Barely Breathing

by Ancelli

  “Please take…care of… Amber and…Cara…” She began coughing.

  “Don’t you dare say goodbye.”

  Sophia gazed at him, her eyes barely open, tears rolling down her cheeks. She raised her hand to his face. “I…love…you…” She choked, coughing up blood.

  He couldn’t even talk. It was as though he was losing a part of himself. “Baby…I love you…” he cried. “Hold on. Help is on the way.” He gazed into her pain-filled eyes as they started closing. “Don’t you dare die on me, after everything we’ve been through.” Her arm fell to the floor, and she took a rattling breath.

  “No!” John yelled, and then started performing CPR. “Don’t you dare leave me!” he screamed. “I can’t breathe without you.” He continued compressions and added mouth-to-mouth. “Ashley, don’t leave me.”

  The paramedics rushed into the room, and had to remove him.

  “Don’t you let her die. She’s my life!” he yelled, crying.

  “Sir, are you hurt?” One of the paramedics asked, looking at his bloody torso and shorts.

  “No,” he answered, shaking, as he watched them give her oxygen. “It’s her blood.” John looked over and saw them helping Marcus. “Let him fucking die!” He rushed over to stop them, but was detained.

  “Sir, calm down.”

  “Calm down? My wife is dying because of him.” He observed them putting Sophia on a gurney, with the mask secured over her face. He could breathe a little bit better, now that they’d gotten her to breath again.

  Jerome walked in, showing his badge, and marched over to John. “Your wife?”

  John broke down in his friend’s arms.

  He was covered in Sophia’s blood. The paramedics were moving her out of the condo. “I’m coming with her.”

  “Sir, you can’t come with us.”

  And then a paramedic came out of the back room, holding his little girl in his arms. “Sir, the baby.”

  “Oh God, Amber.” He took the baby out of his arms. “It’s okay, honey, Daddy’s is here.”

  “I’ll ride with Sophia,” Jerome said, following the paramedics.

  “Don’t you let her die,” John yelled at Jerome, and picked up his keys.

  Epilogue

  Pastor Thomas ended the service by reading Psalms Twenty-three.

  John sat in one of the front pew at Mercy Baptist church, staring at a picture of Sophia smiling. Amber was asleep in his arms, and Johnny and Cara were seated on each side of him.

  He couldn’t believe he was sitting at his wife’s memorial service. After everything they’d gone through it had ended like this.

  Sophia had died on the way to the hospital.

  Vickie and Olivia sat next to them “John.”

  “I’m okay. Please leave us alone,” he said, not even brothering to look at her.

  “If you need anything, please let me know.” Olivia hugged him. “I love you.”

  She stood and left.

  Vickie stayed and held his hand. “It’s time to go.”

  “I said leave me alone.”

  She kissed his hand, and stood. She shook her head when she saw Jason and Kay approaching him.

  Angel, Kay’s little girl, took Cara’s and Johnny’s hands in each of hers. “Come on, it’s time to go.” They kids got up and followed her out of the church.

  Kay bent down to take Amber, and he shot daggers at her. “Don’t touch her.”

  “John, the church is about to close.” He didn’t answer. “Is it okay for us to take Johnny home?”

  “Yes,” he answered, never taking his eyes off her picture.

  “John, I loved her too,” Kay said, crying. “I miss her, but you can’t do this alone.” She got up and kissed his cheek. “I’ll take Johnny to his mom, and Mr. and Mrs. Delgado are taking Cara back to Puerto Rico.”

  He nodded.

  Jason sat next to him. “I’m not going to tell you all those statements everyone is saying to you, because I know it won’t make you feel better. I just want you to know I’m here for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “She loved you.”

  “She was my second chance. She gave me so much.” He wiped a falling tear. “She saved my life with hers.”

  John stayed in the church, with Amber in his arms, until the last person left, and finally broke down in tears for the lost of his best friend, lover and soul mate.

  ***

  John was in his office, staring at a picture of Sophia and him on their wedding day, like he’d done ever since she died. Two months had passed, and he still couldn’t get over it. He’d relived that tragic event over and over. His life was totally incomplete without her.

  He spoke to himself. “I know I promised you that I wouldn’t, but I need to know.” He looked at her picture one last time.

