Love In Twenty And Five

DAY THREE AND FOUR

Coughing, Mike clasped his hand over his nose.

"Where are we?" Grace spoke into her sleeves.

Ignoring her, he pushed the door further, and walked into the dark, dusty building.

Eleven months. The sound of his shoes making contact with the wooden floors echoed through the building, as he slowly made his way to the living room. Eleven months since he was in this building. Several emotions clawed for his attention, but Mike ignored them all, the pictures on the stand catching his attention.

"Sarah?" Grace stood behind him, as he ran his fingers over the glass, ridding it of the dust that clung to it, to reveal Sarah's beautiful face. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips on his cheek.

He nodded. "Our first Christmas together."

"She's beautiful."

A smile curved his lips. "She is. Maddie got her looks from Sarah."

"And is this Maddie?" When Mike turned to Grace, she was holding a picture of him and Maddie. He had her on his back, a bright smile on her face as she clung to his neck. The picture had been taken a month before they discovered she was sick with Cancer. At the time, he was working as an electrician.

"Yes. She was three at the time." He took the picture, a smile curving his lips at the memory. "Three going on thirty three,” he laughed.

They dusted off more pictures, until all the frames sat clean on the table. He stared at every one of those pictures, and smiled at the memories they brought. They were happy memories. They were pictures taken in happy times. They were memories he had exchanged for sad ones. He had left them behind, buried in dust, and had walked away with nothing but pain. But he had been wrong to walk away.

"What are you going to do now, Mike?"

He turned to Grace. "Stop running. I'm going to stop running, and I'm going to go crash a wedding."

A broad smile settled on Grace's face. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

~*~

Eden didn't walk into St. John's hospital until Christmas Eve. She was exhausted from putting the final touches to her wedding plans, but wasn't keen on missing the Christmas party. So, ignoring the cramp in her body, she held firmly to the items in her arms, and made her way into the crowded lobby.

She smiled at the sight of so many children having a good time, momentarily forgetting their ailments.

Crossing the room in a highly uncomfortable, tight skirt, she placed the items in her hands under the lavender tree.

"Eden?!"

She turned around to find Frankie behind her, seated in a wheelchair.

She smiled then, thankful Frankie was well enough to come down for the party, considering the fact that she had almost died only a few days ago. For the first time in many months, Eden felt like she was finally getting ahead of death.

"Hey, Sweetie." She smiled.

"Mike says there's another gift with my name on it."

Mike? Eden lifted her head up then, surprised to find Mike clinging to Frankie's wheelchair. He was dressed in a green suit, with a white ribbon tied around his head, forming a bow on top.

He looked ridiculous, she smiled, her heart doing a small flip at the sight of him.

"Yeah. Apparently, Santa couldn't find a boyfriend more handsome than Mike, so he sent him for tonight. Now I'm stuck with Santa's assistant! I guess I'll wish for something better next year?" Frankie rolled her eyes.