"Jessica, I love you so much. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" James asked. Jessie looked down at the purple-haired man who was kneeling in front of her. He looked up at her with his sparkling green eyes, eagerly awaiting her answer. She nodded and smiled down at him. "Yes, James. I will."
He jumped up happily and slipped a diamond ring onto her finger. He smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you Jessie," he said softly and kissed her.
"I'll always protect you Jessie," James said ending his vow.
"I pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride." the minister said.
James bent down and kissed his new wife passionately on the lips.
Everyone in the church stood up from their seats and applauded loudly.
Wedding bells rang through the town as the newlywed couple walked out of the church, hand in hand. A black limo pulled up in front of the church and the driver got out, opening the door for the couple. Jessie and James got in and waved to the guests who were scattered on the front lawn of the church. They watched as the church got smaller and smaller until it was completely gone.
Inside the limo, James was pouring wine for himself and Jessie.
"Here you go Jess," he said handing her a glass. She took a sip and put the glass down. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, James..." she whispered into his ear, pushing him down into the seat. She covered his lips with her own and started fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.
The driver smiled and pushed the button for the divider. He didn't need to hear what was about to happen.
Three weeks after the couple returned from their honeymoon, Jessie started getting nauseous in the morning. At first, she and James thought it was the flu but days later, Jessie started having cravings that she never would have eaten before. One day, while getting dressed, she noticed that her stomach had grown larger. Either she had put on some weight or...
"James!!" she yelled.
He burst out of the bathroom, towel around his waist, water dripping from his hair.
"What is it Jess? Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
She shook her head and then grinned at him. "James, I'm pregnant!!" she exclaimed, running over and hugging him.
He stood there in shock but then hugged her back tightly.
"Oh Jessie!" he whispered, "That's great! I...I...I don't know what to say!!" He laughed and kissed her instead of saying anything else.
Months passed and the added weight was too much for Jessie to carry around. She would spend most of the day laying down on the couch.
James did everything he could to make her more comfortable. He would cook her meals and bring them to her. He would get her anything she had a craving for, no matter how late it was.
Most nights, Jessie would fall asleep on the couch. Walking up the stairs to their room was too much of a strain for her. Not wanting to leave her alone, James would sleep next to her on the floor. He wouldn't leave her side for anything.
One stormy night, James was awakened by groans from Jessie.
"What's wrong Jessie?" James asked in a startled voice.
"I...I think it's time, James" Jessie stammered and then groaned again.
"Oh my GOD!" James exclaimed.
He ran to the phone and dialed the doctor's number.
After numerous rings, a groggy voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Doc, it's time! What do I do now?" James asked, breathing hard.
"James, is that you?" the doctor asked.
"Yea, it's me. What do I do?"
"Get her to the hospital quickly, I'll meet you there. And hurry James!" the doctor commanded, but James had already hung up.
Carefully, James lifted Jessie from the couch rushed to their car. Even with the added weight, he was still able to carry her. He placed her in the passenger seat carefully and raced to the other side, seating himself in the driver's seat. James gunned the gas pedal and the car raced towards the hospital.
The car screeched to a halt in front of the hospital. Two nurses ran out with a wheelchair. They helped Jessie out of the car and into the wheelchair. One of the nurses motioned for James to follow as they rushed back into the hospital.
The nurses met up with the doctor and the group headed towards the emergency room with James close behind them. Once inside the emergency room, Jessie was transferred from the wheelchair to a bed. She was hooked up to various machines. One of the nurses handed James a shirt and mask. "Put it on, we don't want to spread any germs." James did what he was told.
"James! I need you!" Jessie cried out.
He rushed to her side and took her hand into his. "I'm here Jessie. Don't worry."
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
"Contractions are three minutes apart, Doctor." one of the nurses reported.
The doctor turned to look at Jessie. "When I count to three, I want you to push. You ready?"
Jessie nodded.
"1...2..3!"
Jessie pushed and her grip on James' hand tightened.
James cringed slightly. Jessie sure had a strong grip.
"Good Jess. Very nice. We're gonna wait for the second contraction now. Just relax." the doctor said.
"How're you feeling, Jess?" James asked as her grip slowly loosened.
"Well, this is harder than I'd expected but I'm fine." Jessie told him, breathing hard. "Thank you for being here."
James smiled. "Well, at least you're calm. I'm a nervous wreck!"
"Looks like another contraction's on its way." the doctor informed them. "Are you ready?"
Jessie nodded again. "I'm ready."
"Okay, 1...2...3!"
"C'mon Jess!" James urged as she pushed.
Sweat ran down her face as she pushed. Her hair was a complete mess and the pain was horrible, but she beared down and stayed strong.
"You can stop now Jessica." the doctor said after a minute. "You're doing better than I'd expected. The next contraction may be the last."
"Thank GOD!" Jessie exclaimed.
James laughed and bent over to kiss her. "You're doing great Jess." he whispered into her ear.
Four hours later, James was about to drop to the floor and fall asleep and he was also very worried. Why was it taking so long? After Jessie's next contraction he spoke to the doctor quietly.
