John leans over and kisses her goodnight.  He wonders why it all had to end like this.  He knew it was going to end but he thought it would be different.  Somehow he thought their roles would be reversed.  He didn't know why he thought that, maybe that thought was easier than what really happened.  He just never saw this coming.  He could still remember their entire relationship.  It seemed too short although he knew it was a long time.  John grabs her hand, looks out the window of their bedroom and tries to think about the day they met.

He was standing on the pitch when he noticed someone watching their practice by the perimeter fence.  It was an unusual event to have anyone watch their practice.  Most of the kids didn't even know the high school had a soccer team.  John stared a moment at the figure and realized it was a girl.  He immediately thought it was yet another girl hoping for a date with Scott.

Scott was John's best friend and the best looking guy in school.  But,  John was never jealous of him because Scott was such a good guy.  He was always helping others.  He was always smiling.  All the teachers loved him and all the girls wanted to be on his arm.  So, John was not surprised when Scott gave the girl at the fence a wave and she gave a shy little wave back.  He was surprised when, after practice, Scott called him over to where he was talking with the girl.

Scott explained that he had promised to introduce the girl to John if she came to see them practice.  John had expected the girl to be cowering in embarassment but she stood there confidently with he hand out.  John grabbed her hand.  Scott said her name was Stacey.  John thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Stacey had long jet black hair that glisten to almost a purplish hue in the sun.  John wanted to touch it more than just about anything in the world.  She had bushy eyebrows and long lashes framing the greenest eyes he had ever seen.  Her eyes seemed to almost glow and they had these yellow flakes sprinkled in them that he could stare at forever.  He was smittened with her the moment he looked at her.

They dated the rest of the school year.  Then came the moment.  John was supposed to go to college but he didn't want to go.  He wanted to stay, get a job and marry Stacey.  He stood there explaining all this to her and she just listened until he was done.  When he was done she smiled at him and said "no".  She told him that he need to go to school so he could get a good job.  A good job that could buy them a good home to raise their family.  They both smiled at each other, he grabbed her hands and kissed her harder than he ever had before.  He promised to come home every weekend, every holiday, every chance he had.  And he did.

John finished college with a degree from their business school.  He got a good job with a real estate investment company and promptly married Stacey.  They had two wonderful children, a boy and a girl, and lived a very good life.  Laughter filled their house whether it was the kids or just them remembering the day.  Then it happened.

Stacey was diagnosed with colon cancer.  It had spread to her lungs, liver and brain.  The doctor said she had only six months at most; that it was time to get her affairs in order.  Stacey said she wanted to go home; she wanted to die in her bed, in her house.  John did everything he could for her.  He cooked for her.  He took her on trips for as long as she could go.  He called the children so they could say their goodbyes.  He hired nurses and doctors to make her as comfortable as possible.  Then the time had come.

The doctor said she would not make it to the night.  It seemed that the end had come much too fast.  John had tried to remember if it had actually been six months but he could not.  He had prepared himself for this but it was still hard.  John was crying when the doctor told him it was time.  He didn't know how long he had been crying he just knew his heart hurt.  He places her hand back by her side.

"Goodnight babydoll, goodnight"

John nods to the doctor barely able to see him through his tears.  The doctor nods to some boys dressed in white.  And Stacey is gone.

 Read the follow up A Kiss Goodnight (Reflection) here 

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