Page 52 of Shattered Love

We pull up to the church.

“I’ve never seen so many people,” Mac whispers.

So many people loved my beautiful. She touched so many lives. It was impossible not to love her.

As we get out of the car, I move away from the crowds.

A little boy comes up to me, his bottom lip trembling. “Miss, miss, Stone, Miss Stone, was my, was my teacher.” Tears run down his face. “Mama, mama, said she's, she said she went…to heaven. That it’s really far.” He sniffles. wiping his nose on his jumper “I’m, I am going, going, I'm going to miss her.” His bottom lip trembling.

I kneel down. “Reese?”

He nods his head.

I knew it was him when he started speaking. My girl had told me all about him. “Miss Stone was very proud of you.”

A fresh wave of tears fall from his eyes as he runs into my body.

“Oh, I’m sorry. My son was a student of Avery’s. He's taking it harder than I thought he would.” She apologizes softly.

I lift my head up and the woman takes a step back.

“Oh God. You’re Dominic, Avery’s husband.”

I nod as her eyes tear up.

“I know you know this already, but your wife was very special.”

I nod, unable to say any more. I walk into the church. I stumble when I see the coffin and the photos of my beautiful girl smiling. Those eyes.

Cecelia stands up. She looks nothing like the woman we have come to know. Her hair lies limp, her eyes haunted. She sucks in a breath and tears streak her face.

Molly runs up beside her, and grabs her hand as Cecelia starts singing a slow version of. “In the Arms of an Angel”.

Clenching my teeth together as I hang my head. Blocking out the sound of the painful cries that echo from the walls, I wait for the pain to come and take me under, but it doesn’t. Neither do the tears. I don't feel anything. That's the moment I feel the new me die right alongside my heart.

“Avery was the spotlight. When she walked into a room, you couldn't help but be blinded by not just her beauty, but her heart. She loved so freely, but she didn't love anyone like she loved her husband and daughter, Juliet. That little girl may never meet her mama, but I promise you, Avery…I promise you that I will let her know how special her mama was. I will never forget you, Avery.” Cecelia’s lips tremble the whole way through. Molly holding her hand.

I hear a baby cry and I physically flinch at the sound. I have never heard her cry, but I know it’s our daughter, our Juliet. I can’t take it anymore and stand up. “Son.”

I clench my hands together, spinning around as a low growl escapes. “I’m not your son.”

Derekswallows before taking a step toward me with his hands up in surrender, as if he’s approaching a wild animal. “You’re family, Dominic. Avery would want us together.”

I shake my head, looking at the coffin where my wife, my girl lives. “I can’t watch as they bury her. I can’t say goodbye. It was meant to be me. That bullet was meant for me. It should be me in that box, not her…God, not her, never her…” I grab my hair, pulling at it.

Sharon steps forward next to her husband. “Juliet needs you.”

At the sound of her name, I look up, seeing the small bundle in Sharon’s arms. As if someone else is controlling me, I take the first look at my daughter. Sucking in a sharp breath, I take a step closer. She looks so much like Avery. Her eyes open, looking at me just like Avery did, with such innocence. But I’m there, too. Juliet is part of us.

She reaches out, as if knowing who I am, grabbing my finger. Her grip is tight. We had so many plans and dreams, but they were all shattered. He did not just kill Avery, he killed our dream, our promises, and shattered our love.

I lean in and kiss her head. “We love you so much, Juliet, our beautiful baby girl.” I stand back, taking one last look at my daughter’s face.

“Stone.”

I glare at Carter, my hands go to his, who are linked with Molly’s. I look back up daring him to say something.

“What about Juliet? You can’t just walk away.”

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