AJ closed the door after locking it, “Really,” AJ asked as he hit the alarm button on his keys.
“Yes.” She said as he put her down to walk, but holding her hand tightly.
“What did she say to you?” he asked thinking she wasn’t serious.
She stopped and looked up at AJ, “Mommy said she loves you, and not to worry everything will be O.K.”
AJ stood there speechless, “Are you sure?”
“Daddy, she was.”
“Did she say anything else?” he asked as he knelt down to her.
“She’s watching over us. She’s guarding us,” she stopped, “From everything.”
AJ did believe her, and was emotionally struck.
He hugged her tightly; “I love you Brittany. Let’s go get Grandma.”
They got to the gate, and waited for Linda to arrive.
“Well where is she?” Brittany asked as she impatiently waited to see her Grandma.
“She’ll come right though there.” AJ said pointing towards the terminal.
They sat there in silence for a minute when AJ got a little curious.
“Sweetie, what was Mommy wearing when she talked to you?” he looked at her as she sat next to him in the plastic chairs.
“The clothes she had on when she went out with Aunt Kristin. The black pants, and yellow shirt.” Brittany answered.
“Was her hair curled?” AJ asked, knowing it should be because that’s how it was when she left the house.
“Yes, it was. She looked like Mommy. Very pretty.” AJ looked up and saw his mother-n-law walking towards them.
“Grandma.” Brittany yelled as she hugged her in excitement.
“Hey Britt, how are you?” Linda asked as she kneeled down to her.
“I’m O.K., Daddy’s not though.” Brittany answered whispering the last part in her ear.
Linda let go of her granddaughter and went to hug her son-n-law.
“How are you holding up?” she asked.
“As good as I can.” He answered. They went to get her bags, and headed back to AJ’s expedition.
“Why don’t you just stay at the house with us?” AJ asked still not understanding why she couldn’t stay there.
“Please!” Brittany pleaded.
Linda sighed, “O.K.” They went back to the house, and settled Linda into the spare bedroom.
“Honey, tomorrow is a big day. You have to go to sleep.” AJ said as walked to the loft where Brittany had her toys.
“What’s tomorrow?”
“It’s when we get to say good-bye to Mommy one more time.” He answered not knowing how he was going to handle it tomorrow.
“I guess I do need sleep. I want to tell Mommy I love her,” Brittany answered as she put away her toys.
AJ stood there not believing he heard this coming from a four-year-old. She walked towards her bedroom, “Aren’t you going to tuck me in?” she asked.
“Of course.” AJ answered following her into her bedroom.
Brittany crawled up onto her bed, and got under the blankets. AJ handed her, her teddy bear.
He pulled the blankets around her, “I love you.” He whispered as he kissed her forehead.
He started towards the door, “Daddy, remember Mommy is watching.”
AJ nodded his head, “I know.” He said softly and left the room.
He walked back down the stairs in by Linda.
“How is she taking this?” Linda asked about her granddaughter.
“You’re not going to believe what she told me earlier, when we went to pick you up.”
The phone rang.
“Hello,” AJ said answering it.
“Hi,” it was Kristin; “I have something for you. Is it okay if I bring it over?”
“Sure,” AJ answered.
“O.K., I’m on my way.”
He hung up the phone, and told Linda Kristin was on her way over.
“So, what did Brittany tell you when you came to get me?” Linda asked.
“I’ll tell you when Kristin gets here, because she needs to know, too.” He said.
Kristin and Kevin knocked on the door.
When they came inside Kristin had a large white envelope in her hand. They all sat in the living room.
“So what do you have for me?” AJ asked.
Kristin looked down at the envelope.
“Roxanne and I went out that day to get our yearly pictures taken. We always did that, and were always dressed the same, but different colors.” She said, “Here.” She handed him the envelope.
Slowly AJ opened it, carefully taking the pictures out.
He gazed down at his wife, looking so happy with her beautiful smile and her glistening eyes.
“Kristin, can I use this?” he asked as he looked up from the picture.
“There yours. Go ahead, but for what?”
“The ceremony.” He answered as he looked back down at it. “You guys just look so happy. Who knew all the happiness would come to an end so fast.” He said tearing up again.
“AJ, what were you going to tell me?” Linda asked, “You said Kristin needed to hear also”
“Oh yeah.” AJ said, “You’ll never guess what Brittany said.”
“What?” they all asked in unison.
AJ went on to tell the story of what she had said:
“Daddy,” she said as she opened her eyes to see her dad unbuckling her seat belt, “Mommy was here.”
AJ felt his heart drop, “Mommy couldn’t have been here.” He said going to pick her up.
“I heard her. She was here.” Brittany said clinging onto him, “She talked to me.”
AJ closed the door after locking it, “Really,” AJ asked as he hit the alarm button on his keys.
“Yes.” She said as he put her down to walk, but holding her hand tightly.
“What did she say to you?” he asked thinking she wasn’t serious.
She stopped and looked up at AJ, “Mommy said she loves you, and not to worry everything will be O.K.”
AJ stood there speechless, “Are you sure?”
“Daddy, she was.”
“Did she say anything else?” he asked as he knelt down to her.
“She’s watching over us. She’s guarding us,” she stopped, “From everything.”
“She actually said that?” Kevin asked.
“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it. I mean when I woke her up she told me that. I thought she was dreaming, but she told me again just a little while a go.” He answered.
“Maybe, Roxanne is here to tell Brittany the things that she thought were unsettled.” Kristin added. “I don’t know. I was just so shocked that she told me Roxanne was here, and the things she said to her.” AJ added.
“Do you think Roxanne is now yours and Brittany’s guardian angel?” Linda asked. “I mean they say everyone has one, maybe she is yours now.”
“Brittany asked me if she was an angel now that she went to heaven. And I told her she always was, but then Brittany told me she was guarding us, from everything.”
“Maybe she truly is. What was one of the last things she said to you?” Kevin said.
“She said she didn’t want to leave, and you know the envelope she asked for?” AJ asked.
“Yeah, why did she insist on you having that right then and there?” Kevin asked.
“I’ll go get it.” AJ said. He walked up the stairs, and past Brittany’s room.
He stopped dead in his tracks as he heard her.