Imagine

Honour - Chapter Two

You had just poured your morning coffee when the mail slipped through the small slot in your front door. Along with a few white envelopes was a dark brown A4 letter and the usual newspaper. Setting down your cup of coffee, you reached for the stack of papers but your attention was more inclined to the bigger one. It was addressed to Mr B and Y/N Simpson. Taking your forefinger, you slipped it under the flap and tore it open. It was a thin pile of formal looking papers and as you took a closer look you couldn't miss the distinguishing words of 'life insurance'. The coffee in your stomach turned to stone as you kept reading. The premiums were high but that was no surprise given that Brad had cancer. There was no way you could afford this on your writer's wage, and even with your part-time secretary job it still wouldn't cover it. Taking the pages with you, you marched into your bedroom to confront Brad. But the sight that you laid your eyes on made your disbelief die like water to a fire. There in the arms of your husband was your baby boy, it was a precious moment, one that you hoped would last forever. Your son, Charlie, had the same dark hair as Brad but it was straighter like yours. In those moments when you were filled with worry, you would look at your baby and know that no matter what he would always be a reminder of Brad. After taking a quick picture you tiptoed back out of the room and left them to their nap.
About another 15 minutes later there was a call from your bedroom.
"Y/N?" His voice was sluggish and croaky.
When you appeared in the doorway, he was sitting with one leg over the edge of the bed, Charlie on his shoulder.
"Can you help me with my leg?" He asked and you caught the embarrassed look in his eyes. You nodded and reached for the prosthetic leg that was leaned up against the wall. It was a little tricky to get on and he didn't like it as much as he thought. He said that it hurt the stump where his leg used to be.
"Darling," you whispered as you strapped his leg in, "We need to talk."
You guessed it was a poor choice of words because the furrow of his brows and the drop of his eyes told you so.
"It's about the life insurance," you clarified hoping to ease his nerves but it only made his face tense in a different type of way.
"We can't afford it, Brad," you started and as you said the words you paced the room.
"Y/N," he said, " I have some savings."
You shook your head at his response and continued to walk the length of your room. It used to be a gorgeous room, right when you first got married. The walls were a luxurious white and the bed was almost always made and everything had its place. But now as you look at It, there are baby bottles on shelves instead of ornaments, the bed is rarely made and the curtains are often pulled making the room dark.
"We can't use the savings, Brad, they're for our future, for Charlie's future. Plus they won't last"
Brad stood up and rested one hand on your shoulder to stop your pacing, you were forced to look into his lovely brown eyes. Despite his sickness, those eyes always seemed to stay the same.
"We won't use all of it," he smiled sadly his words hesitant, "You won't need to pay the money for too long."
You frowned up at him, the fact that he changed from we to you in a matter of seconds.
"Br-Brad," you said your voice wobbling and his face becoming blurry from the shield of water in your eyes.
"The insurance will pay out and you and Charlie will be taken care of," he tries to assure you as he touches his hand to your cheek and wipes away the tears.
"Don't cry my love, not while we still have these memories." Charlie makes a gurgling sound and it makes you want to cry more because as much as you want to live in the last moments he believes he has, you can't make your heart stop hurting