My LOVE is Forever (Book 4-1st Alternate Ending)

Part 25

With some tears, hugs and promises to keep in touch, the little gathering disperses, leaving Tyka and I to wander the area around her home. The the plants, flowers and shrubs I had helped her with are doing beautifully. "I can't believe I haven't killed them," she laughs that nervous laugh. "They actually look better this year," she says as she looks around, then back at me.

"I know, I'm stalling," I say softly.

"I don't mind at all, I miss seeing you around," she admits before producing the house key from her pocket, placing it in my hand before she folds her hands around mine.

I don't trust myself to speak, so I nod as I fight back tears. The emotions from that awful day where I emptied the house of most of my belongings and how I left, come flooding back. Tyka sees my internal struggle, "Dana, remember, he made it right. You know he had his reasons for the divorce, but it wasn't because he didn't love you."

"I know, but it still hurts," I admit, squeezing the key in my fist so tightly it threatens to cut into the flesh of my palm.

She nods, releasing my hand from hers, she folds hers in front of herself, another shared Prince mannerism. "Take your time, the house and everything enclosed belongs to you, if you want it." I shake my head, but she urges gently in a whisper, "Take your time, think it through." She raises her eyebrows in a silent question that I understand what she's saying, just like Prince used to do. When I nod, I'm pulled back in for a tight hug. She whispers in my ear, "If you need me, or anything, just call."

When she releases me, she places her hands on my shoulders, essentially turning me in an attempt push me to deal with the situation I've come to face, our home. I feel disconnected from reality as I walk down the walkway to my car. I look up to see her watching me from her front step as I reach the drivers door, she waves with a smile before she enters her home, which was their childhood home. You can't argue that Prince or Tyka are not sentimental, I think to myself, as I put the car into gear.

In a very short time I am pulling into our driveway and I'm forced to take some deep breaths. I never wanted this house, I think as I step from the car, as beautiful as it is, it's just so much. I shake my head as I approach the front door, we hardly ever used this entrance, but I remember our first day here in Minnesota after he had given me the key, I have the same butterflies in my stomach. When I open the door, the warning beeps for the alarm begin to sound and I automatically punch in the code: 6-7-8-7, our birth dates. The warning stops with the disarmed beep, I close the door, and with another deep breath, turn to scan our foyer.

Everything is untouched and as I left it, the only thing missing are the purple calla lilies I took with me from the long table in the entryway, they're now in my living room in Tennessee and still thriving. I go into the kitchen, everything is spotless as it normally is after the cleaning women have been through. The pen that I had left sitting in the middle of the counter after signing the divorce papers is now back in the pen holder by the phone. I scan the pantry and refrigerator, they are completely empty and clean.

The living room looks like it always did, the throw pillows fluffed and in their proper locations since we hadn't been using them. The throw blankets folded and strategically placed throughout the room, waiting for television time. I take notice of all of this as I make my way through and out the back doors into the garden. I drop my head, this hurts the worst. It's not that the garden is showing any signs of neglect, it actually looks really good for little to no maintenance since the end of March. The part that hurts the most is this was something that Prince wanted me to give him, and here it remains, without him to enjoy it, just like the child I am carrying.

His words from that first day come back as a whisper in my mind, "Could you make this area beautiful?" So real that I can almost feel his arms snake around my waist. I look at the patio beneath my feet and say, "I promised you, and I did. Prince, I was willing to give you anything you asked for." My hand comes up to my stomach to prove my point, "All I ever asked of you was for you to share with me."

I turn and leave the yard, I can't do this today, my head is pounding from fighting back all the tears and yet I'm still failing. I make my way upstairs to our bedroom and wet a washcloth to place on my forehead before laying down on our bed. "I should have never come back," I whisper out loud, before I succumb to another bout of tears, and finally giving in to my exhaustion.

*******

"Sugar?" I open my eyes to Prince sitting on the edge of the bed, "Are you alright?" His face is full of concern as he strokes my cheek.

I eye him warily, "No, I am so not alright."

He looks sad as he turns his face away from me and looks downward at the floor, "I'm sorry," the whisper is barely audible. "I didn't want any of this for you. I only wanted to make you happy."

"You did make me happy, it's just," I hesitate, "it just ended to soon."

He nods, "It wasn't how I planned it, Sugar. We were supposed to grow old together."

"I know," I sit up on the bed and snuggle tight against him. "I don't want to be here without you."

He turns with a shocked look of surprise, "You have to, our baby depends on it."

"I know, and I will, I just don't want to."

He sighs, "We all do things we don't want to out of love."

I'm well aware I'm dreaming, but even in dreams, Prince's words seem to have many possible meanings. I take a deep inhale, and he chuckles softly when I say, "I can still smell you."

He smiles sadly, before he says, "You can do this, Sugar. You haven't disappointed me yet, you're stronger than you think." A kiss gets placed on my forehead and he is gone.