Juliana

27. Just one more day

*2 Days Later*

"Daddy... Daddy... Daddy, please... Daddy..." Juliana clutched onto her dad's lifeless hand. "Daddy... No... Daddy, please... please... Daddy..." She let go of his hand and turned around to me and buried her face into my chest, sobbing.

The nurses and doctors that had tried to save his life left the room. Aunt Grace had also walked away; I guessed she was getting ready to make arrangements or something. It was just Juliana and I with her late father in the room.

Her tears were making my shirt soaking wet. I didn't know what to do. I felt just as helpless and numb right now as I did watching Mr. Keating's heartbeat slow down, trickling number by number, before flat-lining.

I sat down in the chair by the bed that I had sat down in so many times before. This was the chair that I had been sitting in when Mr. Keating gave me that letter about a month ago, and now, he was gone. It was hard to believe that.

"Robbie..." Juliana looked up at me. Her eyes were a puffy red. "Please... pl" She gasped for air. "Please tell me that," She took several short breaths.

"Tell you what?" I held her hand and stroked my thumb across the top of her hand.

"Tell me that this is all a bad dream... that Daddy isn't really dead..."

I just shook my head. "I can't tell you that; I'd be lying if I did."

She laid her head back down on my chest. Her face was sticky from all the tears. "I can't do this, Robbie... Daddy is gone forever, and I have to accept that."

"Depends on what you mean by gone...All the memories with him you still have. A part of him lives in you, and I know that your dad wouldn't want you to be sad. And on the days you miss him, ask him for a sign. He's there. You just gotta work a little harder to hear him."

Juliana nodded her head. "Can I ask you a question, Robbie?"

"Sure." I reached out to hold her hand.

"Why did God do this to me? Does He know how much it hurts to know that my dad won't be able to be there for my graduation or wedding day and all those days in between... I don't understand. If God really loves me as much as He says He does, why did He take Daddy away from me?"

I just sat there for a minute, holding her close to me. "I'm not really sure, Jules. Why don't we ask Jesus?" I dug my iPhone out my pocket, unlocked my screen, and opened my Bible app to John 11.

I had heard a sermon preached on this recently, but when I was hurting, there was nothing more comforting than God's Word, itself. I didn't want to hear someone talk about it; I wanted to read it. I figured that Juliana would be the same way.

When she saw what Scripture I had opened on the screen, she smiled a little bit. "I love this story."

"Me too." I gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Let's read. Do you want me to start?"

"Yeah." She nodded her head.

"When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." I paused. "You wanna read?"

She nodded her head and picked up where I left off, "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" She stopped reading. "Can you finish?"

"Sure." I took the phone from her hand and started reading again, "So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face."

When I read that last sentence, I saw Juliana smile and nod her head. "I think I understand a little better now."

"Me too... Pretty amazing how God works like that, huh?"

"Yeah... You know what I just realized? Tomorrow's my birthday..." She started crying again.

"Yeah..." I held her close to me. "I was hoping you wouldn't realize that." I kissed the top of her head. "But I know you. You're strong; you can do this."

***

When we got back to Juliana's house, she was in manic mode. She wanted to cancel her party, write her dad's obituary, plan the funeral, and a whole bunch of other things. I kinda just sat back and let her do what she wanted; people had different ways of coping, and apparently, running around like a chicken with its head cut off was Jules' way.

"Robbie, can you come here a sec?" Aunt Grace called out from the kitchen.

"Coming." I got up off the couch and sorta jogged into the kitchen. "Yes ma'am?"

Aunt Grace rested her hand on her hips. Juliana came by her manic mood honestly. The kitchen was spotless, and there were freshly baked pies on the counter! "Do you mind staying the night? You don't even have to sleep on the couch if you don't want to. Juliana seems more like herself with you around." She winked.

"I'll have to check with my mom, but I don't really see why I couldn't."

***

Mom said that I could stay the night, so that was nice. I was able to be there for Jules until she fell asleep.

Since her head was on my chest, I carefully reached for my phone and checked Facebook one last time before calling it a night. Jules had posted a picture with her dad.

Juliana Keating

Daddy went back home to be with Jesus today.<3 It's been a hard day, but I'm glad he's no longer suffering. He wasn't doing all that well these past few weeks. Extremely grateful for Robbie tonight as he was there for me like the rock he is, and he pointed me back to Him when I needed it the most. I am so blessed with the best boyfriend here on Earth, and I love my guardian angel in Heaven.

I commented.

anytime, jules. love you. :)

            I put phone back on the side table and closed my eyes. It had been a long day, but Jules was worth it all.