All that is Beautiful is Good

A short story about the 20/20 vision of hindsight.

Staring out the window at the cars passing by I started to wonder about my life. To most… I was about to have everything. To me, I may have just lost it all. It was only half an hour ago….

“So you’re leaving?” She said carefully not giving away her tone.

“Yess. I told you I can’t miss these shows. You know how important these are to my career.” I turned toward her slightly impatient. We had been over this again and again.

“After everything you’re leaving now?” This time her tone was slightly accusatory.

“Didn’t you always tell me to go for my dreams? Weren’t you the one that encouraged me to do all this and now that I have, you want me to stop?” I didn’t want to fight… Not right now.

“Are you being serious right now? Of course I want you to go for your dreams! Of course I want you to have everything that you ever wanted! I just didn’t know that leaving right now would be something that you wanted.”

“Sophie I have waited four years for a big break like this. Going on this tour will put my songs at number one on the charts. If I don’t go my producer will drop me. I just want to give you the best beautiful, that’s it. I can give you everything that you ever wanted if I go.” It seemed so obvious to me, why couldn’t she just get it.

“What do I say when all I want is you here right now. If you are going to go just go, nothing I can say is going to change that.”

“Come on, please don’t make it like that. You know I would give almost everything to be here with you.”

“Obviously not.” She broke eye contact and looked down. With a deep sigh I left the room and started putting together my carry-on bags. Something just didn’t feel right, so I went back and wrapped my arms around her.

“Jake I just don’t understand why you could possibly leave right now. Your tour is for three months and the baby is due this month… How can you leave?” There was silence and noticing the time I picked up my bag.

“I’m sorry” I kissed her on the forehead and went for the door.

“If you leave… I may not be here when you get back.” Without a response I shut the door behind me. If I had believed she meant that, things would have been different.

 

She wasn’t answering any of my calls and I started to worry if it was just her being stubborn or whether she was actually that upset with me. Almost our entire lives together she had wanted this just as badly as I did… but now she just expected me to throw it all away? Boarding the plane I checked my phone one more time before turning it off… Why wasn’t she calling me back?

As soon as I got off of the plane I was swept to the concert. I only had an hour to prepare due to my plane landing late and it was only a few moments before show time before I even thought to turn on my phone. I had about twenty missed calls and only got through the first one before I immediately called the hospital.

                “Sir your wife is in labor” A doctor on the line told me.

                “Let me talk to her please.” I had to breathe carefully to get the words out.

                “Jake? Jake I can’t do this alone, please don’t leave me alone!” Sophie pleaded through the phone.

                “I’m here baby, I’m right here. You are going to be fine, it’s okay I promise.” I repeated over and over again, shaken by her crying and screaming on the other end of the line.

                “Jake its show time” the stage manager tapped on my shoulder and tried to take the phone away.

                “Wait, just one second.” Putting the phone back to my ear, “Baby I have to go. Its my time to go on stage, I love you okay you can do this.”

                “No! NO JAKE! Stop! Please don’t leave me!!!! I can’t do this without you! Jake baby please” She started to sob. “You can’t leave me now, not now please baby! Jake!!!!”

                “I love you baby, I promise it will be okay” and the phone was gone and I was on stage.

 

                I ran off the stage sweaty and smiling. Sophie was going to be so proud I had rocked the performance. It would only be a matter of time before I was selling albums like crazy and I could give the love of my life and my new little baby everything. I was beyond filled with joy and was making plans to fly both of them out to see me. After going through the expected press and fans I ran to the nearest phone and called the hospital. Almost singing I asked for Sophie’s room and received a strange reply.

                “Just one moment sir, are you the husband?” A nurse asked

                “Yes” I replied and the line went to hold.

                “Jake Lamere?” A prestigious sounding man asked.

                “Yes..”

                “I happy to tell you that you have a beautiful new baby girl.”

                “Oh my god…” I almost started to cry. “That is so amazing… wow… a little girl” My smile was bigger than the sky. “Can I talk to Sophie?”

                “Well Mr. Lamere… I’m sorry to tell you this but there were some… uh complications” The doctor cleared his throat.

                “What do you mean? What kind of complications? She is okay right?!”

                “Sir I need you to calm down.” He waited a minute to continue. “Your wife wasn’t… strong enough to give birth. After your daughter was born… Her body seemed to well give up. We did the best we could but… it wasn’t enough. I’m sorry but she passed away about ten minutes ago.” I couldn’t say a word I couldn’t speak. My knees gave out and I fell to the ground. “Mr. Lamere, she asked me to tell you that she loved you. It was the last thing she said.”

                Feeling numb I finally opened my mouth “Where is my daughter?”

                “She is under observation now and will go home with Sophie’s mother until you can retrieve her.”

 

I opened the front door to the house holding my little baby in my arms… It was the first time I had been in the house since I had left. Walking around I picked up one of Sophie’s shirts, it still smelled like her… I sat on her side of the bed and smelled her shampoo on the pillow. I set up the crib and lay little Emerald Sophie Lamere into it. I walked into my studio to get my photo album of all the pictures I had ever taken of Sophie. Opening the door I was shocked by sticky notes covering the walls. All of them said I love you over and over again in Sophie’s amazing handwriting. All except the ones in the middle… In giant letters it said “I am so proud of you”….

                I heard Emerald crying and I walked up to crib picking her up. “I know I miss her too, I whispered in her ear”

Author's Note

Leave any suggestions you have, I am a novice writer so be kind!

Reviews

[LOfCharlemagne]

This is really emotional and heartbreaking. I loved this story, it is great! It has a captive effect to it that sucks you in. It is truly well done. You could have enlonged her death just a little bit though to make it more dramatic. He could have arrived JUST as she was dying. Maybe she could have died as soon as she saw him. That would have been really dramatic. Overall great job though! That is just my suggestion :)

[Miss. Marie]

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I will definitely take them into consideration. :)

[LOfCharlemagne]

You are very welcome. If you get a chance, would you mind reading my short story "A letter to Charlemagne"? I would be very thankful!

[Miss. Marie]

Absolutely! I look forward to reading it :) I will comment ASAP once I read it. If you get a chance could you read my other short, "The confession" it isn't as good as this one but I could use your feedback.

[LOfCharlemagne]

Sure, I would be glad to!