‹ Prequel: A Forbidden Love
Sequel: Two Vibrant Hearts ›
Until the End
My Hero
"What's wrong with Dad? Is he okay?" I asked quickly, worry coursing through my veins.
Matt's sad eyes met mine, taking my hand in his. "Dad's more than fine." He took a deep breath, tears trickling down his face.
I shook my head, knowing what he was going to tell me already. "No."
Matt nodded, wiping away his tears. "He's gone, Ellie."
Tears spilled over. "What? No! How? When?" I cried.
Matt pulled me against him, kissing the top of my head. "Mary called. He died from a heart attack this morning."
I pulled out of Matt's arms, standing up. "Babe?" Brian said softly, grabbing my wrist.
I frowned. "I just need to be alone for a moment." He nodded, letting me go.
I headed into the bunks and crawled into mine and Brian's bunk, curling into a ball. The tears silently dripped onto the pillow as my hands rubbed my stomach, memories of my Dad flooding through my mind. From him teaching me how to ride my bike and making all the boo boos go away, to helping me get through my pregnancy and supporting me through the birth of my daughter. He wasn't just my Dad, he was my hero.
---
"She's beautiful, Ellie." Dad smiled. "Looks just like you when you were a baby."
I smiled. "She's not as chunky, though."
Dad chuckled softly. "No, she's a twig. But she has your face." He grinned, sitting beside my bed. I leaned over to see my baby girl, sleeping in her grandfather's arms. "You know, when you were a baby and I held you for the first time. You grabbed a hold of my finger, and squeezed it so tight with all your little strength could give. Your mother always joked that you were trying to break my finger, since you would only do it to me." We laughed softly.
"Maybe I just didn't want to let you go?"
Dad smiled, kissing my forehead. "I'm not going anywhere, honey."
"Better not. Or me and Kaylie will come find you." I teased.
Dad chuckled, looking back at my daughter. "Kaylie. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful baby."
I smiled widely, my heart warming as I looked at my daughter. "My baby girl."
Kaylie opened her eyes, looking in my direction. "Want to hold her?" Dad asked.
I nodded, adjusting myself while Dad handed me Kaylie. I smiled as she rested in my arms, fitting so well in them. "Hi, Kaylie. I'm your Mommy." Kaylie smiled her baby smile.
"She loves you." Dad said softly, lightly touching her cheek.
I pressed my lips to her forehead. "I love her. So much."
"I'm proud of you, kid. You're going to be a wonderful mother, I just know it." Dad kissed my head.
"Thanks, Dad. I hope you're right."
"Kidding me? I'm always right." He chuckled. "I know you'll be a great Mom. You always took care of everything, always giving off a mother-like vibe towards everyone. Guess you're like your Mom through and through, eh?"
"I have my Dad's stubbornness and dimpled smile, though." I smiled up at him.
Dad grinned back. "That you do, kid. That you do."
I glanced back down at Kaylie, her brown eyes closing. "Thanks again, Dad. For being in the room with me. I know you didn't want to be, but I needed someone there."
"It was my pleasure, kid. I'll be there for you no matter what it is or who. I love you, Elena."
"I love you too, Dad." I kissed his cheek.
---
I snuggled up closer to the pillow, the tears falling a lot quicker now. I heard the curtain open then the bed fall as someone crawled in next to me, shutting the curtain before draping their arm over my waist and baby belly. I could tell by the Rev deathbat tattoo on his hand that it was Matt. I rolled over and snuggled into the crook of my brother's neck, needing the sense of comfort from him more than ever.
Matt's sad eyes met mine, taking my hand in his. "Dad's more than fine." He took a deep breath, tears trickling down his face.
I shook my head, knowing what he was going to tell me already. "No."
Matt nodded, wiping away his tears. "He's gone, Ellie."
Tears spilled over. "What? No! How? When?" I cried.
Matt pulled me against him, kissing the top of my head. "Mary called. He died from a heart attack this morning."
I pulled out of Matt's arms, standing up. "Babe?" Brian said softly, grabbing my wrist.
I frowned. "I just need to be alone for a moment." He nodded, letting me go.
I headed into the bunks and crawled into mine and Brian's bunk, curling into a ball. The tears silently dripped onto the pillow as my hands rubbed my stomach, memories of my Dad flooding through my mind. From him teaching me how to ride my bike and making all the boo boos go away, to helping me get through my pregnancy and supporting me through the birth of my daughter. He wasn't just my Dad, he was my hero.
---
"She's beautiful, Ellie." Dad smiled. "Looks just like you when you were a baby."
I smiled. "She's not as chunky, though."
Dad chuckled softly. "No, she's a twig. But she has your face." He grinned, sitting beside my bed. I leaned over to see my baby girl, sleeping in her grandfather's arms. "You know, when you were a baby and I held you for the first time. You grabbed a hold of my finger, and squeezed it so tight with all your little strength could give. Your mother always joked that you were trying to break my finger, since you would only do it to me." We laughed softly.
"Maybe I just didn't want to let you go?"
Dad smiled, kissing my forehead. "I'm not going anywhere, honey."
"Better not. Or me and Kaylie will come find you." I teased.
Dad chuckled, looking back at my daughter. "Kaylie. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful baby."
I smiled widely, my heart warming as I looked at my daughter. "My baby girl."
Kaylie opened her eyes, looking in my direction. "Want to hold her?" Dad asked.
I nodded, adjusting myself while Dad handed me Kaylie. I smiled as she rested in my arms, fitting so well in them. "Hi, Kaylie. I'm your Mommy." Kaylie smiled her baby smile.
"She loves you." Dad said softly, lightly touching her cheek.
I pressed my lips to her forehead. "I love her. So much."
"I'm proud of you, kid. You're going to be a wonderful mother, I just know it." Dad kissed my head.
"Thanks, Dad. I hope you're right."
"Kidding me? I'm always right." He chuckled. "I know you'll be a great Mom. You always took care of everything, always giving off a mother-like vibe towards everyone. Guess you're like your Mom through and through, eh?"
"I have my Dad's stubbornness and dimpled smile, though." I smiled up at him.
Dad grinned back. "That you do, kid. That you do."
I glanced back down at Kaylie, her brown eyes closing. "Thanks again, Dad. For being in the room with me. I know you didn't want to be, but I needed someone there."
"It was my pleasure, kid. I'll be there for you no matter what it is or who. I love you, Elena."
"I love you too, Dad." I kissed his cheek.
---
I snuggled up closer to the pillow, the tears falling a lot quicker now. I heard the curtain open then the bed fall as someone crawled in next to me, shutting the curtain before draping their arm over my waist and baby belly. I could tell by the Rev deathbat tattoo on his hand that it was Matt. I rolled over and snuggled into the crook of my brother's neck, needing the sense of comfort from him more than ever.