"How come the baby didn't come out yet?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"
The doctor shook his head. "James, this is perfectly normal. Most women don't do this good on their first try. Your wife's doing fine. Nothing to worry about."
"This is it!" the doctor exclaimed as he checked the heart rate monitor. "I want you to push as hard as you can this time, Jessie. 1...2...3!"
Jessie pushed with all her might. This was it and she was gonna give it her all. Seconds later, crying could be heard through the room. Jessie lay back, exhausted, but smiling.
"Jessie..." James whispered, "..we're parents now." He hugged her happily and kissed her hair. "I can't believe it! We're parents!" James exclaimed.
"Congratulations! It's a girl." the doctor informed them. He carefully set a beautiful baby girl, wrapped in blankets, in Jessie's arms. "Nine pounds, three ounces. A very healthy baby."
She looked down at her daughter and smiled. The baby's shining green eyes stared back at her.
"She has your eyes, James," Jessie told him.
He looked at his daughter. Sure enough, her eyes were the same emerald green his were. A beautiful child.
"She may have my eyes, Jessie, but she's beautiful, just like her mother." James said softly. Jessie looked at him and smiled.
"What will you name your child?" the doctor asked the new parents.
"Michele," Jessie told him. "Her name will be Michele."
The doctor nodded as he wrote this down. "Beautiful name." the doctor told them. "We'll leave you alone now." The doctor and nurses left, closing the door behind them.
"James, look what we've brought into this world,"
Jessie looked at him, "Another human being."
A few days later, Jessie and Michele were released from the hospital. The sun was shining and Michele's eyes sparkled. Everything was just fine. That night, Jessie and James were fast asleep when they were awakened by screams. Jessie opened her eyes slowly. Groggily, she got out of bed and went to check on Michele. A few minutes later, she came back and crawled back into bed.
James wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled into him.
"What was wrong?" he asked sleepily.
"Diaper change," she whispered.
Soon they were both fast asleep, but not for long.
Two hours later, they were once again awakened by screaming. James reluctantly got out of bed and went to check on Michele. A few minutes later, Jessie heard him roaming around in the kitchen, looking for a bottle. She smiled to herself. James wasn't the kind of father that made the mother do everything. He was truly a good father.
Soon, she felt the bed shift and two strong arms wrap around her.
"She shouldn't wake up anymore. We can finally get some sleep." James said softly.
Jessie nodded slightly and the two parents fell asleep.
But, James was wrong. They were awakened four more times by their daughter. And each time, one of the sleepy parents would get out of bed and go check on her.
When morning finally came, Jessie and James were totally wiped out. James went to cook breakfast while Jessie slowly dragged herself to Michele's room.
"Jessie! Breakfast's ready!" James called out.
When she didn't come, he went to look for her. He pushed open the door to Michele's room and peered inside. He found Jessie on the floor, fast asleep. He smiled to himself and left her to sleep. He ate breakfast by himself but was fast asleep before he finished.
The weeks went by and every night would be the same. Michele would start wailing in the middle of the night and one of her parents would get up and take care of her. Jessie and James never got enough sleep during the night and would end up falling asleep during the day.
As the weeks turned into months, the nights would get better and better. Michele slept longer now, and so did her parents. Soon, everything was back to normal, or so they thought.
Early one morning, James woke up feeling dizzy and nauseous. It passed after a few seconds and he thought nothing of it. But, every morning he would wake up dizzy. He told Jessie about it one morning.
"James, go see a doctor. I'm worried." Jessie told him.
"I don't need a doctor. I'll be fine," James simply replied.
Jessie was very concerned and she kept on urging him to go see a doctor until he finally gave in. He set the doctor's appointment for that afternoon and Jessie was satisfied.
Jessie sat in the waiting room, waiting for James.
Michele was asleep in her stroller. Jessie looked down at her daughter and smiled. She and James were lucky to have such a beautiful daughter.
She looked down at her watch and sighed. James had gone in two hours ago. What was taking so long?
Finally the doctor came out, a grim expression on his face. Jessie stood up to face him.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked.
"Well," the doctor began, "Your husband has a very serious virus inside of him. This virus takes over the body and slowly weakens it without the victim noticing anything wrong. Doctors call it xeroclomoptia but it is commonly know as 'The Silent Killer'."
Jessie looked at the doctor in shock. "Wh...Why is it called that?" she stammered. She knew what the answer was before the doctor even said it.
"After taking control of the body, the virus will kill the victim." the doctor answered. He lay a comforting hand on Jessie's shoulder.
Jessie felt tears come to her eyes but she held them back. "How long does James have to...to live?" she asked.
"He has a full blown case so I would say he has about..." the doctor's voice dropped to a soft whisper, "...a few days, a week at the most."
The tears did not hold back anymore. They ran down Jessie's face in a flash and she began sobbing uncontrollably. The doctor gave her a comforting hug.
"I'm really terribly sorry," the doctor told her.
