The Webs We Weave

Ember was beautiful when she walked down the aisle. Her billowing black hair and ivory colored skin was perfect. Her dress was black, she had grown up in the true rockstar fashions, as did Katie, who had given birth last week to a healthy and beautiful baby boy, Ronnie Maxwell Radke. She was so in love with her father and uncle that it was surreal. Max had died last year, in fact we were all pretty much dwindiling away in the numbers. Oliver and Curtis were both gone, as was Shauna and monte. As a matter of fact, only Ronnie, Myself, and Jen and Nicky remained.

"Ronnie, I am getting tired." I whispered over the music to him at the reception. "I know hunny, just hang out for a few more years and then we can go together." I lightly punched him in the arm and he groaned. "Do not talk like that Radke." "I could say the same to you Mrs. Radke." I laughed tenderly and looked away, a lone tear escaping. Tonight would be the night, I knew it, everyone knew it but Ronnie it seemed. Cancer was my disease, and I was losing my war.

It made sense really, my mother died from cancer before fifty, my father did the same, and then Rider went from cancer at age fourty. Logically it made sense it would take me too. "Ronnie?" He looked at me and I smiled. "I love you, you know that right?" He nodded and turned his attention back to Ember and Reece. Reece was a good man. Not exactly who I pictured as Embers perfect match, with his polo shirts and flip flops, but he made her happy and that was all that mattered. "Ronnie, I think we need to talk." My voice was growing weaker, and I knew it was only a matter of hours. "Okay, let me tell Ember." He stood and walked to the bride who turned to me with glassy eyes. I nodded at her and she began to cry and rushed over. "I love you mommy." "I love you too." Katie rushed over immediately after and I groaned, this was becoming a scene. "I love you Katie, take care of my grandbaby, and your sister." "Okay momma, I love you."

I clammered into the car and rested my head against the rest, my eyes felt tired and I was fighting for a little longer. "Ronnie, I need you to take me somewhere." "Anywhere baby." "Take me back to where life began to make sense." He smiled and laughed and pulled out of the parking lot and hit the gas. He knew exactly where to take me, and it seemed like we were there in no time.

The iron gate to the park was rusted and gross looking, but Ronnie pushed it open anyway. "This is where we got married." I said as if refreshing a memory. "Yeah, but Clover, why are we here?" "Ronnie, I cannot fight anymore. I have been fighting all of my life, and it is time to stop. I wouldnt want to go with anyone else, anywhere else than with you right here, and now." I was crying now and I looked up at him, he was crying harder than I had ever seen in my life. "Okay. Okay Clover, it is okay." I nodded and we laid down under the old and knotted oak tree where we had been married."I love you so much." He nodded and kissed me on the forehead. "Relax Ronnie, it is just like a nap."

I closed my eyes and I felt myself being lifted. The last thing I managed to hear before I went was Ronnie, speaking softly in my ear. "Yeah baby, it is only a nap, I will see you when you wake up. I love you."