Perfectly Unexpected - Finished

Chapter Sixteen - Saying Goodbye

A phone call at 3AM was unusual for me. I woke and swiped my phone, half asleep, from the bedside table. I was sleeping next to Daniel, having moved from my own room to his so we could eventually convert the second bedroom to the baby's room.

My mom. My heart sank.

“Mom? Is everything okay?” I asked as soon as I answered.

“No, Kassie. Your dad isn't doing well, he doesn't have much time. The doctor says 24 hours at best. You need to come now.” My mom said.

“Okay, I need to get a flight, give me a few hours and I'll be on my way.” I said.

We hung up and I took a few seconds to process. I had a good relationship with my parents growing up and up until I started seeing Sam, we talked almost every day. I instantly regretted neglecting to call them as much in my father's final days.

“Daniel.” I said as I shook his shoulder. “You need to wake up. We have to go.”

“Go where? Its 3 in the morning.” Daniel slurred, his voice sounding far away.

“My dad isn't doing well, he isn't going to make it through the day. I have to go home.” I said.

He sat up and turned on the lamp on his side of the bed. “I'll start looking for flights. You pack.”

“Here's my card. I haven't really spent that fifteen thousand Sam gave me. I'm glad I kept saving.” I said.

I went to the spare room and found a large suitcase and two small laptop cases. I set each on the dining room table. I thought about how long we'd be gone, realistically. In October, it was usually colder in Maine than it was in Washington. I prayed he would make it until we got there and that the funeral would occur within a week.

I went to my closet. I tried to weigh out what I would actually need. A lot of my clothing didn't fit anymore. I grabbed five of my large sweaters, ones that recently fit over my bump. I folded them as neatly as I could and put them in the suitcase. I packed my single pair of maternity jeans and six pairs of leggings. I packed a few nice blouses, a blazer, and a simple black dress. I also packed undergarments. I settled for three pairs of pajamas and a few pairs of sweatpants with t shirts. I pulled my coat out of the closet and brought it to the table as well.

I then went to Daniel's closet. I packed him jeans and casual sweaters, sweatpants and t shirts, pajamas. I also packed a few pairs of dress pants, dress shirts, and ties, including all black attire. I found a belt, boxers, and socks as well. I quickly ran by him what I had, he approved, and I added that to the suitcase. I decided I had room for a few pairs of shoes for each of us. Daniel would wear sneakers the whole time, so I only packed dress shoes for him as extra with a pair of slippers. I also packed slippers and sneakers for myself, decided to wear my boots, and brought a pair of heels.

Daniel came to tell me he found a flight that would leave in three hours at 6AM. It would be an 8 hour flight, including an hour long layover. It was the best we could do in the short amount of time we had to prepare. He helped me repack the suitcase to make sure everything fit.

We decided to shower so we could dry and pack our toiletries. We showered together, which was one of our favorite activities. This was typically a calm and relaxing time for us at the end of the night. This time it wasn't.

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked as we stepped in the shower.

“I'm not sure.” I said. My head was spinning.

“We'll make it in time. Don't worry. Getting worked up isn't good for the baby.” He reminded me.

“I should've been there for them. I should never have moved away.” I said.

“You had to live your own life, Kassie, no one blames you for that.”

We got out and got dressed. Daniel wore joggers and a long sleeve shirt. I wore leggings and a long sleeve blouse. We each packed our laptops and cords we'd be needing and any files we might need to work from home when we got the opportunity.

I called Sam to let him know what was going on. Strangely, he apologized for the situation and said he hoped I was alright. I thanked him.

Daniel called our CFO (chief financial officer), his boss, to let him know as well. As always, he was incredibly understanding.

Boarding the flight and the flight itself was a blur. Our layover felt long, but I was happy to walk around and to get some lunch.

We landed in Maine and I met my cousin at the airport. Jared was my age, and the closest thing I had to a sibling growing up. He hugged me and I introduced him to Daniel. I cautiously checked my phone to see no messages or calls from my mom, so I assumed no news was good news.

“Do you guys want to go to the house first and get settled, or do you want to go right to the hospital and I can drop off your bags?” Jared asked.

We each took the change of clothes I had strategically placed in our laptop bags that served as our carry on item. We changed in the airport bathroom. We put our bags in Jared's trunk and he would take them to the house so we could go right to the hospital.

I got nervous as I approached the doors of the hospital. I saw my mom standing in the lobby, waiting for us. I had messaged her that we were close.

She hugged me when she saw me and put a hand on my belly, smiling. Her eyes were red and swollen.

“You must be Daniel.” She said. She hugged and greeted him. I had kept them in the loop as much as possible. They shared, 'It's nice to meet you's and then we followed her upstairs to my dads room.

He was attached to wires, oxygen, monitors. There were cords and machines everywhere. There was beeping and lights flashing. A lump caught in my throat immediately. Daniel grabbed my shoulders and helped me into the chair next to the bed. My mom explained that they had removed his ventilator a few hours before but he had been doing okay.

“Kassie,” My dad whispered.

“Hi, dad.” I said, taking his hand. Tears started flowing then.

“Look at you.” He said, reaching over to put a hand on my belly.

“I know. Crazy, isn't it?” We both laughed.

“I was hoping all this would wait until I got to meet my granddaughter.” He said.

“Me too.” I agreed.

“Well, God doesn't wait, you see. He knows just what he's doing.” My dad said. “Don't worry, I'll be looking down at her every minute.”

I started crying harder. I wished I had come sooner. I wished I had seen him while he was still well. It had been almost a year since I last visited, Christmas time.

“I know. I wish you could meet her in person.” I said.

“I'm so proud of you, Kassie. You made yourself into everything I ever dreamed of.” He said.

“Thank you, dad. I'm glad.” I said. He squeezed my hand.

“You take care of her. You gotta keep your eye on this one.” My dad said.

“I will, sir, don't you worry about it.” Daniel said. They shook hands.

My dad was in and out of consciousness for a few hours. We all stayed with him, holding his hands. He came to for a few minutes to tell my mom and I he loved us. A lot of tears were shed. His heartrate started slowing, and he struggled more and more to breathe. A nurse came in to sit with us at that time. She gave him pain medication, and turned off the noise on the monitors. My dad slipped away peacefully, but for the rest of us, there wasn't much peace, at least not yet.