He couldn’t help but smile, it was the best idea they had come up with. Her face glowed with happiness and her lips parted in a joyful grin that made his heart beat faster and faster.

“We’ll run away together, that’s what we’ll do” She took his hands in hers and knotted her fingers around his. They were alone beside the familiar pond, where they had first met at the annual Fourth of July picnic. Their families couldn’t stand each other, but yet fate had an ironic way of making them fall for one another. He couldn’t deny it, and neither could she.

“Tonight” He stated pulling her into his chest. His cheeks flushed and he smiled knowing she was the only girl in the world that could make him act the way he did. He’d always been bold and confident, but soon after they had met he’d melted into her arms and the shield that had been around his heart shattered. She on the other hand had been shy and quiet, she could have never had the courage to speak to a guy, little lone plan to runaway with one. She’d listened to her parents and never stated her opinion. But around him everything changed, she’d opened up, and invited him to a soul that had been hidden her entire seventeen years of life.

“We’ll meet here, right by the tree” The green eyes she’d come to love lit up on his face. The dark locks fell on top of his eyes and she saw the will burn inside him, she knew he loved her, he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, and she wasn’t slow to agree.

“But you have a game tonight” Her fluttering heart slowed down for a moment, and all the lightness faded from the air. The setting sun above their heads even seemed to darken as if it understood their problems. They’d both forgot, they had a life outside their relationship, and no one in their lives knew they had fallen madly in love with each other, and lastly planned to be together.

“Screw the game, I could care less” His hand tightened around her hand, she looked up concerned, but something in his eyes told her he wasn’t lying, and that truly he didn’t care about the game.

“I won’t waste another second on this, I’ve already wasted too much time sneaking around, I don’t care anymore” The voice that came out of his mouth was stern and angry. She felt her cheeks flush knowing how he felt. He had been right, they’d been sneaking around not being able to expose their love for over eight months now, if their parents didn’t approve, they’d find an outside church that would.

“Neither will I” Her eyes danced with light. They’d finally get married tonight, and they’d spend happy days for years to come, with his hand in hers, and their hearts together for what seemed like an eternity, they’d finally be able to love each other without anyone’s say or word…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kat?” He lightly touched her hand, her eyes opened, and he noticed all the happiness that had been there years ago was gone, and all that existed was pain and sadness.

“It’s about that time” The corners of her pale lips pulled into a grim smile, and she sighed knowing what would happen in the next couple of minutes, the tension in the room rose greatly, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe and that all the oxygen and feeling was slowly draining out of him, he had become numb.

“No, don’t say that, you can’t leave me, we promised each other an eternity.” His head fell to the side of the bed and the tears he had been choking back during the entire week began to threaten him.

He looked up to see her once tan glowing skin to be nothing but the color of a plain sheet of paper. Her cheeks were no longer blush, and the gorgeous familiar hair she once had was now brittle and dark. The sickness had finally struck him, and the warm drops began to fall out of his eyes and onto the bed where his only love was laying.

“Kat!” He yelled grabbing her hand and giving it a small squeeze. She was only twenty-five years old, but her spirit, her energy, and her life had aged to that of an old woman. Her weak hand raised to touch his cheek, and he felt the cold fingertips run down his face, soon the painful smile she had showed a hint of happiness.

“I love you Scott, I always will” He shook his head and now he couldn’t help but let the tears fall out of his eyes. His only love, the only person that existed in his life besides his baby girl, was slowly dying right in front of him. His throat began to close and he forced himself to bite down on his lip to attempt to show his wife his bravery. But how could he? He couldn’t stand hiding his emotions anymore.

The door behind him slowly creaked open and there stood his other love of his life. Their baby girl was standing there only three feet tall in the doorway watching her dad with a confused expression.

“Daddy?” He rose to his feet opening his arms and forcing a smile for his daughter. She was the only thing he had to remember Kat by, now that she was slipping away from his fingers.

