She's gone. A single beep on the electrocardiogram, then silence. He wasn't prepared for it, no one should be. The doctors and nurses couldn't do anything but hang their heads and say the condolences. He remembered the day when they went to the fair with the kids-the day when she suddenly collapsed and her pulse rate was 0. "The kids...", what would he say to them? They probably knew about it, from the crying nurses and the black lilies outside her ward. Should he leave them at her parents' place, then take a trip to the Maldives for a "rest and recovery", or perhaps go to the top of the Empire States Building and jump off? Just as he started to reconsider, he noticed a letter, poking out of the side of her pillow. Opening it, his eyes teared up and he sobbed quitely to himself.
Dearest Nick,
I'm sorry, to have to leave you at such a hard time. I know that our children look extremely independent, yet I think when I go you'll need to provide them support. Promise me that you'll protect them and fulfil your duty as father to our 5 children. Can you tell Harry, that I'm sorry for destroying his 15th birthday? I didn't want to, really. I know that I will never get the chance to make it up to him, so can you halp and be a best friend to him? Also, please tell my parents that I'm sorry for being so careless. I love you, and please be happy forever
Lots of love, Marie
______________________________________________________________________________
Fulfil his duties as a father? How was he going to do that. It was going to be hard, especially since all 5 boys had very little in common. Tim, 4; Rick, 4; Ian, 9; Derek, 13 and Harry,15. This was most certainly going to be a test over his fatherly skills as well as being a friend to his boys.
Nick walked out, slowly. The tears left marks down the sides of his face. Almost immediately came the wailing as the two youngest ran towards him- their faces red with tears. The next 2 walked slowly towards him, then they two ran and cried on his leather jacket. Only one, Harry, stayed in his seat. He glared at his father, with no look of sadness nor sympathy on his face. He stood up, and walked slowly to the bathroom, as if nothing had happened. Nick put his ear close to the door, to hear whether the boy was really going to cry. There was only silence.
