The Good Old Days

July 1999 (Love and Sorrow)

About a month has gone by since the picnic at her Father's church. Cathy and Joe had just celebrated Kyle's birthday a week and a half ago. He turned three years old. Cathy just stayed laid up in bed with little Kyle. Joe had already gotten up and left for work, as it was a Thursday morning, around ten o'clock. She had been quite tired lately and enjoyed spending a little extra time in bed. Joseph would usually wake up at around seven for work, and before he'd leave, he would bring Kyle into their bed to stay with Cathy until she got up. It became a routine, and Cathy had appreciated spending mornings with her son. Afterall, it wouldn't be long before he wasn't an only child anymore. Pretty soon, Cathy knew that he would need to split his parents' attention between him and a little sister.

As Cathy started to stretch and wake up. She felt a warmness in the sheets. As she blinked away her sleepiness she realized the bed felt... wet.

Cathy glanced over at her son who laid on his back, stretched out with his arms over his head.

"Kyle baby... Did you have an accident my sweetie?" Cathy said groggily, but still keeping a sweet tone.

She pulled the blankets off of her and her son to see what the damage was. That's when she realized it didn't come from Kyle. It was her.

Her heart sank and she felt her blood go cold, as her fur stood up on end.

"Oh nononono..." Cathy started to cry out in a panic, which woke up the sleeping toddler.

Immediately she called Melissa, begging her to come over quickly.

_______________________________________________________________________

At the hospital where Joe had rushed out of work to meet her is where the tragic news was confirmed. Catherine's water had broken far too early and there was nothing any doctor could do to help them despite Cathy's painful pleas. All they could do is prepare Catherine to deliver the baby despite it all. She was terrified to her core of what was to come. All the pain she knew she would have to go through without the sweet treasure in the end that made it all worth it. Cathy sobbed and sobbed as the medical staff began.

Afterwards, they were given a bit of time to hold their much too tiny puppy and to say their goodbyes. They only had twenty-two weeks with her and that wasn't nearly long enough. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. They were supposed to have her for the rest of their lives. Cathy laid in that hospital bed holding their daughter. As the tears streamed from her eyes like twin waterfalls, Joe stood next to her bedside trying his hardest to stay strong for her. They both looked at their fragile little baby, who was dressed in white by the nurses and given a bonnet for her head. She looked as if she were peacefully sleeping. Cathy prayed silently to herself. Asking Dog why this could happen to someone so innocent. She spoke words of love and sorrow to her daughter as she tearfully admired her tiny little features. Unlike Kyle, this baby already looked a little bit like her, Cathy thought.

Cathy and Joe had decided to name her Ashlyn Faith Hayes. An Irish name meaning Dream. For in their dreams is where she'll stay, until they can be with her once again. Within just a few short hours of the delivery, Cathy and Joseph had to return home without her and instead of a crib, their baby daughter was laid to sleep in a coffin that day.