In an instant, all his plans for the future coalesced one brief second. He breathed out and saw himself crossing the stage at his college graduation. His parents were in the crowd, applauding as his father whooped and hollered, his mother, ever the conservative pulling on his sleeve to quiet him down, but beaming a smile of pride none the less.
He beamed a smile as he was down on one knee, the ring box extended as he asked Stacy, his girlfriend since high school to marry him. Her blue eyes filled with tears as her hands clasped together and covered her mouth. She nodded, speechless, of her consent to his proposal. He saw how blue the sky was and how the sun shone down on her, igniting her blonde hair into a radiant halo of gold.
Golden sunlight splayed into the church from the open doors as he watched Stacy walk down the aisle, her dress trailing behind her, her face covered. She stood next to him as they said their vows. “I do.” followed “I do.” Then the moment he waited for, butterflies filling his stomach, as he bent and kissed his bride and they walked down the aisle to the cheers of friends and family out into the sunlight.
The light dissolved above them and he was in the delivery room, sweat beading on Stacy’s forehead as the doctor coaxed her to push one last time. The grunt as she squeezed his hand so tightly, followed by a sigh, and then the air-filled with the cries of their baby girl. He looked at his wife, then at their daughter, Gwen.
Gwen took her first steps. He applauded as she went to the bathroom. He held her as she lost her first tooth. He taught her how to hold her little baby brother, Jason. He kissed them each goodnight and sat on the couch, holding Stacy’s hand.
He held Stacy’s hand as Jason went in for surgery at the age of 8. Smiled when Gwen said she wouldn’t eat all the ice cream because Jason would need it afterwards. Laughed with his family as they played games and watched as Gwen and Jason turned into little version of Stacy and him.
Stacy and he stood, hooting and hollering as there little girl graduated from high school, he pumped his fist in the air as his son followed three years later. High school blended into college as he continued to stand, cheering for his two kids. Finally he sat down as the cheering came to an end.
He sat, looking at the boy sitting on the couch across from him. The boys lips were moving and he knew those words ever so well. He had said them only a moment ago to Stacy’s dad. He nodded, listened, watched as the boy sat petrified, and smiled.
His smile beamed wider as he looked at his daughter in white. The doors opened and they walked down the aisle. He gave her away and sat next to his wife and son and daughter in law. He breathed deeply.
He exhaled sharply as one of his five grandchildren rushed at him, catching him off guard and knocking the wind out of him. But, who can resist hugs from your grandkids. He hugged them back, each one, in turn, as he sat in his chair and they came up to him.
They came up to him, each one. One by one. He laid on the hospital bed, tubes hooked up to him, Stacy holding his hand as his breathing slowed. He was happy. He was content. He had led a full life. He smiled and as the light grew brighter, he shut his eyes.
He shut his eyes after he saw the semi-truck run the red light. After he saw it barrel across the intersection. After he knew it was too late to do anything. After he lived an entire life he would never live, in an instant.
Filed under: Flash Fiction Tagged: Yeah Write
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