Winds Of Heaven

Chapter 1

The dark and sterile hallway greeted Lauren as the elevator doors opened. How many times in the past three months had she walked these corridors? She passed by the nursing station; familiar faces greeted her with a sad smile. Lauren had gotten to know all the nurses over the past few months. She smiled gently as she made her way to the room one last time. She swallowed the wave of nausea and, reaching out for the door, it opened and Cate emerged. Cate Blanchett was the head nurse in the oncology department. She had taken a special interest in Lauren, and Lauren appreciated that; it had been a difficult three months.

Cate was an older woman, perhaps early fifties. She absentmindedly brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, then placed her hands on Lauren's shoulders. 'Are you okay, dear?'

Lauren nodded through the tears that suddenly welled up in her eyes. 'I just wish I could've been here when...'

Cate pulled her into her arms. 'You couldn't have known Lucy would leave so quickly. It's a blessing, Lauren.'

Lauren stepped back and took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her face. 'I know.'

'I'll be right here. She's at peace.' Cate opened the door to let Lauren enter first.

Once again, Lauren nodded; a sense of numbness and detachment settled within her as she entered the room, which was dark except for the small light above the bed casting a soft glow. Lauren tilted her head as she approached the bed. Lucy looked so peaceful, as if she were just sleeping. However, as she got closer, Lucy's pale, lifeless appearance told her otherwise. She gazed at the lifeless form that had been her partner in this life not long ago. Gently placing a hand on her unborn child, Lauren caressed her partner's cold cheek.

'You'll never get to see him, and for that, I'm so sorry, Lucy,' Lauren whispered, tears streaming down her face. 'You're no longer in pain.'

Lauren looked into nothingness and, for a brief moment, remembered a time when there was no pain, only laughter.

Flashback On:

"What should we do today?" Lauren asked as she cleaned the morning dishes.

Lucy struck a thoughtful pose as she opened the dishwasher. "Hmm. I don't know. It's a beautiful autumn day. I think we need a pumpkin."

Lauren shook her head and turned around. "We have one, you goof. And if you were home more often, you would've seen it on the porch."

"We do? When did we get it?"

Lauren dried her hands on the towel and leaned against the counter. "We didn't. Lori and I went last Saturday when you were in San Diego." She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but it was becoming a losing battle.

Lucy seemed to sense the sarcasm. "Honey, it's my job."

"I know. I know. You're a pilot. I understand, but you could've taken shorter races..."

"For less money," Lucy interjected with a frown.

"What I never cared about," Lauren retorted evenly. She then took a deep breath.

"Look, this is the first time I've come home in weeks. Let's not argue about it again." Lucy walked up to her and wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist, pulling her close. "Let's not go out," she whispered against her lips.

Lauren sighed and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around Lucy's shoulders. "You always end an argument with sex." She slumped against the counter.

Lucy smiled as she slowly unzipped Lauren's jeans. "Not always," she playfully grumbled. "I just love the feeling of having you." She slid her hand inside. "Lori's taking a nap, right?"