Tell Me It's Just A Bad Dream

A loud sound of siren of the ambulance and police was heard in the place were an accident happened.

Unconscious body are everywhere on the road. Stella and her husband Richard are one of the victims, and they still inside of their car. Richard is full of blood all over his body, while protecting his wife.

Stella's groaning while waking up her husband. She's calling for help while crying, she saw a blood under her legs and an excruciating pain felt on her abdomen. It's like a tissue cutting into pieces in her tummy. She can't bare the pain anymore, it's too much. Until her sight went all black, and she felt unconscious.

3 years past...
"Sweety..." Stella heard RV chuckle "Come on baby, don't make it too hard for me" Stella smile, when she found him, hiding behind on her favorite vase. "There you are" Stella carry him and put her son on the sofa. Her son smile at her and kiss her lips. "I love you mommy" saying his love towards her mom "I love you more, baby" Stella hold her children hand. She put her children at the backseat of her car, and slowly drove her car in cemetery, on her husband's grave it's his 31st birthday today.

She open the door of her car and get her twins. The first born was Richard Venedict and his twin sister Duchess Caless. They really look like their father, the only thing they got from her is her eyes. The color of their eyes is ocean blue. Even though they just two and a half years old, they can speak straight.

They stop in front of her husband's grave yard. She talk to her husband as if he's in front of her.

"How are you there honey? Hope you are fine wherever you are. Happy birthday and I love you, wish you were here" she look at her twins.

"Greet your daddy, babies"

She smile at them.
"Hi daddy, happy birthday and I love you. Don't worry I'm taking care of mommy and Duchess, Im doing great daddy. Hope you are fine wherever you are. I love you"

Stella look at her daughter and smile. Duchess is not talkative like her brother, it can see coldness on her eyes. She stare at her father's grave

"Hey dad, happy birthday and I love you. Don't worry I'm doing great and I'm a nice girl"

They spent another hour in cemetery. They went to their house, were a small celebration made for Richards' birthday. His relatives is already there including her parents, and parents in law. They celebrated it the whole day.

Night, when the visitors decided to go home.
She visited her children in their room and found them sleeping peacefully. She smile and close the door. Stella feel so tired, but she wants to take a bath first before going to bed.

"Hey, staring is rude you know?" Stella said, keeping her smile, looking serious to Richard.

"I can't take my eyes off you" Richard smile, while still staring at her.
Stella cry even more in that memory of her husband.

"Honey... I miss you so much.... I'm longing for your hugs... Your kisses, and your presence... I love you Richard."

Early in morning, Stella and her children are busy packing. The Salazar's going out for a picnic.

"Kids, lets go?" the twin yell in excitement. RV and Duchess are happily singing inside the car, while Stella's driving. Beside her is RV, he wants to sit in front seat. He didn't stop from crying when she told not to, until Stella gave up. Duchess is on her booster sit, at the back.

While they're busy singing, a truck from unexpected direction appear. Stella on the other hand unaware from what will going to happen.

A loud crashed was heard, it happen so fast. It's like a Deja vu to her. Stella's trembling, her hand is shaking in fear, fear for her children. She touch her unconscious son, full of blood. She look at her daughter, she's fine but unconscious.

Her son RV is dripping on his own blood, from head to his body. She's asking for help and four person carrying a stretcher arrive.

Stella is in pain, but she manage to endure it.

At the hospital, Stella is panicking, she called her parents. The aftershock is still with her.

Mr. and Mrs. Blood, Stella's parents arrive, beside them is her parent in law. They hug her, asking what happened. Stella hug her parents so tight, she burst out crying, she's like a baby complaining that she want more milk.

Her knees is so weak, that she can't stand alone, once her mother let her go for their embrace. She saw herself weak again. It's the second time happened that situation, first is her husband, and now her son RV.

RV is in the operating room, fighting for his life. Hours past, so fast, when they put RV, in OR. Stella and her parents, patiently waiting for RV.

Her parents talk to her.

"Stella, darling you can go home first, change your clothes and take a rest sweety. You look so tired, for sure your children don't want to see you on that dressed up... Don't worry, we'll call you if the operation is done. We'll take care of Duchess, if that what you worry 'bout"

She sigh, then nod to them.

"Thank you, mom, I'll be quick."

Her mom smiled

"The driver, is on the car already."

-----

Stella didn't know that she fell asleep, she wake up in a bad dream, she's still in bathtub.

Stella open the car door.

"In the hospital Mr. Mendoza"

Their driver nod as a response.

Stella heard a loud cry, near her is her parents. They are crying as if something bad happened, she hurriedly run to her parents, her heartbeat is so fast, she's asking her parents what's happening, everything is like a Deja vu to her, like a scene in movie, slow motion.

Seeing the doctors and nurses, doing their best to revive her son, Stella is like an ice, slowly melting.

She started to cry, she wanted to enter the OR, for her son who is slowly dying.

"No... No, no... Please... Not again... Please... I'm begging you, please"

She desperately enter to OR, her heart is aching, seeing her son on that state, it's like a knife stabbing her heart. The doctor announce,

"Time of death, 11:11pm"

Stella went beside her son, she continue, pump and pump the small chest of her son, she desperately pumping and pumping, hoping that a miracle will happen, and her son will live.

The nurses and her parents, taking her away from her lifeless son, her mother hug her,

"Stella, please stop" her parent in law hug her, soothing her from crying, her mother in law is talking to her,

"Stella, please... Darling, enough"

Stella kneel down, in front of everyone, no one dares to stare at her, the nurse and doctors are also, crying, looking at Stella on that state, anyone will pity her,

"Dad, mom, please tell me, this is just a dream, I can't lose another man in my life, again" her father in law hug her, "Stella, this is just a test for you, you have to be strong"

She is begging to them, to tell her that, it's all just a dream. Her father, hug her really tight,

"Don't cry, Stella please, I'm hurting seeing you like this." 

What hurt the most is, that day, is her 29th birthday, it's supposed to be a celebration, but it end up mourning of the death, of her only son.

She lose another man again, she's losing her faith for God, it's like a cursed to her, she lost her husband, on his 29th birthday, and now, she lost her son, on her 29th birthday.

--------

In the past years, Stella has realized something, there are so many unexpected things will happened, there are people come, and go. She realized, it's truly everything happened for a reason. Don't lose your faith, for God, he has a better plan for you. Just trust him.