Page 1 of Boss of Attraction
1
Sean
Five YearsAgo
“This is it, isn’t it?”I asked, barely able to push the words past my lips.
Julie squeezed my shoulder, a look of sympathy on her face. “We can’t say for sure, but the signs are there.”
Closing my eyes, I prayed for the strength I would need to continue on without the woman who had held my heart for nearly twenty-five years. And I prayed that I would be strong enough to help our son and daughter deal with their grief. It was the moment I’d been dreading since the doctors had explained there was nothing else for them to do to treat Melinda’s aggressive breast cancer, and she chose to spend the time she still had at home with her family. That was six weeks ago, and it appeared my wife was ready to find some peace.
It had been four years since Melinda had received her initial diagnosis and begun to fight bravely, while undergoing chemotherapy and surgeries to try to beat the disease. Three years ago, our family had celebrated when she was told she was cancer-free, only for it to return with a vengeance. She had endured so much during her courageous battle, and after many sleepless nights and tearful conversations, during which she had shared her final wishes, I knew she was ready to let go.
“I need to call my kids.” I reached for the phone in my pocket.
“If you want, I can do that for you,” Julie offered.
Pressing on my son’s contact, I shook my head. “No, they should hear from me. Can you sit with Melinda until I’m done?”
Julie nodded. “Of course.”
She entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her, while I leaned against the wall in the hallway and lifted the phone to my ear. It only rang twice before the call connected.
“Dad?” he answered. I could hear the tremble in his voice.
It was the same way Ryan answered the phone every time I called since his mom had gotten sick again, like he was waiting for the worst to happen. Unfortunately, it appeared that time had come.
“Hi, Son. You should head over here as soon as you can.”
I heard him let out a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”
As soon as we hung up, I made the same call to my daughter, Morgan.
“Hi, Dad.” Her voice was just as apprehensive as her brother’s had been.
“Hey, sweetheart.” I closed my eyes, fighting back the tears. “You need to come home.”
A muffled sob came across the line. “I’m on my way.”
While waiting for my son and daughter to arrive, I returned to Melinda’s bedside. Julie excused herself so I could have some privacy with my wife, and I took a seat to be close to her and hold her hand. The only source of light was a lamp in the corner, which cast a faint yellow glow throughout the room. Soft music from a playlist I’d made played from a small speaker on the bedside table. As one song ended and another began, I recognized it immediately. The opening notes of “Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden had tears filling my eyes as the memories of us dancing to it on our wedding day came flooding back.
The two of us had met during our third year of college at a party at her sorority house when we were only twenty-one-years old. The moment I saw her, I was struck by her beautiful smile and how she laughed like she didn’t have a care in the world. After I found the courage to approach her, we spent the entire night talking. I remembered her sweet laugh and how she captured my heart immediately. From that moment on, we were inseparable.
It didn’t take long for me to know she was the one, but we both agreed to wait until after I completed school to take the next step in our relationship. Despite our best intentions, fate had other plans, and we found out Melinda was pregnant with Ryan during my first year of law school. We decided to get married right away, and while it may have been sooner than either of us planned, we never regretted the way things turned out.
While listening to the music, I watched her breathing change, and each shallow breath served as a reminder that our time together was ending.
Stroking the back of her hand with my thumb, I whispered. “Honey, our kids will be here soon.”
She didn’t squeeze my hand or give any sort of sign that she heard me, but I held onto the hope that while she wasn’t able to communicate, she knew I was there with her.
I had lost track of time when a small knock on the door startled me. Slowly, it pushed open, and I watched Ryan and Morgan walk in. A look of fear and vulnerability was etched on both of their faces. While they were adults, it was difficult not to see them as little kids in that moment as they approached the bed. I knew they feared losing their mother, and my heart ached for them. For all of us.
Ryan reached forward, taking Melinda’s other hand in his own. “Hey, Mom,” he choked out, his voice trembling. “It’s me, Ryan.”
Morgan stepped next to her brother, her eyes welling up with tears. “Hi, Mom,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “It’s Morgan.”
The three of us watched as the woman who was our entire world lay there peacefully with her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. She looked so fragile and delicate, and I hated how I couldn’t do anything to heal her.