James walked into the waiting room and saw Jessie crying her eyes out. His heart broke seeing her cry like that. He didn't want to see her like that. Crying because of him. It wasn't right.
The doctor turned and saw James. "Your husband's here," he told Jessie.
The doctor left and they were alone.
"Jess, let's go home." James said softly, leading
Jessie towards the door with one hand and in the other, he pushed Michele's stroller.
Once at home, Jessie lay the sleeping baby into her crib.
"Jessie?"
She turned and saw James standing in the doorway. She rushed over to him and hugged him tight, not ever wanting to let go of him. They walked into their bedroom and Jessie broke down into tears again. She buried her head in his shoulder as the tears rushed from her eyes.
"Jessie, please don't cry," James begged.
This only made her cry harder.
"James, I can't stop crying. James...I don't want to lose you. I can't stand losing you, James. I can't." Jessie said in between sobs. "I love you so much James and...and you're going to be gone soon. I don't want that to happen James. I wanted to have more children with you. I wanted you with me when Michele first goes to school and when she graduates. I wanted to grow old with you. I wanted to die with you. I wanted to be with you forever James. And that won't happen now. I can't stand living without you James. I just can't..."
"Jessie, I'll always be with you. Even when I'm gone. I'll be watching over you. Remember what I promised on our wedding day? Remember how I said that 'I would always protect you', well I always will. I'll never break that promise, Jessie, I won't." James whispered and kissed her hair.
She looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you James."
The next morning, Jessie woke up to find that she was alone. She got up and found James talking softly to Michele.
"Y'know Michele, you're going to grow up to be a beautiful woman and one day, you'll find the right man. Just like your mom found me. And you'll get married and have a bunch of children and you'll be happy. I just wish I could see you when that happens. I'll miss you when I'm gone Michele, I really will."
James bent over the crib and kissed his daughter on the forehead. "I love you Michele."
He turned and saw Jessie wiping her eyes. He went over to her and hugged her.
"You okay Jess?" he asked.
She nodded and smiled up at him. "I'm fine."
He smiled back. "Good, 'cause I'm gonna take you somewhere today so get ready. And call a babysitter for Michele."
James stopped the car in front of a large lake. With one hand, he grabbed a picnic basket and with the other, he grabbed Jessie's hand.
"C'mon Jessie, let's go!"
He led her into the trees surrounding the lake. After walking for a few minutes, he stopped. Jessie came from behind him and looked in front of her.
"James..." she whispered, "...it's beautiful."
Looking out from that spot, Jessie could see everything. From the looming mountains to the sparkling lake. But the best part was that they were all alone, totally cut off from the rest of the world. She turned and saw that James had already spread out the picnic blanket. He sat watching the view, his mind deep in thought. She sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder.
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
He shrugged. "The view's beautiful, it reminds me of you."
"You're so sweet," she said and kissed his cheek.
"What'd you pack for lunch?"
She went over to the picnic basket and opened it. Instead of finding sandwiches and lemonade, the basket was filled with strawberries. She smiled to herself and turned to face James.
"James? Why are there strawberries in the picnic basket?" she asked.
"Well," he began and walked over to her. "I know you love strawberries so I thought why not just pack that. And..." he reached over her shoulder and pulled out a container of whipped cream, "I got whipped cream too."
He picked up a strawberry and held it up to her mouth.
"Open wide!"
She opened her mouth slightly and he popped it into her mouth. She turned to smile at him, and he planted a kiss on her lips.
"Your turn now," Jessie told him holding a strawberry up to his mouth.
He gladly took it into his mouth.
They spent the rest of the afternoon feeding each other and just enjoying the other's company. A few hours later, James lay on his back with Jessie in his arms. They watched as the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains. The sky turned from a light blue to a combination of reds, oranges, and pinks.
"Isn't it beautiful, James?" Jessie whispered.
He nodded and shifted his body to look at her.
"Jess, I want you to stay strong and take care of everything. Don't spend all your time mourning Jess. I don't want you to spend the rest of your life doing that. Will you do that Jess? Will you stay strong?" he asked looking into her eyes.
She nodded. "I will James."
They lay together on their bed that night. They were far from sleep though.
"Thank you for today. I had fun," Jessie whispered as she snuggled closer to him.
"I had a lotta fun too Jess." James answered and wrapped his arms around her waist.
He leaned closer and kissed her. She kissed him back in return.
They broke apart slowly. James lay back and Jessie lay her head on his chest. His fingers ran through her hair. His body felt weaker and James knew it was time.
"Jessie?"
She lifted her head and looked at him. She could tell from his face what was about to happen. Her father had the same look before he had died. Tears began running down her face as she hugged him tighter.
"Not now James. Please don't say it's now..." she begged.
He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her but it was no use, she kept on crying.
"Jessie, I love you. I always will..." he whispered and drifted off.
"James...don't leave me. Please don't..." she cried into his shoulder. "I love you James. I love you..."
The life in him slowly drifted away until he was completely still. Jessie hugged his still form, hoping it was all a dream but it wasn't. He was gone.