Elijah's POV.
I kept running and running. I couldn't hear anything. I was tired and the words 'she's dead' broke me. I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't stop running, the rain kept pouring but my tears felt like it was rain itself. 'She's dead', kept echoing in my head. My mom's voice kept repeating she's dead. How can my Annette be dead? How could she leave me?
I broke down and slowly fell to the ground and all the memories I had with Annette started playing like a DVD in my head.
-Flashback-
"You know what I want to be when I grow up?" Seven-year-old Annette said, wearing a white dress.
"My servant." Elijah smiled.
"No Queen shall ever be a servant." Annette replied and Sofia giggled. "I'll be a bride when I grow up, and the King shall bow down to me as I walk down--." Annette forgets her line. "Mom, where am I supposed to walk down?"
"Aisle." Anna said with a smile.
"Anna, I think we should change the lines because this is the fourth time Elijah said servant, and Annette forgot her line." Sofia.
"They are kids, it's understandable. I am sure they will get it right when doing it in front of the school kids, next week."
---
"Annette, we're late for school, let's go." I shouted she ran out of the house and got in my car. "You are not going to school with that skirt, go change."
"Last month, I wore a short dress and you looked me in the school storeroom and let's not forget the fact you forgot me in there. Elijah, please don't let us argue about the clothes I wear sometimes." She turned away from me. "Now let's go to school."
"We'll see if this car moves." I said so she got out of the car and went to change. I need to start buying her new clothes, these skirts of hers are too short and her mother doesn't even say anything. She is a student, not some crazy adult.
-- -- --
"Anne?" I said and she panicked and ran upstairs. "Annette." I shouted stopping her and that's when I noticed she didn't just gain weight, she is pregnant. "You pregnant." I smiled. "Idiot why didn't you tell me?" I pulled her cheek. "You look like you carrying triplets." I have never been this happy. I'll be a father soon!
----
Annette, I love you."
"I love you too Elijah."
----
"I really love you a lot, Elijah. I love you so much, trust me no one has ever loved anyone as much as I love you."
"Then why are you so eager to leave me alone and go away." I pulled her to my lap and she sat down. "I love you a lot so don't ask me to give you space."
"I just want to go out alone tomorrow and after that, you can start following me around." She smiled. "You look so handsome when you are annoyed."
"Then marry me please." I said and she got up.
"What?" She asked.
"I'll marry you." I said and she shook her head confused. "What? You are saying no?"
"No." She slapped her forehead. "Of course I will marry you but did you ask me to marry you?"
- - - - -
"I can't wait to call you my wife."
"Just sleep, Elijah." She replied so I closed my eyes.
--- End of flashback --
I hold my face in my two hands as tears started streaming down my face. She lied to me! She broke all the promises.
She said she was tired and weak, not sick. She said I could wake her up anytime. She promised not to sleep forever and now she's gone forever. My Annette left me?
She said she needed space so why did she have to go to heaven to get space from me? I love her, I really do love her. I can't live without her.
"NOOOO!" I started screaming in pain. "Why me? Why should I be the one that always suffers? What have I ever done wrong?" I screamed. "I just want my Annette! You could've taken me instead of her." I laid down on the ground. "She's a mother. She deserves to live." I mumbled. "I can't forget her. I refuse to live without my love. I refused to be a parent. I want my Annette."
"I want Annette!" I yelled. She has left me once before but she came back but now she decided to go to heaven. My Anne, my wife, please come back to me.
Anna's POV.
I entered Annette's room and my heart broke into a million pieces. My baby is gone. My little girl passed away before her own mother.
I took the picture on her desk. She was so happy, she just wanted peace. She always said she would force us to get along and she would never leave before all her dreams become a reality but now she left us.
"Annette my dear, you always told me money will just make us happy for a short while, you said we could never afford anything except worldly things and everyone is equal in power. No one can stop death and death happens when you least expect it." Some people are blessed to be diagnosed with diseases, they take that sickness as a sign that they'll die soon but my baby was healthy. She just gave birth, she didn't deserve to die.
