable with his father's remarks, says,

"Well, dad I'm taking Emily to say hello to her mum."

He heads out of the chapel to find Doris.

His father follows him from behind, and wonders how Lance could be so difficult, it is time he lets go.

He wants Lance to move on and be happy. He is worried about him and how he has been struggling all alone with his grief.

"He's so stubborn." he thought.

His father follows him and places his firsthand on Lance's shoulder, patting him, and says,

"We all care for you, son… Ok! let us go say hello to Cynthia."

THE CEMETERY

The cemetery is silent as nothingness, thousands of tombstones stay lined as sands of the sea alongside each other, the monument of strong and weak men alike.

All that remains is the memory, the personality that these souls portray in their lifetime that lingers in the hearts of their loved ones.

They remain forever as dust blown by the wind.

Lance steps onto the monument of his late wife with red roses and white orchids in his arms as she loved.

Tears bubble in his eyes.

"Hello, Cynthia." He says.

His eyes were ready for rainstorms as he speaks to her.

"It's been a year today since you left us."

He looks at his father and daughter beside him, and he states,

"Darling, am here with my dad and our girl Emily to say hi to you."

He decides not to look so depressed nor sound so melancholic in front of his dad and daughter; he changes his tone of voice.

He smiles, and he speaks further, "We all miss you a lot."

He speaks further, "You know what, darling? Our daughter has your eyes and your hair."

"She's a beautiful fairy, just as you are."

"Everyone adores her, especially mum and dad, Mrs. Smith, and her husband can't stop taking her to play. I don't know what I will do without them."

"I wish you were here, darling, to see her and all the people who have given her so much love and affection."

He stares at his wife's tombstone, sniffles, and speaks; "I brought these flowers, the one you love most, it smells fresh as you like." I had my secretary get the best flowers in town for you and I know you will love them.

Lance holds his breath for a second and gives a deep sigh before talking further.

"My heart is an empty hollow of space without you."

He keeps his chin up to withhold the tears from falling out in his eyes and laments,

"I groan with gruesome pain each night without you."

"I wish this is all a nightmare, but unfortunately it's a reality I dread." "Life died the period you left me; I endure this hell for our fruit of love."

"I miss you so much." He whispers.

"I remember how you woke me up in the morning with a bright smile. I learned to live without that beam each day, and the exuberance you carry with you."

"Thank you for giving me a beautiful daughter."

"I wish you could be here to see her; she looks just like you."

"Keep watch over me and Emily from heaven. I know you are watching down on us right from paradise. I will always love you."

He places the flowers on her gravestones and takes Emily from his old man, who was rocking Emily in his arms.

"Emily! say hi to mummy."

Lance keeps waving her hands towards the name inscribed on the tomb. Emily mimics her papa.

"Is mummy not beautiful, Emily?" he asked.

Lance points toward the picture on the tombstone.

Emily stares at the picture, as her dad kept pointing toward the picture.

"That's your mummy," he says.

"Say, mummy, baby," he says.

"M-u-m-my," she squealed.

"That's my girl."

Lance smiles at his girl and says,

"Emily, mummy says, hello from heaven." "She loves you so much."

"Blow her a kiss sweetie, blow a kiss...…"

Lance blew a kiss towards his wife's tombstone, as he steps back away from the monument with his daughter.

He looks towards his left side and says,

"Dad! am leaving; I will be at the park while you say hello to Cynthia."

Lance exits the cemetery with a promise in his heart to his dead wife to be the best father to Emily, their daughter.