Luke walked over to the record player. He dropped the needle on a random classical vinyl, and blasted the music. He needed something to keep him motivated with the cleaning. He lazily worked his way through the house, stopping to change the album every time one ended.
As Luke reached the kitchen, he stared at the countless bottles. Some empty, and some still a few shots full. He knew how upset She would be. How Her eyes would close in concentration, searching for what to say to him. Luke couldn't bear the thought any longer. He needed to do what She would want him to do. Taking one last shot, he gathered all of the spirits before letting them fall into a trash bag. Before tying up the bag, he decided to check the cabinets for any strays to avoid temptation. He reached the last cabinet, one that was hardly ever opened. The door swung open and the black box fell to the ground. Luke dropped to his knees, scrambling to pick it up. He slowly opened the lid, revealing the diamond ring that he had planned on presenting to Her before everything happened.
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Luke's phone buzzed, and he sprinted across the room filled with sunflowers, Her favorite.
"The meeting just ended. I'll call you when I'm almost home, alright? I love you xx", She wrote.
Luke grinned as his thumbs raced across the keyboard, "Hurry up! I can't wait to show you your surprise!"
Luke sat with his head in his hand for what seemed like hours before his phone rang. Too excited to check caller ID, he eagerly answered.
"How close are you?", He asked as soon as his phone reached his ear.
"Is this Mr. Hemmings?" A strange voice asked.
Luke's face dropped. That was not Her voice.
"Yes," He answered. "Who is this? Is everything ok?"
The voice sighed, "This is the head of the police department. I'm afraid there's been a car accident, and you are listed as an emergency contact. How far are you from the hospital?"
Luke didn't even hear the last part before he had dropped his phone and ran to his car.
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Luke slammed the ring box closed, and shoved it in his pocket. He ran out to his car and set course for the hospital.
