Teach Me - Brollins

41.

6 Months later...

"What do you think Cali?" Rebecca questioned as she held the newborn in her hands and Cali looked down at her with a smile "She's cute huh?" She asked and the little girl nodded

Baby girl Lopez, Roux was born 2 days prior and Rebecca and Colby had just arrived home with her from the hospital.

In the last six months, they prepared for the baby's arrival the best they could with Cali's declining health. Cali had lots of good and bad days as the months passed but lately, especially in the last week all of her days had been bad ones.

She couldn't get out of bed, she couldn't stand on her own, she needed oxygen full time now. They knew it was coming. They just hoped and prayed that Cali would be able to stick around to meet her little sister and she did.

"We need to call the doctor" Colby said as he stood with his mother in the living room "Her breathing is getting slower"

"What are you thinking?" Holly questioned

"I'm numb.. I mean the last two days has been a blur.. my youngest daughter is born and I should be happy and I am but in the back of both of our minds the entire time we were at the hospital was what if something happened when we weren't here.." He shook his head "I'm exhausted, Rebecca's exhausted.. I know Cali is done fighting" he said "I can feel it"

They called Cali's doctors an hour later, Dr.Russel made his way to the Lopez house and checked in on Cali, checking her vitals while Colby and Rebecca laid next to her and Cali ran her hand slowly over her baby sister's head

"Soon" Dr. Russel looked at the parents and they nodded

"Box.." Cali said in barely a whisper and Rebecca looked at Colby and he watched his daughter's eyes travel to the box in the corner of her room

"Box? You want the box?" He asked and Cali nodded slightly and Colby stood up from the bed and brought the black box over to his daughter and opened it

"Read" she said and he took the notebook out of the box and opened it and his heart shattered as he flipped through the notebook, it was filled with his daughter's handwriting.. each page started out the same way

Dear Roux,

"You wrote her letters?" Rebecca asked and Cali nodded slightly and looked down at her sister with a smile as Rebecca placed the baby on Cali's legs so she could hold her "We'll make sure she reads them" Rebecca nodded

"We'll read them to her" Colby said and he placed the notebook down on the floor before grabbing his daughter's hand in his "I love you, you know that?" He questioned and Cali looked at him "I Love you so much.. you got me through so much.. you lived through so much in your little life" he took a deep breath and Rebecca closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling

"You brought us together" Rebecca said as she kissed Cali's head and inhaled her scent "It's because of you that Your daddy and I are together.." She said in a whisper "You are the reason we are married.. the reason we have your sister"

"We will always love you and we will never let Roux forget you" Colby said and Cali nodded

"I'll teach her all of your recipes" Rebecca said and Cali smiled and Colby laid on the other side of his daughter as he and Rebecca wrapped their arms around her and held her

This was it.

Their final moments as a family were spent holding one another.

"I'm gonna go be with mommy" Cali said quietly and Colby broke at that moment

"You go tell her its her turn to take care of you now.." Rebecca said quietly and she felt her husband shaking, trying not to break down completely

"You go be with mommy" Colby whispered