Short Stories

Due Date With Death

I have a due date with death. I have had it since the day I was born, etched into my skin and never to be removed. That date is in two days from now and everyone I knew has been trying to make it the best few days of my life. What they didn't know was that there was only one person I wanted to be with. Although I knew that I would never see this person, I couldn't help but wish that he'd come. He would never come back after everything we had been through. I would never hold his hand again. Never feel his warmth as we were cuddling on the couch. Never hear his groggy morning voice when we get up in the morning. Never get to have his last name or his children. Never get to watch our kids and then grandkids grow up. All of this because his date had already passed. His date had passed and it was too late to do anything about it. And now my date would soon pass too. Everyone I knew had lived past 30 and I would never live to see my twenty-first birthday. But I was alright because I would get to be with him. I know that I will have to leave my room soon to be able to complete the list of things that my family wants to do with me. They think that it will make me happy and that it's what I want, but it's not. It's what they want, because they want their last memories of me to be happy ones. I just wasn't ready to give up on him. For days I'd been convincing myself that I could get through these last few days and then I would be with him again. Getting off my bed a making my way towards my door, I opened it just in time to see my little sister standing there about to knock on the door.

"Perfect timing huh?" My sister said, rocking back on her heals.

"Yeah, perfect. So, what exactly are we going to do today?" I asked, wanting to know what exactly lay in store.

"Mom said that I'm not allowed to tell you, but it's going to be full of your favorite things."

"Well, let's get started then."

Skipping away, my sister left me to grab my purse. I knew that I had to make sure I acted as though I was having the time of my life. Even though I knew that my true happiness was with him, I also knew that I would be happy today. Hey, you gotta fake it til you make it, right?

I met my mom and sisters on our front porch, where we all headed to the car and climbed in. Everyone seeming to be so eager to keep me as happy as possible.

"Dana, which would you like to do first, go to the movies or go to the carnival?" My mom asked me, curious as to how we would start our day.

"How about the carnival because I don't think the movie theater is open right now. Can we get cotton candy?" I answered, doing my best to seem as excited as possible.

"Of course, whatever you want dear."

All morning we drove from one end of town to the other, completing the first half of my mother's to-do list. By noon all of us were hungry, so we stopped at a McDonald's to eat.

"Dana honey, are you enjoying yourself?" My mother asked after we had received our food and sat down.

"Y-yeah, I've actually been having a really good time. I'm just trying to be happy and not bring you know who into this." I answered, wondering why my mom had asked the question.

"Oh okay, I just wanted to make sure that you were having a good time otherwise if you weren't, we could do something else."

"No, I'm enjoying this, really I am. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure honey."

"Can we visit Caleb's grave and bring flowers later?"

"Are you sure that's what you want honey?"

"Yes, it's what I want more then anything."

"Okay, we can do that."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

After my mother agreed to letting me visit his grave, that was the only thing I could think of, I suddenly became more happy than a bride on her wedding day. I went through the motions of everything my mother and sisters had planned, I even wore a smile the entire time. By the time we had arrived at the cemetery, I didn't think a person could be happier. My family stayed behind as I exited the car, they knew I needed the alone time. Walking up to his grave, flowers in hand, that's when the tears hit. I broke down. I fell to my knees in front of his tombstone and began to talk through my sobbing.

"I know that we had some rough patches, but doesn't every relationship? I love you and I know you loved me, and that's all that matters. I had been dreading the day that my date would come, that date is tomorrow, and now I..it can't come fast enough. I can't wait to be with you. My family took me on a ton of adventures today because they want me to be happy. I know that they also want their last memories with me to be happy ones. I don't mind, I want them to be happy. They just don't know that my true happiness is with you. I love you Caleb and I cannot wait to spend forever with you." I finished, standing up and making my way to the car.

I now knew more than ever that I was ready to leave. It wasn't that I didn't like it here, but I knew I would like anything better if it was with Caleb. The ride home was quiet. In fact, not a word was spoken between any of us until my mother asked us what we wanted for supper. Of course, she already knew that my sisters would let me choose and that I would choose my favorite taco salad. She knew. She knew that I wanted to leave and that the thought of it hadn't scared me. She knew how badly I wanted to see Caleb again. She knew and she wasn't going to try and damper my happiness in knowing I would soon see him again. That was the only thing that kept me getting up in the morning, the thought of seeing him again.

That night my mother kissed my forehead and sent me to bed, as she had every night since I could remember. But this time was different, this time her lips lingered on my skin because she knew that I wouldn't wake tomorrow morning.

"Dana honey, I love you. Always remember that." My mother requested, a hint of longing in her voice. A longing that she would be able to have more time with her daughter.

"I will. I love you too." I replied, looking at my mom wishing I could do something

"Thank you Dana."

I stood up from the couch and my mom wrapped me in a giant bear hug, which I gladly returned. I had no reason not to. I mean, who wouldn't hug their parent the night before they died? I began to walk towards my bedroom, but turned around and ran back to give my mom another hug.

"And mom, thanks for..everything."

Entering my room, I turned on the light and continued my nightly routine as though nothing was happening. Everything I had done my entire life was as if none of this would happen. My entire childhood I had wished death away, I hadn't known about my date so I figured that in wishing it away, it would never get me. Now I know how wrong I was. As I climbed into bed, I looked over at the clock, 11:58. Two minutes until I would be with Caleb. I knew that I was leaving behind one of the best things a person can come across in life, but I was also going to be with the second best thing a person could come across in life.

I always lived as though there wasn't a tomorrow, and now the day had come where there wouldn't be a tomorrow.

11:59.

5...4...3...2...1...

Everything went black, I was suddenly in nothingness. Nothingness and then light. It was the brightest light I had ever seen. And standing in the middle of the light was none other than the one I had longed to see since the day he left. As soon as I saw him, I took off running towards Caleb.

"It's been so long Dana." Caleb said as soon as I jumped into his arms.

"Too long." I replied, kissing him on the lips.

As soon as Caleb put me back on the ground, he wrapped me in a bear hug. The same kind of hugs my mother used to give. We stood like that for a long time, not letting go, just enjoying being in each other's presence for the first time since he had left.

"Promise me that you'll never let me go or leave me again?" I asked, looking up at Caleb to see his face.

"I promise, Dana, I promise." He answered, holding me tighter against his chest.

"Forever can never be long enough for me to feel like I've had long enough with you....together can never be close enough for me to feel like I am close enough to you......promise me you'll always be happy by my side I promise to sing to you when all the music dies.....now that the wait is over."