  He picked up an envelope from the laboratory. He’d had the results for a while, but never opened it. He slit it with a mail opener, pulled it out and began reading. The paternity test results were 99.98%. He finally finished reading, folded the page, and placed it back into the envelope. He then turned his focus to a picture of his kids.

  His cell phone rang. He looked at the number and answered. “Nancy is everything okay?”

  “John, you need to come as soon as possible and bring the baby with you.”

  He powered down his computer, picked up his briefcase, and left his office. “I’m on my way.” He closed his cell, and turned to Helena. “Cancel all my meetings.”

  “But John, you have a client in a few minutes,” she said, looking up from her keyboard.

  “Call Jason.” He rushed to the elevator and picked up Amber from the daycare in the lobby.

  ***

  Three hours later, John parked in the cabin’s driveway, took his baby girl from her car seat, and raced into the cottage.

  “Nancy!” he yelled.

  “John.” She smiled.

  “Has there been a change?” He handed the baby to the nurse.

  “Go see yourself.”

  John took a deep breath, marched into the master bedroom, and gazed at her. Even asleep, she was beautiful. She was finally off the ventilator; that was a good sign that she was breathing on her own. He sat next to her, took her hand in his, and kissed her knuckles.

  After two months her eyes finally fluttered open.

  His heart stopped. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, staring at her red-rimmed eyes. “Welcome back, Mrs. Morgan.”

  He’d waited for this moment since Jerome told him the truth. Sophia was touch and go in the ambulance, and that’s when Jerome made the split-second decision to tell everyone that she had died. He had to lie to save her life, Marcus was still alive and the cops didn’t know if he still had people out in the street that might try to finish the job.

  After the memorial service Jerome waited for John outside and finally told him the truth. He’d had to let everyone believe she was dead. Jerome took him to the hospital where she’d been admitted under a different name and John remembered how his breathing finally returned to normal, he was complete again. He was overjoyed when he saw her smile, but soon after she fell into a deep comma.

  He obtained everything that the live in nurse would need for Sophia’s treatment and care at the cabin and moved her.

  She smiled. “Jo…hn…” slowly lifted her hands to his face. “I…love…you…”

  “You don’t know how much I adore you.” He caressed her hand with his thumb. “I love you more.”

  “Am…ber, Ca…ra.”

  “Cara’s with your parents,” he got up and gently took Amber from Nancy’s arms.

  “John, I hope it’s okay, I filled her in on almost everything,” Nancy grinned.

  John smiled understanding the hint. “It’s okay Nancy, you’ve been heaven sent.”

  She excused herself from the room.

  Sophia’s eyes filled with tears, looking at their baby. “She’s… so… big.”

  “Ma..ma…” Amber chanted.

&
nbsp; “Two…months…” her hands shook as he took Amber’s hand in hers.

  “Yes… two long months,” he gently caressed the side of her face. “I’ve longed to hear your voice, and see your amazing eyes.” his tone cracked.

  “I told you… I wouldn’t leave you,” her voice was raspy.

  A tear rolled down his cheek. “God blessed us with another miracle.” He took her hand and placed it on her stomach.

  Her eyes got wide in surprise, and rubbed her small round belly underneath his hand.

  He smiled. “You’re four months pregnant.”

  “How?” She slowly asked.

  “The old fashioned way.” His chuckle was soft.

  “I…was…preg…nant.”

  “Yes.”

  “Is…baby okay?” She asked as her heartbeat raced on the machine.

  “Calm down,” he clutched her hand tenderly. “The baby’s okay.”

  “Mar…cus.”

  “He died in the hospital.”

  She closed her eyes. “Final…ly over.”

  “Yes, it’s finally over. We can finally be happy without looking over our shoulders.” He sat Amber in the bed next to her and she kissed her mom’s cheek.

  Their little girl placed her hands over her face and took them off. “Peek a boo…”

  Sophia finished. “I…see…you…”

  The End

  Thank you for reading

  Ancelli’s Books:

  My Best Friend

  Stronger Than Ever

  If Only We Knew

  Forgiveness & Second Chances

  Love In Strange Places

  About the Author

  ***

  I married my best friend, the love of my life. On my spare time, I love scribbling and making my words come to life. I love writing romance stories about couples that go through trials and come out stronger. Love is never easy, but it's worth all the hard work. I would like to hear your opinion whether good or bad, you can leave your comments at:

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Interracial-Romance/423055121069489

  or

  ancelli55@live.com