EVE: A Short Unforgettable Love Story

Chapter Seventeen

Kellan Porter POV

The cold hospital and fear squeezed my internal organs; I couldn’t breathe as I paced back and forth outside the emergency room. I instantly admitted Isabella at the hospital, when this morning she suddenly screamed that something aches in her belly. I know it wasn’t her labor yet, because she was just five months pregnant. Fear sets on me, I know this isn’t normal- something is wrong. When the doctor finally came out, his expression was enough to drop the air out of my lungs completely.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Porter, but your wife has severe thrombocytopenia, putting your wife and your baby’s life in danger. I hate to say this Mr. Porter, we can stabilize one, but we may not be able to save both. You’ll need to make a decision.” He said, as he put his hand on my arm, then left.

I was completely, speechless and frozen in shock. How will be able to choose who will live between the two most important people in my life? How could I possibly choose between the woman I love-my wife? And the baby girl we’ve spent months dreaming about? Devastated, I broke down the floor. I f*****g hate this moment!

My hands trembling as I opened the hospital door, needing to see her-to tell her what the doctor said. Part of me wants to hide the truth, because I know this will break her. But this is between life and death-she needs to know. I see her smiling lying on the bed. I walked towards her, and reached for her hand-cold and pale- as I gently wrapped it with mine. She’s trying hard to put that grin on her face, but her eyes say the otherwise. I could barely get the words out of my mouth, voice cracking my eyes burning “What did the doctor say?” She asked. I dropped my head; I just can’t look at her. “Honey, it’s okay.” She said as she gently rubbed my hands. I burst out the tears I was holding for too long. “I can’t…I won’t choose between you two. There’s has to be another way. Please. I can’t lose you two.” As I stared at her eyes, I saw it. The same expression I watched on my mother’s face years ago, when she stood up to my father to protect me. “There’s no other way, my love.” Her gaze steady, her voice firm. “No matter what happen, you have to choose her over me. She deserves to see the beauty of the world, like I did.” She spoke. I sobbed in tears, and she embraced me. This was the loudest cry I did in my entire life. I became like a little boy in her arms. “You know, I realized you never heard sing.” I lift, as looked back at her, as she brushed the tears out my cheeks with her hands. I just look at her. She started humming then started singing Songbird by Fleetwood Mac. She sings it soft and slow, so nostalgic, so beautiful. She’s indeed has a really beautiful, angelic voice like what my mother used to tell me years ago. I heard the song before and it felt nothing, but now hearing it from her, it sounds really beautiful and filled with nuance. I just silently listen to her as we stared at each other. Our entire memories came flashing down in my head, from the very first moment I saw her, to the very first moment she smiles at me, to the very first moment I kissed her, to the very first moment we spent the entire summer together, to the very first moment I saw her again after twelve years, to the very first moment I saw her walked in the aisles, to the very first moment she told me I’m going to be a father. The lyrics tells me with so much meaning-And I love you; I love you; I love you. Like never before, like never before’.

“It was the song my father used to sing to me when I was little, and saw me crying.” she said after she finished the song. “I know her name now.” She said as she gently rubbed her belly and stared at me so bright. “Eve. It means life. So, every time you look at her, you’ll remember me and the beautiful memories that we had, and she will remind you there’s still a lot of beautiful memories waiting to be created in life, this time with her.”

-Present–

Eight years later and yet I could still remember everything in the past. I didn’t choose; Isabella chose to sacrifice her life for our daughter. Now, as I stood in the wooden parapet outside of the Roanoke River Lighthouse where the golden sunlight batters me and my daughter Eve, I could see her, her mother, my greatest love Isabella Madden Porter.

Eve got that same light in her eyes like her mother, that same way of finding beauty in even the smallest things. She smiles so warm and bright and contagious, just like her mother, and it just makes everything so light. The way she giggles, her jolliness just like her mother. The way she loves painting and coloring random stuff, just like her mother. The way she stops when she spots fresh flowers. The way she loves dancing in the rain. When I’m tired from work, little Eve gently pats my back with her baby hands and embraced me in her little arms. She smiles like she loved life more than anyone I’ve ever known, just like her mother. She carries light just like her mother.

Eight-year-old Eve leans her head on my legs, and I gently cupped my hands on her head. I looked at her and I could see her—the girl who stole my heart in high school, to the woman I waited twelve years to marry, to the mother who gave everything to bring our daughter into the world, Isabella Madden Porter. She’s with us in every single day, in every laugh, in every giggle, in every place, in every breath Eve takes. Isabella’s right- Eve reminds me of those beautiful memories that we had, and Eve reminds me there’s still a lot of beautiful memories waiting to be created in life.

-Ending-

Eve handed me a letter, which her grandmother gave her. Today was her mother’s eight-year death anniversary. Isabella's name was written as the recipient's name. I got curious, and so I instantly opened it.

“My love, as you read this, please keep in mind, there are two things that I am most and will forever be grateful for. One is loving you and being loved by you in return. And second is being a mother and having the best gift- our sweet daughter, Eve. I may be long gone before you read this, but I want you to know that I am overflowing with gratitude. I know my life wasn’t perfect, but it was beautiful because you’re both in it. And if the world feels heavy, if ever the colors seem to fade for you, my love – look at Eve. Just look at our daughter and let her reminds you of all the beauty life has to offer.

You two, will always have my heart. And if I would live life again with the both of you in it, I would a thousand times. I would say upon the infinite stars how lucky I am to have lived life beautifully because I am loved by Kellan Porter, and I became a mother of Eve. I love you both with all my heart.

Your wife and Eve's mother, Isabella Madden Porter.”