To Love Again

Chapter four

"Who is at the door...Hello.., Selena is that you." Loretta called from the kitchen. Selena who didn't want her presence to be noticed had no choice than to walk over to the kitchen.

"Hi, were you expecting Alex." she teased her sister. "What's cooking..smells delicious and tantalizing," Selena said, but her heart was in turmoil. She needed to be alone to process what just happened at the pack.

"Nothing much, just baking your favorite chocolate cake and apple pie." "Do you care for a cup of coffee?"

"No..thank you, I would rather have a cup of hot cocoa with milk." She said as she touched her lips. The memories of the kiss flooded her mind making her smile, "if only Loretta knew what happened today." she thought as a wide grin covered her face.

Loretta turned immediately and asked why she was grinning from ear to ear. "Don't even ask." She laughed, taking her cup of cocoa she fled to her room.

***

"Francis...Francis...where are the balloons.?"  "I need to put them up at the entrance," Loretta yelled. 

"It's on the kitchen counter."

Selena came out of her room, looking so magnificent. She had on her wedding gown and instead of a veil, she used flowers to decorate her hair. 

"You look beautiful, thank you for agreeing to marry me." "I would love you and cherish you till eternity."

She just stared at him, her eyes filled with love for him. She tipped on her toes and placed a kiss on his jaw. "I love you too."

Selena and Craig were kissing in their room after the wedding when they heard a persistent knock on the door. They both tried to ignore it, but the knock grew louder. 

She walked over to the door and as she opened it, she screamed and woke up. "It was just a nightmare, how real it felt." She pondered a bit at what the dream was about and arrived at no tangible answer. Sleep eluded her, she picked up her Bible and read.

The next day Selena decided it was time to return back to Chicago. She was already falling too deep for Craig and couldn't afford a heartbreak. 

But that was not the case, because Craig came over to her house. "Is anyone home." Selena's heart leaped because she recognized the voice, she wanted to ignore it but he called out again.

"I would be downstairs a bit." She replied so he could hear her. As she powders her face she felt her heart flutter with love, fear, uncertainty.

He wanted so bad to go up to her room but he controlled himself. "Morning Craig, how are you doing." Craig stood up at the sound of her voice, he had dark circles around his eyes, he hadn't slept well since meeting her. 

"Am okay." He said as he combed his hands through his hair. Craig didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. 

"Selena.." he began, reaching out for her hands. "Marry me." She just stared as if in a trance. 

"Give me a chance to love you, I know you have been through a lot but I promise to right every wrong." 

Selena felt mixed emotions, she was happy and sad at the same time. She wanted him so bad but it would be better she thought about this before she gave him an answer.

"Craig.., I have loved before. I would lie if I said I am not afraid, I don't know what tomorrow holds. All I know is this, I want to live again, I want to listen to my heart and not my head." "I love you and would love to be your wife."

Craig was not expecting an outright yes, somewhere in his heart he feared he would be rejected. But how happy he was to have his prayers answered. He drew her closer to him and placed a wet kiss on her lips, then melted into each other. Both praying it lasts forever.

***

Craig was just 36 years when he got married to Selena on her 30th birthday. They both decided to have their wedding on her birthday.

They had a small wedding, attended by immediate members of their family. 

They had what one would call a perfect marriage, they were blessed with two daughters, Mary and Margaret. After 7 years of blissful marriage, Selena could not ask for more, she felt content. All changed one fateful dark night and threw her life off balance.

"Honey, are you still taking the girls to the dance," Selena asked her husband. "Remember you promised them you would."

"Yes, I remember." Craig yawned, he was tired after an eventful day at work. He needed sleep but didn't want to disappoint his children. 

He took some coffee and took his kids to their dance practice. Everything went smoothly but on their way home, Craig's eyelids were heavy for want of sleep. As he struggled to stay awake he didn't see the oncoming truck and ran straight into it.

***

She felt cold, as she paced her living room, all she wanted to be her family home. The time continued ticking away. Then the phone rang. "Hello..the voice at the other end said. "Mrs woods speaking.." Selena replied. "There has been an accident, come over to St Louis hospital." and the connection went off.

Selena grabbed her keys and a small purse and went over to the hospital.

Her life changed in a twinkle of an eye, her husband and child are both dead. 

She stared at  Mary who was unconscious, with so many machines connected to her small frame to keep her alive.

Selena wept, she cried for her dead husband and Margaret. She would never see them again. Life has been so cruel.

She wondered if life could have treated her kinder. She reminisced on how happy she had been with Craig, the love they shared, and the memories they created together. If only she could turn back the hands of time.

The gentle tap on her shoulder woke her up from her sleep. She had dozed off on the chair in Mary's hospital room. When she saw her family, she started crying again, no one had the right words to say and they all cried. Letting go of the pain that wanted to choke the life out of them.

For two weeks, Selena stayed at the hospital with her child. Craig and Margaret had been buried immediately. Mary was responding to treatment and would be discharged in a fortnight.

Selena promised herself that she would work harder for her child and herself. Starting all over wouldn't be easy, but she knew she had no choice