Standing in the kitchen, staring at the tiny Maple tree they planted the year they bought this house, she can't help but think back to that wonderful day when this became home. When everything was normal.
As had happened so many times before, Carrie felt the weight of their future on her shoulders alone. It was up to her to make things happen or live with nothing ever getting done. The house was now bought and payments were made regularly. She arranged that. The gardener, the housekeeper, the repair people anyone that was needed for anything was on her "to do list" never on his.
Kent still lives in his own little world where everything gets done for him. He sees things that need to be done and in no time at all, they are done. It's an easy life and he is deliriously happy and in love.
Everything had changed for them in over 6 years of marriage. She was happy, though sometimes overwhelmed, and she still felt there was no one better suited to her life or more deserving of her love than Kent. Life really was, finally, good for them.
The news from the doctor would be the most difficult thing she had ever had to share with him and this could not be fixed. All the problems they had encountered and discussed and she had taken charge of, since then, were nothing compared to this burden she was about to drop in his lap. He would not be prepared. She was not.
Looking back at their lives Carrie knows that beyond any fear and any pain she had to face, she would never be alone again. She would never not live a day without him and she would be able to depend on him because nothing in his life came before his devotion to her. With that, she would share with him her cancer had returned and was inoperable and too wide spread to look for chemo to help.
Again, he would just take over her role and he would take over her fears. He would be the man he had always been every other time she needed him. Six to eight weeks of goodbyes and I love yous and strength from him, that was her reality now.
Jo
The GBE2 prompt was to write the end of a story. Here is the end of "Just One Tree".
Sad ending to a happy story I am sure Jo. However as always if you have a loving hand to hold yours and a strong shoulder on which you can lean, things become easy. A nice one.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I like hearing others tell me the story.
DeleteWow.. I know Carrie.. Great ending..
ReplyDeleteThank you. It was kinda fun!
DeleteThis had such a sad ending...but that is what made it so good! It was more real and life like. We don't always get dealt a happy ending. We take what we get and make the best of it. Great ending! ♥
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly right and there are miracles. :-)
DeleteReality is sometimes no picnic.
ReplyDeleteThats the truth. Sometimes the happy ending isn't meant to be. Thank you.
DeleteBut you never know. Faith can get one far.
ReplyDeletehttp://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2013/10/gbe2-only-ending.html
I do believe!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad powerful message. Even still, there are miracles that can change from one second to the next.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, miracles happen daily.
Delete