To The One I Will Always Love ✔

Chapter 8: Family

Edited: 11.30.2021

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Chapter 8: Family

Five years.

51 weeks.

30 days.

Time never slowed down. Time would always move on, so would life be. That was something I had learned in the past six years. Even though you desperately wished time to stop ticking, the earth to stop spinning and everything to stand still for one moment, it wouldn't. It didn't make an exception for anybody and all we could do was continue and move on. No matter how hard it was.

But I did. How? – I wouldn't be able to tell. I knew I wouldn't have made it this far without Kayleigh. If I had never bumped into her cart at the grocery store, I wouldn't know where I would be today and I was not sure if I even wanted to know. It scared me how much a simple person could influence your life and two people on this earth had made a big impact on me. They still did.

So I pushed through, continued living and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. The mirror was smashed. The pieces were broken and shattered, but they were put together to fill the frame. Only the cracks would forever be visible and frankly, I was okay with that. Emily was my world and even though she was not physical here anymore, there was that gap in my heart – one that would always be hers.

However, I had made a happy life for myself. I worked as a journalist. Kayleigh and I were married for three years. We had a beautiful son, named Axel, and our second child was on the way. As a family, I couldn't be happier.

Yet, sometimes, my mind drifted towards Emily and I would think how life would have been if my sweet boy was hers. What if she survived the disease and we could live happily ever after, like in all those tales. But I guessed that were exactly what they were, tales – a children's story. It would never be a reality and I learned how to live with that.

Kayleigh knew about my wandering mind and daydreams, and despite I felt guilty for wishing differently at times, she never minded. She always told me she understood, but I wondered often times if she truly did or if she wanted to assure me it was alright and not to dwell over the fact.

We were happy nonetheless and my love was as real as it could get.

My parents were ecstatic about their grandchildren, considering I was only child. They loved them so dearly and it always filled my heart with fondness whenever my mother was playing or holding little Axel. My father joked around with him, always telling him jokes and innocent pranks to try on others.

The contact with Emily's parents were gone, at least it was barely there. Since Emily's death, I had never heard or seen of her father anymore. He had never taken the greatest liking towards me even though I had been showing my most gentlemanly side. It didn't matter anymore now. Emily's mother visited me a week after Kayleigh's and my wedding, to congratulate us and to wish us well. But after that I had barely heard anything from her. It was okay. I couldn't expect any less. I did have a chance to get married, but their daughter never did.

A soft sigh escaped my lip as I pushed myself onto my feet, getting up from my chair. Pushing the chair in, my eyes flit over the multiple screens and computers in the office. Everything was turned off for the weekend. Most times I was one of the last people who exited the building, driven as I was.

On the way out of the building, I bid a few janitors farewell and good weekend, telling them I would see them in the morning. The streets were bustling with people. Many were making their way home, celebrating the weekend with their family or friends. I would be going home to my family, but I had one stop before I got there.