| "Tyler, come on baby! You can do it!" Missi said as she clapped her hands together and then again put out her arms. "Come to Mommy sweetheart! Come on hunny!" She encouraged in that sweet motherly voice. Tyler looked up at her with those big blue eyes and that gorgeous smile and began to walk to her, finally, he made it! "OH MY GOD! JUSTIN! HE DID IT!" She screamed at Justin who she thought was in the other room. "I know I saw it! Good boy Tyler!" Justin began to clap and got down beside Missi. He came in to kiss the baby's cheek and began to tickle him. The cute laughter filled the entire room. Missi held the laughing tolder, watching Justin as he continued to tickle him... it was things like this she would miss the most... "Justin, I have to talk to you." She said seriously and he knew something was wrong. He laid Tyler back in the play pen with his nine month younger sister. His smile faded, "What is it?" He inquisited. "I'm dying, Justin..." She said emotionless, she looked down, not wanted to face his eyes. "What?" He couldn't believe it... it just wasn't possible. "The cancer I had as a child... it came back. They didn't catch it in time... I have like, six months." Justin couldn't possibly hold back the tears that were welling in his eyes, he couldn't live without her... he just couldn't. "But... they need a mother, Missi... please don't leave me." He pleaded even though he knew there was nothing she could do. "I'm so sorry to do this to you Justin..." The tears welled in his eyes and he debated whether or not to continue to tell them the story."You sure you want to hear this again?" Justin asked. "YES! It's our favorite story!" The yelled excitedly. Justin could never understand why such a heart breaking story could be their favorite... and he nearly resented them for it. "So anyway, it broke my heart. Your mother loved you guys so much..." "Calli, you're so beautiful! You're my baby girl. You can do anything you want and don't let ANYONE tell you differently. You're daddy will watch out for you, I promise." She said as she gave the little girl a kiss. She had her blonde curls put up with a blue scrunchie that matched her frilly dress that Justin had picked out. He stood in the doorway, watching the way her long blonde hair glistened in the sunshine let in by the open shades. The way her eyes lit up whenever she held one of her children... she never regretted a moment of her life... even though Justin did. He wanted her to have so much more than what she did...she deserved better than him, especially now. But she wouldn't even speak to him when he talked like that. It was ritchual, every night before bed and at least once a day she said her goodbyes. She never knew when her last moment would be now, Tyler was two now, and was learning how to say all his words correctly and Calli was just learning how to walk... she was fifteen months old. Justin could hardly breathe whenever he thought of all the precious moments she would miss. "Doesn't it bother you?" He asked as she climbed into bed. "What?" She asked, confused. "That your going to miss everything... with them...?" "Justin, stop being negative, I love you and I love my children and I don't want to miss what I have NOW. God does everything for a reason, you'll live baby, I promise." That night she slept with her children in between them, Justin had givin her his usual goodnight kiss and finally they all drifted off to sleep. "Mommy?" Tyler asked as he continued shaking Missi. "Mommy, it time to wakes up..." Calli started as she gave her kisses."She cold Tyler! Bwanket!" "No, no, Calli... BWAN.. BWAN... UH! BL-AN-KET! Yeah! Bwanket! UH!" Tyler tried to help his sister but only ended in frustration. "Mommy!" Tyler shoke her some more, "Mommy, it isn't nice to not listen to me, wake up." Tyler began to whine as his confused eyes turned to Justin, who was now awake with tears in his eyes. "Did Mommy go bye-bye like she said she was gonna?" He asked innocently. "Tyler, go play with your toys in the other room with Calli, okay?" "Alright Daddy." He said as he took Calli's hand and left the room. "Missi...? Missi!" Justin screamed as he shook her violently. "Wake up damn it! You can't leave me now! You can't make me deal with this! I don't want to tell them! Missi, please get up!" He pleaded but he cold feel the coldness of death no matter how much he tried to deny it. He just sat there in the bed, huddled beside her... for hours... She wasn't dead she just couldn't be dead... "Daddy... what's wrong? You can tell me... I'm your big boy, 'member?" Tyler looked up at him, again, with those big blue eyes. "She went bye-bye didn't she?" he kept asking the same questions but wouldn't get an answer. "Yeah... Mommy went bye-bye." Justin finally answered. All night long he held those beautiful babies in his arms, the way she had every night... and they cried together... there was nothing more that he could figure to do, but cry... "I remember Mommy always talked really sweet, she was a really nice person." Tyler said with a smile. "I... I can't really remember her..." Calli said with tears brimming those sweet brown eyes. "Well, she loved you Calli, she loved all of us... a lot. She told you all the time too!" Tyler said with that same gorgeous smile as before. "Come on guys, it's time to go... tell Mommy you love her." Justin said as he stood up. "Bye Mommy! We love you! Happy birthday!" Both children kissed the rough grave stone and they walked away to the car. "I love you Missi... I think about you all the time baby, and I'll never forget you." Six shoes... walked into and out of the same cemetary twice that day, Six shoes... and maybe it should've been eight, maybe they shouldn't of been there at all... Maybe the story shouldn't have been told at all... but then again, it takes a story to carry a memory. |
| Part 3 |