Imperfect

F O U R T E E N - L A W R E N C E M U L L I N S

Late night, off early, day was going good. I was expecting to spend the rest of the night with my wife, but when I entered inside of the house, she was nowhere in sight...

"Abigale," I yelled, putting my briefcase on the living room couch, "are you up?"

I didn't get a answer back. She would usually be up this late in the night so that we could have some fun, but I guess she didn't want to have fun tonight, because she had to deal with my mother.

"Abigale," I yelled one more time, heading upstairs, "can you hear me? Are you up?"

Still, I didn't get a single response back from her—possibly she was too tired to have fun with me tonight...

I went into our bedroom to take a peek on my wife's status. Well, I was right; Abigale was sleep. I wondered how long she's been sleep.

  Her hair was all over her face, I couldn't see her beautiful eyes nor her nice lips. Her body was covered by the clean sheets on our bed. The room was filled with hot air.

Next, I had to check to see if my mother was sleeping well before I got into bed with my wife.

Inside the room, it was hot as well. My mother was covered up in her blue sheets with the pillow over her face, like she always slept—could've been crying about my father again.

Beside her, on the dresser was a cup of tea. I looked inside and the tea was halfway drunk. She always drink all of her tea before she goes to bed.

  She must've been really sad tonight, hopefully my wife kept her company while I was gone for a few hours.

Sitting on the edge of the guest room bed, I pulled the pillow from my mother's face and looked at how calm, and soundless she was sleeping.

I kissed her on the forehead, but she didn't move. She didn't twitch once.

To observe her sleeping, I sought there, staring at my mother, just watching her for a few minutes.

I watched her face; I looked at her eyes.

  The next thing that I did was look at her chest.

All three places had the same result, they didn't move. THEY DID NOT MOVE, NOT ONCE!

"Mom," I yelled shaking her, "Maggie! Wake up!"

She didn't respond to my loud voice nor did she respond to my rough shaking.

"Wake up!" I yelled again.

"Babe," Abigale yelled from our bedroom, "why are you home early and why are you yelling?"

She entered into the guest room, she looked at me on top of the bed, over my mother.

  My wife's mouth was wide open, speechless at what was going on.

"What's going on Lawrence?" Abigale asked me.

"She's not waking up Abby," I cried while still shaking my mother, "why isn't she waking up?"

I continued to shake my mother, hoping that she would soon wake up.

My wife walked slowly to the shaking bed, grabbing my arm, gently dragging me from the bed, from on top of my mother.

Abigale hugged on me tightly, putting my head on her shoulder as she patted my back, "It'll be alright baby..."

"But why isn't she moving Abby," he continued to cry into her shoulders, "she always moved every night, but she's not tonight. She's supposed to be moving. Why the hell isn't she moving!"

Abigale rubbed my head and my back softly as I couldn't control my sensitivity.

  I'm so glad that she was there for me; I'm so glad that she was by my side at this horrible time.