meeting at the right time

chapter 17

norman's pov

i arrived at the hospital and ran into charlie. "hey man what's going on?" he looked down. "its not good buddy. you should go see her." "where are the kids?" "its okay blake and mace are watching them. go be with your girl." i smiled. "thanks charlie." he smiled slim. "you're welcome." he went to blake and mace. i went inside her room and she just laid there. she looked pale and sick. "hey babe are you okay?" she coughed and shook her head. "no norman i'm not. please sit down." i frowned. "tell me whats wrong. i'm not sitting down. you look like you're about to die." the doc came in. "norman i dont know an easy way to say this but her health is going a downwards spiral." i sat down next to her and held her hand. "what now?" he sighed. "there isnt anything we can do." my eyes widened. "i'll give you guys some privacy." she nodded at the doc and i was worried. "norman we need to talk." "you sounds serious and i dont like it." "shut up and let me talk." i was scared like hell to what she was gonna tell me. "i'm really sick. i dont have much time. i dont want my kids to see how much worse i can get." i let go of her hand. "what are you saying?" she had tears in her eyes. "you need to let me go norman. i dont want to live like a vegetable. please please let me go." i couldnt believe what came out of her mouth. "you cant leave us. we need you. i need you." she smiled and touched my face. "you'll be just fine without me. you are a great dad and rosie has the biggest family there is." i started to shake. "the doc is doing the paperwork and tomorrow i will fall asleep and never wake up. i dont want to be alone and its a lot for asking you this but would you stay with me." i shook my head. "hell no. if you want to die then do it but i'm not saying yes to this." i walked out the room mad and went to see my daughters. i stepped into the cafeteria with a mad face on and charlie stopped me. "what did you do man?" "charlie get out the way. i wanna see my kids." emily saw me and she ran over. "hey sweetie, how are you?" she pouted her lip. "mommy is very sick." i nodded. "i know babygirl." blake and mace were holding back tears. "did she tell you?" they nodded and i was mad how calm they were. "how can you guys just sit there and act like nothing is gonna happen." blake got up. "charlie can you take the kids to the playroom please?" he nodded and i frowned. "see you in a bit sweetheart." i gave emily and rosie a kiss. "how the fuck can you say that? she has been our friends for years and we have been there for her for almost half of her life. where have you been? oh yeah thats right too busy with your life." i gasped in her words. "what? you cant talk to me like that. i love her and she just asked me to watch her die are you fucking serious?" she shook her head. "you see that as a punishment. she wants you there because you were her miracle. she is done norman. she gave you everything you wanted and you gave her everything she ever wanted. give her, her last wish before she goes. i think she deserves that doesnt she?" i sighed. "i cant do it blake. how can you watch the woman you love more than your own life die in front of you?" her lip trembled. "if you find out then tell me. we all love her. she has been our friend, our rock, our family and we arent ready to say goodbye, but its her wish and we cant be selfish." i was huffing and trying not to cry. "do her parents know?" she nodded. "they have already been here. they're picking up emily later on. they wanted emily to give her some time with her mom. she wont be with her tomorrow. Demi doesnt want the kid to remember her like that. they're taking rosie with them too. damn it, it was suppose to be an awesome day and now we're standing here talking about the termination of one of our dearest friends. its not right." she burst out in tears and i hugged her tightly. i couldnt hold it in anymore and i followed her. mace joined us and we needed this. just being there for eachother in that moment. charlie came back in after a while and gave me time with my daughters. i would go see her in a bit but i just needed this with the girls.

