Tre's Angel

Tre woke the next morning and the sun was streaming in onto him while he lay on the bed, a sheet wrapped around him. He turned to face his new wife but she’d gone.

Sitting bolt upright his heart stopped beating for an instant. Where was she?

Then he could smell it, the smell of a wonderful breakfast cooking and he followed the smell all the way downstairs to the kitchen where he crept up on her then changed his mind, he didn’t want to scare her. He wasn’t sure if her heart could take it. He watched her standing there in her robe; she was barefoot with her hair tied up, a few loose strands that still had a slight wave to them where they had been curled up the day before, their wedding day.

He cleared his throat and she turned then smiled at him. He loved her so.

“I knew you’d sniff out the food before I’d finished, sit down its almost ready,” she said placing a steaming mug of coffee in front of him and going back to the stove.

“You’re spoiling me,” he said taking a sip from the coffee.

“I can spoil you can’t I?” she said coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around him. He leant into her and gently planted a kiss on her arm.

“You can spoil me anytime you like Mrs Wright,” said Tre, his mouth still on her arm and his words tickling her. She kissed the top of his head three times then turned and dished up some food then placed a huge plate of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and toast in front of him.

“What are you trying to do, make me fat?” Tre said laughing and reaching over for some salt and pepper.

“I’m working on those love handles of yours,” said Angel.

“These don’t need working on honey, they’re perfection,” said Tre taking a mouthful of bacon, “just like this breakfast is. Perfection.”

She laughed and took a sip from her coffee.

“Are you not having anything?” asked Tre looking at her and raising his eyebrows.

“No, I’ve had some fruit and a yoghurt, I’ve never been a big breakfast eater,” said Angel.

They chatted as Tre ate and Angel got them some more coffee then as he finished she whipped his plate away and washed it at the sink. “If we hurry and get dressed I want to take you for a walk, there’s a cliff top near here that I want to show you. It’s where I go to think about things,” she said.

Tre rubbed his stomach and took a last glug from his coffee mug. “Right, I’ll get a shower, get dressed and you can do what you like with me,” he said.

She smiled at him. She loved him so.

**

Of course they had to make love again before they even left the house, she’d gone upstairs and couldn’t resist him as he was getting out of the shower, droplets of water across his shoulders, his damp hair clinging to the side of his face and looking irresistible.

Lying together, entangled once again into Angel’s sheets Tre checked his watch.

“If you want to show me this special place of yours then we’ll have to hurry, Ron is coming in a couple of hours,” said Tre.

“You’re right, I could quite easily stay here all day but if I don’t show you now then,” but she didn’t really want to say it but she’d started now, “ then you may not get to see where…”

“Where what?” said Tre looking around at her.

“Where I want to go,” she said turning away from him.

“Go?” Queried Tre.

“Yes. Go.” She said her back to him as she dressed.

Then Tre realised what she meant as she fell silent and couldn’t look at him.

“You’re taking me to the place you want to be buried aren’t you?” said Tre quietly.

“Well, kind of. I want to be cremated and then my ashes, well half of them I want buried at this special place and half I want scattered into the sea at sunset,” she said almost matter of factly. “Its in my will.”

“You have a will?” Said Tre. What the fuck was this all about, he didn’t want to talk about this right now, right after they’d married.

“Of course I do but I’ve changed it, I changed it this morning when I woke up.”

“What?” said Tre standing up and pulling his jeans up.

“While you were sleeping I called the family solicitor and had it changed. Everything I own, which isn’t much will become yours.”

“Angel please,” he said as he buckled up his belt.

“This has to be said. I’ve left everything to you and my wishes for my funeral, the songs and everything that I want played are all in it.” She said. She was dressed now and stood there looking at him.

“Not today Angel, please.” Said Tre reaching for a t-shirt.

“I’m sorry, I’ve spoilt everything,” she said turning away again.

“You haven’t, you haven’t spoiled anything but..” said Tre going to her and putting his arms around her, just as she’d done to him earlier.

“Tre it has to be said, but come on, if you don’t hurry up, Ron will be here.” Said Angel turning to face him.

“Can we talk about this again later,” said Tre looking into Angel’s eyes.

“Yes, but I need to tell you what I want, you need to know,” she said.

He didn’t want to know what she wanted at her funeral. He didn’t want to think about it at all.

Ever.

**

It was a beautiful place though thought Tre as Ron drove them back to London. The atmosphere in the car was fairly quiet, each with their own thoughts. Angel was wondering if that would be the last time that she would visit her parent’s house. Would the next time she came here be as ashes in a casket? Tre was thinking about what Angel had said to him earlier and although he didn’t want to think about it he couldn’t help it. It was real, it was going to happen and it had to be faced. Ron was wondering what the other two were thinking, they looked happy enough when he’d picked them up but he was scared for them.

Scrared for what was to come.

**

Everyone was so pleased to see them and they’d secretly planned a small party for that afternoon when the two newlyweds had got back, it was all the crew and Angel’s parents and there was food, alcohol and a little wedding cake with a tiny Angel and Tre on top. It was great and Angel seemed so lively that evening. There was music and they danced together, holding one another close as they moved to the music, two people in their own little world. Everyone was watching them and had mixed emotions, happy one instant because they looked so good and right for each other and the next sadness overcame them all because they didn’t know how long it would be like this.

In their bedroom, Adrienne had sprinkled the bed with rose petals, little white and peach coloured rose petals lay scattered all over the bed and she’d lit a few candles.

“Hey we have love nest,” said Tre as he entered the room, Angel close behind him.

“Its beautiful,” said Angel, “so beautiful.”

“Just like you,” said Tre and he took his Angel in his arms, not wanting to let her go.

**

Ron woke suddenly because he heard banging on his door.

“Ron, Ron, wake up,” he heard Tre calling out to him behind the hotel door

He was up and at the door in an instant

Tre looked dreadful.

“Ron, its Angel,” said Tre tears forming in his eyes, “she’s breathing real weird.”