How can I be strong for Elijah and the kids? Annette was my strength and she is no more. I was always accused of her being my favorite child and it's true. Meghan has always been the selfish sister who never listened to a word I said and Annette never refused anything I said. She always put others before herself.
- Flashback -
"Mom, Elijah always says he will die only after getting me married." Annette rolled her eyes. "Maybe I should die after I get him married."
"Annette you both are kids, no one is dying anytime soon so just forget what he said." I can't believe they both made it to college.
"Mom, let me ask you a favor today." She came closer to me. "If I die before you, make sure no one cries at my funeral. I don't want anyone to even think about crying because I know I will be happy wherever I am. God will take me away from you and everyone for a reason and we should respect that."
"That's true Annette but you don't need to think about me crying for you."
"What? Mom, you won't cry for me?" She smiled.
"No, because I will die before I let you leave us." I pulled her cheeks. "Now stop being a naughty kid and go pack your bags."
"Mom, I am a grown-up so please stop treating me like a kid." She folded her arms. "So please promise me you will all smile at my funeral just like the day I was born."
"Honey, some people cried the day you were born." I told her and she giggled.
"Just promise me, mom." She said and I nod my head so she hugged me. "I love you so so much."
- End of flashback
"Why did you have to go now when you just gave birth. What do we tell the kids when they ask about their mother? Annette, you never have great timing." I cried. "How will your grandpa take this news? He might get a heart attack. I wish I was dead instead."
"Don't say that Anna!" Marko snapped. "You know Annette would've been angry with you right now if she heard you."
"Did Meghan fall asleep?" I asked.
"Yeah, the tablets worked." He said. "Why don't you also take sleeping pills?"
"No." I shook my head. "Marko, do you think dad found out about Annette."
"Anna, it's all over the news but I don't think he did. You know your father would've been here if he found out about our daughter." He turned away from me, hiding his tears from me. "Please call him when you can and tell him before he finds out by someone else." He left the room in a hurry.
I need to pull myself together. I can't break down now. I have to call my father and tell him about Annette before anything happens.
I picked the phone up and started calling my father.
"Morning pa." For the first time, I am worried about my father. I am scared of his reaction. What if something happens to him? What if he can't handle the truth?
"Morning princess, why are you calling me so early in the morning?" He asked. "Is my useless son-in-law giving you trouble."
"I wish."
"This is the first time you not biting my head off. So tell me what is bothering you?"
"Dad, umm--." Come on Anna, you can do this! "Dad, when was the last time you watched tv, or when was the last time your men told your anything?"
"Well, last night around one when I left work. I just came in now and some of my useless workers are gossiping. I have missed a lot of calls from them last night so I still don't know what important thing they wanted to tell me but I will let you know if anything important comes up. Anyway, Annette called me last night and she said she will see me today so make sure you please come here too. We need to have a family meeting."
"What time did Annette call you?" I tried my best not to break down. My poor father is waiting for her, he doesn't know she is gone.
"Around 6 pm, before seven." He replied. "But Meghan send me messages last night too."
"What did she say?" I asked.
"She told me Annette went into labor and she gave birth to twins. She didn't tell me the genders, she actually said I should guess." He took a long pause. "Anna, The last message Meghan send me was a little weird. She said I promised to give her anything she ever wants and after that, she sends a message saying she wants her sister back. Anna, did they have a fight?" My poor little baby Meghan must really be broken. I can't believe she sent my father a message as if he can bring back my Annette.
"No dad, Annette and Meghan hardly ever fight."
"Well then tell Meghan that her grandpa can do anything and she'll get whatever she wan--."
"Stop it dad!" I interrupted him. "Dad, there are some things you don't have control over." I have to tell him now. "Dad, Annette is no more. She died last night." I started crying.
"Anna, what are you saying?"
"Dad, it's true. Annette is dead." My father hang up on me. "I wish this was all a dream."
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