Chapter 6

"Yes," Mandy thought, "That had been a fantastic Christmas Present ... for both of them."

Drifting back to reality from her reminiscing, Mandy looked at her fingers resting on Bob's shoulder. She thought how sometimes life changes radically in an instant.

"Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad.

"And every once in a while, changes for the BEST!

"I wonder if I will find another dirty red pickup truck window to tap on to help me through this?"

Then the sorrow and tears that she had been holding back, crept up behind her eyes and tried to push out.

Clamping her eyes shut and rubbing her lover's shoulder with all her might, she captured the torrent within her with the exception of a single tear soon rolling down her cheek.

The tear slid off the edge of her chin, landing on the thickly lacquered mahogany rail that separated her from her lover. It was one of those unknown and unrecognized things that happen, within our ken, yet go unnoticed.

Mandy knew in the depths of her heart that if she dwelt upon the present, the rainstorm brewing behind her closed eyes would flow out. The agony of the present, contrasted with the ecstasy of the past would eventually need to be resolved. Sorrow would eventually win. Tears would flow.

She tried to bring back the strongest and happiest moments with her lover. Her partner in life. The father of the one in her belly. The magnificently wonderful husband of hers. Bob.

But to no avail.

She knew the time was very near and her body would release her sadness. She could feel it coming. Welling up inside of her. As it approached she dreaded the moment.

She had never felt so sad in all of her life.

Never had she felt this helpless. Not even the times she spent with Bob before she trusted he would not just "Throw Her Away."

Another tear seeped from the edge of her eye to trace a path down her face. She could feel the pain of sadness creeping up through her.

Lost in the moment as she gripped Bob's shoulder tightly and steadied herself with her other hand on that mahogany railing, Mandy didn't hear the soft sound of a door opening and then latching quietly behind her. Footsteps approaching her were silent.

With a huge gasp and a cry of sorrowful pain, Mandy could no longer hold back her sorrow and the tears flowed freely down her face. The only thing she had ever wanted, the best thing that had ever happened to her, The Love Of Her Life ... was lost.

Who was going to be there when their child was born? Mandy doubled over sobbing, unable to contain herself any longer.

Doubling over the railing, she pressed her face against her love, Bob, as he lay in his final resting place, his white satin lined coffin.

Tears flew from her eyes and sobs bellowed from her mouth. "Oh, Bob. I love you so much," she sobbed into him.

"I wanted you never to leave me.

"I need you so badly.

"What am I going to do?"

The tears and the sobs continued and then she felt a compassionate hand on her shoulder. Instinctively turning to the unknown figure next to her, she buried her face in their shoulder and continued her wail of sorrow.