demi's pov

i was crying because norman stormed out of the room. i couldnt blame him after i asked such a thing. how could anyone watch one of their loved ones die? maybe i asked too much of him. charlie came in and i wiped my tears away. "hey sweetheart. dont cry please." "norman stormed off." he nodded. "he is with the girls now. you cant blame him for being upset sweetie. he really loves you." i grabbed his hand. "i'm not gonna change my decision." he nodded. "i know and i think he knows that too. give him time honey. i will be here tomorrow too. shit i'm gonna miss you. thanks for being my friend." he began to cry. "i'll miss you too but it will be better where i'm going. no pain and i wont be sick. i wont feel anything. it was amazing to be friends and i'll take it with me." he hugged me and this was our goodbye and it was enough for both of us. blake and mace came in and this was hard for me. they were my girls for a long time and it hurt to see how much pain they were in. "we are so gonna miss you. who will protect us now when we go out and guys come and harass us." i chuckled. "my ghostly form will kick their ass." they cried and laughed at the same time. "come here girls." i hugged them tightly while they were squeezing me. "take care of eachother. love you so much." "we love you too." they went out of the room and i waited for norman to return. my parents already said goodbye to me. my dad almost lost it but he knew that this is what i wanted. norman came in after a while with the kids. emily knew that i was in a bad way and she said her own goodbye in her way. "mommy when you become fairy will you watch over me?" i held back tears. "yes sweetie. i will always watch over you." "am i gonna live with grandma and grandpa now?" i nodded. "will i ever see norman again then?" she looked at him and he was barely keeping it together. "yeah you will see him again. in his eyes you both are his girls so he wont forget you." i kissed her forehead and hugged her and smuttered rosie. the girls went out and norman stayed with me. "what time tomorrow?" i sighed. "first thing in the morning." he shook his head. "this fucking sucks." she scoffed. "tell me about it. rosie is coming with you tho." his eyes widened. "wait what? i cant seperate rosie from emily." i smiled. "emily is a big girl norman. she gets it and i told her that her sister needs her dad and the other way around. if it wasnt for my parents emily would have left with you but i cant do that. rosie on the other hand is your biological daughter and i want her to be with you. just because you wont forget me then." he took my hand. "baby i will never forget you as long as i'm still standing." "i wanted our time together to be my last on this earth. i always said if i had to die i wanna die happy and thats with you by my side." he nodded. "i had trouble doing that but i get it now. i'm not leaving your side. you were my miracle too and it would be disrespectful to think only of my own needs instead of what you want. the only thing i can do now is be there when you go to sleep." i chuckled. "we were like fireworks werent we. i felt so loved and free, when i was with you. thanks for taking the risk to get to know me. thanks for loving me and giving me a second, wonderful babygirl." he looked straight into my eyes. "it was my privilege sweetheart. there wont be another amazing woman like you by my side. you showed me how an honest person loves. when you leave, i'm gonna be shattered but i'll take you with me everywhere i'm gonna go. you said that i had changed your life but its you that did that to me." he kissed me gently on the lips. he laid beside me and i fell asleep into his arms.

norman's pov

the doc came in and she was still asleep. "are you ready norman or do you want to wake her up?" i shook my head. "no its better this way and she will go peacefully." i swallowed hard because this was hard. the doc prepared the syringe and emptied it in her iv fluids. i was still holding her when she left her body quietly. i kissed her forehead for the last time and i walked out of the room. her friends were waiting there. blake looked at me and i nodded. she got up and ran towards me to hug me. macie did the same. charlie came up to me and held a hand on my shoulder. she had given everyone so much and that left a mark when she died. She wrote all of us a letter saying how much she loved us and all that sentimental crap. I lost it when i read mine. I could tell she wrote it with love. After the funeral i did the arragements to take rosie with me. it was hard saying goodbye to all of them but i would see them again soon.

****** timeskip (rosie is fourteen years old and emily 18)

"hey dad?" i sighed. "what is it now rosie?" "dad stop sighing and get the hell over here." emily yelled out. she came to live with us when demi's parents werent fit to take care of her anymore. i didnt mind because i loved my two girls and they reminded me of demi. "emily watch the language around your sister." she scoffed. "dad please i hear more when i'm at school." rosie said. "what is it that you needed me for?" they showed me the canvas demi had of us. it was all signed by every single on off us. "wow i havent seen this for a while. this was your mother's. thats how me and her met. she came to one of daddies cons and gave this to me to sign and i didnt want to admit it at first but i fell for her the first moment i laid my eyes on her. she was different then any other women i had ever seen." It was emily's birthday today. We were celebrating it with most of the former twd cast and cookie came too. We sat at the table and we had cupcakes and stuff. Suddenly emily came up to me. "Hey dad, mom gave me a letter too. I kept until i was old enough to understand. She told me i had to do something when i turned 18." She gave me papers and i looked at them. It were adoption forms. I looked at her with tears in my eyes and everyone smiled. "You were already my dad, i just want to make it official now and i guess it was mom's wish too." I got up and hugged her thightly. "It would be my pleasure calling you a reedus kid." They all clapped their hands and i was so emotional and happy. I wished she could have been here to see this, but i take her with me everywhere i go. I will love that woman until the end of my life and beyond.

The end