Until The Sun Goes Down (Boundless Love Book 3) (9 page)

‘That’s a really good picture,’ said Sahara. ‘You’re a born artist.’

‘Thank you mummy, you helped as well.’

‘Yes I sure did. I loved colouring the sun. It’s so bright and beautiful.’

‘It is, I see that everyday when Elodie takes me for a walk on the beach.’

Sahara smiled faintly. Elodie was a good woman. She’d done as Sahara had asked, and kept Joy in a positive state for as long as she could.

‘Mummy’s going to have a little rest. Why don’t you go and get something to drink.’ Sahara lay back into the bed.

‘Okay. Can we try and do a puzzle later?’

‘Oh sweetie, I don’t think so.’

‘But you…’

‘It’s okay. You’re okay.’ She took Joy into her arms. ‘Go and get a drink and I’ll see you in a little bit.’

Joy nodded, glanced at her mother a moment and then left the room. 

At four forty five Sahara refused the next dose of morphine.

‘Are you sure?’ asked the nurse.

‘I am. I don’t need it.’ She smiled. ‘Could you ask Joy to come in please?’

‘Yes, of course.’

Joy walked into the room a few minutes later.

‘Hey.’ She beamed at her daughter.

‘Mummy, you look…happy.’

Sahara smiled. ‘I am darling. I’m happy.’

‘Does that mean you’re better?’

‘It means it’s time for me to go.’

‘What do you mean? You’re better. We did a drawing together, we laughed.’

‘Yes we did and that’s what makes me know that everything is going to be okay.’

‘Mummy?’

‘Mummy’s tired now. My body can’t stand the pain anymore and it’s time for me to finally rest. That doesn’t mean I don’t care or I’ll forget you, it just means that it’s time for me to let go.’

‘You’re dying?’ she cried.

‘Yes baby, I’m dying. Come here.’

Joy lay into her mother’s chest and cried. Sahara did her best to comfort her. If she could make herself stay she would, but she couldn’t. It was finally out of her control and it had to be accepted. Thirty minutes later, Eugene stepped in. He looked at the pair and his heart broke.

‘Could you ask Elodie to come in.’ She whispered.

He nodded and a few seconds later their nanny appeared.

‘Joy, why don’t you go and spend time with Elodie. She’ll take care of you now.’

‘I don’t want to go! I want to be with you.’

‘I know. I love you,’ she said. ‘I’m so tired, I really am.’ A tear drizzled down the side of her cheek. ‘I love you, baby.’

It took a while, but Elodie finally convinced Joy to leave Sahara. Eugene sat by her side and gazed at her. He ran a hand down the side of her cheek and smiled faintly.

‘I love you,’ she said.

‘I love you too. Don’t leave me.’

She smiled. ‘I’ll always be here.’ She pointed at his heart.

He nodded even though it was hard for him to accept.

‘Take me to the shore. I want to see the sun set.’ She whispered.

He nodded, stood up and gathered her into his arms. She was so light and fragile it frightened him a little. He arrived at the shore, the sea blue and peaceful, the sun setting in the horizon. He knelt down with her still in his arms. He watched the waves as they gently hit the shore and moved back into the big ocean.

‘Tell me how you feel.’ She smiled faintly.

‘I feel sad.’

‘No honey. How do you feel? Remember when I used to ask you about your trips away. When I asked you what you felt in the moment.’

He nodded.

‘Tell me how you feel?’

He knew what she was asking and took time to make sure he said it from the heart.

‘I feel the warm sun on my skin, the sand between my feet. I hear the sound of the waves. I see the sun setting, I see the beautiful purple blue sky.’

‘Yes I see it too. Isn’t it beautiful?’

‘It is.’

‘You understand,’ she said.

‘Understand what?’

‘That love is here in you, in me. It’s in the sun, the waves. All things exist out of love.’

He searched her eyes.

‘It’s time.’ She whispered.

‘No.’ He couldn’t accept that.

‘It’s okay, we’re surrounded by love.’

‘No.’

‘I’m saying goodbye. Let your face be the last thing I see. Let me see that cheeky smile.’ She struggled.

The best days of her life flashed before her.  The wedding, the first time she held Joy in her arms and the moments of giving, the faces of the children that had learnt to read. Eugene tried to smile.

‘You asked me what number I was.’

He nodded as he tried to blink the tears away.

‘I’m a ten!’ She beamed.

He nodded and understood.

‘Goodbye my love. I love you so much.’

Her eyes shut, her breath departed and she was free of all the pain and captured into love and peace, where one day she was sure they would meet again!

****

‘I didn’t think I’d be able to stand here today, but I know that this would be what Sahara wanted. She’d tell me to not complain and be in the moment.’ Eugene addressed the crowd in the church.

There was a beautiful picture of Sahara to the right of him.

‘She changed my life.’ He sucked in a deep breath. ‘I wasn’t going to disappoint her and back down. I told myself that I would celebrate her life, rather than mourn it.’

Elizabeth nodded, dabbed her eyes and smiled.

‘Sahara beat all the odds. The doctors told her that she had eighteen months to live, but she went on to live a full five years,’ he said proudly. ‘She ran the Great North twice.’ He laughed. ‘She tandem jumped, she forced me to explore the world.’ He dabbed his eyes. ‘She brought smiles to children in the remote of areas when she gave away five million pounds.’ He laughed. ‘I remember being so mad at her for doing it, but now I understand why she did it.’ He looked around the room. ‘Sahara was my hero.’ His tears welled up. ‘She may not have been a celebrity, but she did more than most people do in a life time.’ He stopped and took a moment. ‘She loved, she laughed, she took risks. She brought our beautiful daughter into the world even after she was told she shouldn’t do it. She never took no for an answer.’ He winked at Joy, and she smiled.

‘Sahara taught us that life is now. That we should take the moment and run with it because it’s all we have. I finally hear you baby. I get what you were saying and I will do my utmost best to live by your principles. I love you!’

Everyone understood exactly what he meant and they knew Sahara was somewhere close by, smiling down at them all.

The End

New series coming soon – In His Power (Beyond Darkness)

Synopsis

When something happens at one of Victor’s theme parks, a side business he has as a cover up, he meets a woman who might change his life forever. But not before he can change hers. A life changing event shatters her world, and loosing faith in the police, she accepts Victor’s help, with his not so ethical ways.  It might take a bad man to take down bad people. Will that make Victor a good man or just a man who has finally found true love. There is light and darkness in all, but which one will he become? Will the light of love make him into the man he supposed to be? Only time will tell!

Be sure to be on the look out for this new story very soon!

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