“Come here honey” The little girl ran into his arms and he pulled her tightly into his chest lifting her off of the ground and pulling her into his lap beside Kat. He watched her slowly open her eyes and stare at both of them smiling.

“My other love” Kat reached out and Scott leaned forward touching Emma’s soft cheek to Kat’s cold fingers.

“Mommy, when can we leave?” Emma’s innocent eyes searched for the answer in her mom’s face. But Kat on the other hand shook her head and watched Emma with glassy eyes and tear stained cheeks.

“Soon enough darling, soon enough” Scott’s chest became hard and he felt the burning sensation in his throat, he knew he couldn’t hold the tears back for another second.

Only he and Kat knew that when he left the hospital he wouldn’t be leaving with Kat beside him, or going to see her, instead he’d be alone with his daughter as the only sign to show him that the love of his life existed once, but something took her away.

“Daddy why are you crying?” In all of Scott’s thoughts he’d forgot about his struggle with his emotions, and the tears had finally escaped and slipped onto Emma’s tiny arm.

“Emma, honey, why don’t you go outside for a little bit…say bye to mommy” Scott forced a smile and watched Emma lean down to give Kat a small kiss then laugh and give a small smile.

“Bye mommy” Emma then left the room, and for the first time since they were teenagers, he watched Kat cry and cry until he thought she couldn’t anymore.

“Oh God, I can’t I’m scared Scott, I’m really scared” She cried out in between sobs, her hand searched for his comfort and he quickly gave it to her by placing his hand in hers and entwining his fingers with hers.

“Listen to me Kat, remember the lake? Our lake?” Kat’s sobs slowly quieted down and she smiled behind the tears, he smiled knowing what she remembered, after all, he had remembered it only minutes ago.

“Yes I do” Scott leaned forward closer to her face and softly laid his face beside hers.

“I want you to go there now, I want you to remember us then, and when we had our wedding, and when we brought Emma home for the first time, remember only the good times” He felt the delicate hand squeeze his, and he watched her smile get bigger.

“I remember” Her voice faded and she opened her eyes and leaned forward giving him a soft kiss, he felt his tears fall along with the moisture from hers. He couldn’t stand the fact that he knew this was going to be the last kiss they ever had, this was the last time he was ever going to feel anything ever again. She slowly pulled away and laid back onto the pillow, she was crying but smiling at the same time.

“I also want you to know Emma and I love you more then you could ever imagine” His other hand stroked her wet cheek and she nodded.

“I love you two too, and whatever happens Scott, there will be an eternity someday, we may have not gotten it now, but later on…we will” Her voice faded and when he looked at her face he knew what had just happened. The wall he had been holding up was torn down and kicked. The feeling he had in his chest blew up, and he fell to her side grabbing her hand and kissing it. He cried so hard his head began to hurt. He felt the tears wet his face and drown out any sound to the world. His body went limp and the numbness he had begun to feel spread throughout his body. After what felt like centuries of crying, he stopped and the pain eased, someday in eternity he’d see his wife again, just like she had said.

“Emma?” He called out softly. The little head peaked in through the door and his daughter came up to him hugging his leg. He bent down to her level and pulled her tightly into his chest. Tears still fell from his eyes but he smiled now, as he watched Emma seeing all the qualities Kat had in the small child’s face.

“Daddy, when are we going to see mommy again?” Her little hand fell into his and he took a deep breath pulling her into his arms.

“Mommy isn’t suffering anymore Em’s she’s some place happy, and watching over us” Emma’s face stiffened and she watched her dad intently.

“Is that the place mommy was talking about?” He nodded and Emma didn’t cry, or smile or move, she just starred and let her eyelids droop. After a minute or two she looked up again.

“When do we get to see mommy again daddy?” Scott smiled and touched his hand to her face and cleared his throat.

“In eternity Em’s, and that’s a promise momma made to both of us, and the promise we made to her”