Letters From Heaven

Prolouge

Beige. That's all you see anywhere you look. Beige walls, beige floors, beige blankets for the beds. Beige is all that Lydia Robinson and her husband Mike had seen for weeks. Their six year old daughter Ella had been fighting cancer for a long while, and eventually she got too week to stay at home anymore, so she was admitted to the children's hospital not too far from their town. She was a strong child anyone could see that but, the doctors did all they could for her.
Ella lay in her bed, all kinds of machines hooked up to her, though she knew they were doing nothing to help her. Her head was covered with a knitted hat that her grandmother made her for her birthday that past a few days prior. She lay back looking out the window at the bright, blue sky as she watched the birds fly high and free wishing she could be as free as they were.
Ella heard the door open and she knew it was one of two people, either her doctor, or her mother and father. Ella assumed it was her mother and father judging by how they sat in the chairs beside her bed. She turned her head to look at them and a small smile graced her lips.
   "Hey sweetie, look what we brought." Her father said as he took out a Book. It was a book called Once Upon A Time full of fairy tales about princesses and dragons, it was her favorite. "I thought you might like to read it."
   "Thank you daddy." Ella replied, her voice week and tired. "Will you lay with me and read it?" She asked sweetly. Her father just smiled and positioned himself in the bed beside her and began to read the storybook. Ella's mother smiled fondly at the both of them, she loved her family more than anything. She didn't understand why her poor, little girl was suffering this way. She didn't understand why God hadn't healed her, and she was angry.
   Suddenly her husband Mike started to yell. He yelled and he yelled for someone to help him, and as Lydia looked to him she realized that he was no longer lying beside their daughter, he was frantically running out of the room to find a doctor. As Lydia looked to her daughter she realized why, Ella was no longer lying next to her father reading her favorite book. She was lying in her bed, so peaceful you might think she would only be sleeping, but no. Their was no soft breaths coming from Ella as she laid in her bed, there was no movement as she lied with her eyes closed. Lydia screamed and cried for her daughter as she gently took her by the shoulders shouting her name.
   The doctors came in and took Lydia out of the room while they tried to help her daughter. She screamed and cried for Ella out in the hallway as her husband tried to comfort his wife. Lydia hugged Mike tight as she waited in the beige hall. They waited for what felt like hours, and then it was over.
   There was a funeral held for Ella Robinson on a cool, spring afternoon. Her grave was placed under a shady tree in the middle of the cemetery surrounded by flowers. It was a beautiful service filled with many tears as six year old Ella was lowered into the ground. Those who attended said their 'I'm sorries' to the Robinsons and left. They stayed a while longer until Mike said he would wait in the car and Lydia could come when she was ready. She stood at her daughters grave for what felt like hours until she knew she had to get back but, she didn't want to, she wanted to stay with her Ella and never leave her. She wanted to stay and read to her, and sing like they would do when she was alive. Eventually Lydia knew she had to go, so she turned reluctantly from her daughters grave and walked to the car. Her and Mike started their journey  home as Lydia looked one last time to the shady three in the middle of the cemetery with a heavy heart, tears streaming down her face. All she wanted was her Ella back.