Never Say Goodbye

Epilogue: Allie

From my bedroom window I see my husband, so tall and so handsome, playing with our children in the back yard, leaves falling around them as they try to rake every single one into a pile. My daughter, Aria, has never smiled so brightly before. Her short little body, yet a huge personality for a toddler. Her blonde hair dances in the wind, with the same movement as the leaves. She gets that blonde hair modestly. James, our son, watching over his little sister while running around with her and their beloved father. They look so much alike to me, and act even more alike. Both are so willing to do anything for the ones they love. My husband has made that clear to me, throughout the years we have been in each other's lives. Since I was eight, he and I have been in each other's lives. And while I thought I was taking care of him, he was just as much taking care of me.

I rock back and forth on my heels, holding Hailee, our newest child, not yet able to walk. Her bright eyes already resemble a large part of myself; a part that my husband has always admired. As Hailee drifts off into a deep sleep, her grip on my finger loosens. She is so fragile, so delecate. She is oblivious to all of the pain and struggle there is in this world, but soon enough she will be old enough to see the light through her blindness and notice that this world is not perfect. Far from perfect, in fact. There is a lot of hurt and a lot of suffering in this world, but you have to find your way around that to be happy. That is exactly what my husband and I are doing.

I go down the stairs to meet my family in the yard, be closer to them now that Hailee is nearly asleep. When I walk out the screen door and onto the porch, Aria rushes to my side to stare at her little sister. From birth Aria has been obsessed with little Hailee, and obsessed with the fact that she is an older sister. I have Aria sit, and I set Hailee on her lap, and the baby snuggles into her older sister with the familiarity and comfort. James walks over to stand over his two sisters. He is such a protective young man.

I start to fiddle with my hands, taking my ring off my left hand and looking it over. 'Allison', engraved on the inside. I was never one for fancy rings or large jewelry. I enjoy just a round piece of gold. I would have settled with plastic, but my husband always tries to give me the absolute best he can give. He jogs up to me and puts his hands in mine. I look at his ring, and I can see the image of the engraving that his has on the inside. 'Tanner', it reads.

"I love you," I say to him as I look over at our three beautiful children.

"I love you, too, Allie," he says, as he leans into me and kisses me on the lips, and I know that this love will never fade.