LOST IN THE RAIN( CHRISTIAN ROMANCE)

Chapter 2

JACLYN stared at the little picture frame on the bedside table. The picture of her family. Everyone smiling, her complete happy family. That was no more the case. They weren't happy and they weren't even complete anymore. GOD! IS THIS HOW IT'LL FOREVER BE? She wondered. Her life was becoming all the more strange to her by the day. It wasn't what she used to imagine her life to be.

A flood of memories came to her and by the time she touched her cheeks, they were wet. She dried them as she saw her husband move on the bed. Then his eyes were open.

"Morning." She whispered, trying to force a smile. He smiled then glanced at the alarm clock.

"Why you up so early? Its only 3 am."

"Can't sleep." She frowned "tossed and turned all night."

He thought for a while then he knew her reason. "June 16th." He nodded.

"Yes." She gave a small laugh. "It's her birthday. My baby's day. The day she brought smiles to this family." She paused then continued. "The day I lost her. The day she was de..."

"Jaclyn!" He stopped her from speaking. Tears were rolling down her cheeks freely now. He sat up and wrapped her in his arms. "She's still our baby. She's still yours. You haven't lost her."

"Then why doesn't it feel that way? If she was still mine, I'll be walking right through her door at 6am with her well decorated cake in my hands. I'd be smiling and I'd kiss her forehead after she said her nineteenth year wish and blew out her candle fire Bob."

"Honey." He quieted her. "God knows best remember?"

"I don't see any best in all of these. My nineteen year old daughter is out there and the rain's really heavy this morning. What's the good side of it?"

"She's not dead Jaclyn. That's a start." He dried a tear. "Honey where there is life there is hope. And she's still ours no matter how it seems right now." She sobbed. He held her firmly, squeezing her to his side then he kissed her forehead. "Charlotte's still our little girl. The perfect lady." He smiled, trying hard to believe what he was saying. She wanted to smile back, wanted to believe what he was saying. But she couldn't. Perfect? How could he still say she's perfect after all that's happened. Even Charlotte didn't believe that anymore.

"She's no more Charlotte remember. It's now Susan." She said.

"I don't still see why she changed her name."

"Well I do...Charlotte has been through a lot. Susan just started life."

"But Susan has to have an origin. It doesn't make a difference."

"It does to her and we should respect that."

"I guess you're right." He took a deep breathe. "So can we go back to bed now. We'll call her in the morning." He prayed that they'd be able to get through to her today. They'd failed all the while.

She snuggled down under the blue duvet, Bob slightly resting his hand over her. She soon fell asleep, dreaming of Charlotte as she did.

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She could feel the rush as she woke up that morning. Her tender heart racing, beating like it was gonna pop out anytime soon. She tried to steady herself. Took a very deep breathe and then let it out. She was calm now. She closed her eyes and let them open again.

She wished she could blot out this day from existence so she wouldn't have to wake up every other year to another June 16th. What a dreadful birthday. What kind of horrible present did she always wake up to? Yet her dad said there was God. Well if he was there why would he give her such a present? It was there, so straight forward, he didn't love her. He hated her, so why not hate him back? He was simply wicked, that is if he at all existed.