The Purple Heart (22 page)

“
So you knew I would die
today?” He nodded. “And we can be together, like this?” I gestured
between us.

“
Forever, Sydney. Life can
be whatever we want in our world. We can go through all the motions
we would have in life. We could do anything. It’s our choice. In
death, you can be what your heart desires. That’s what heaven is. I
don’t care how we do it, all I know is I want to be with you for
eternity. Come with me.”

I looked at my friends crying over my
loss. I looked at the love of my life, which was truly everything I
could have ever wanted in this life, anyway. He reached his hand
out to mine.

I took it, and as soon as I did, every
thing was right. I understood it all. It flooded over me like a
huge wave crashing on the shoreline. This life we treasure was just
a stepping-stone. Limbo. What was real was the love Aiden and I
shared; nothing else mattered. Not materials things. Not stress.
Not work. Love. Just love.

I had accepted everything that had
happened. I was ready to go with him.

I was awoken out of a very comfortable,
deep sleep. It was a sudden rush of excitement and joy. It was
strange how strongly you felt what the living were experiencing if
you were tuned into it, here on this side.

Aiden and I had moved on to our first
existence together, where we lived in a small cottage on the beach.
We were married in this life, and spent our days doing whatever our
hearts desired. I made him teach me to surf. There was never any
fear of getting hurt, because technically, we were not in a fragile
human form anymore. We were, for all intents and purposes,
ghosts
. I had been very interested to learn that I had been
on the right track with my thought process on death. The soul
actually was that spark of energy, as I had been convinced of in
life. It just carries on for infinity.

To each other, we were as human as we
had been in life. We could experience all the same senses, just
enhanced. There wasn’t anything we couldn’t do or feel if we
wanted. I know I felt love for him. It was overpowering at times.
Emotions here were so raw and real. But they were only comprised of
pure love. I never felt any anger or resentment. Those were
egocentric emotions, only for people left in life to feel. There
was never a reason to be upset here. We ate, drank, slept, took
walks, and made love as often as possible. Of course there were no
worries here. We never fretted over bills or things gone wrong.
There was no reason to. We had it all and took full advantage of
it.

I stayed connected to Gina and Cheryl
the entire time. I wanted to follow the pregnancy. I would have,
anyway, had I survived the accident. I still wanted to be a part of
it, and so did Aiden. We watched as the baby prepared to enter the
world we had just left. I guess it was an inside track. We heard
every heartbeat, felt every movement, and could see how healthy the
baby was. We could feel the life force. We often spent time laying
on our backs, holding hands and feeling the baby
together.

I turned over and reached out to wake
him. “It’s time, Aiden. The baby is coming today. Cheryl is
freaking out and Gina is ready. Come on, Cheryl freaking out? You
know you want to see that as badly as I do. There’s so much joy
between them. We have to go. We need to be there.”

“
Yes, I can feel it, too.
What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

He took my hand and we wished ourselves
to what used to be my house. I had left Cheryl and Gina the house
and my money in my will, so they could raise their child with no
financial worries. They got everything.

All of my worldly possessions
surrounded me here, but they no longer had any hold over me. They
were just
things
. I looked around. They hadn’t changed very
much in terms of decor. A few pieces of my furniture were even
still here.

“
Look, they kept most of
your pictures out. I guess they miss you a lot.”

I glanced around my living room and
noticed the pictures of my parents and I were still scattered
throughout the room. Among them also, were now framed snapshots of
Gina, Cheryl, and I. I reached out and grabbed Aiden’s arm,
directing his attention to a shelf in the corner. There sat his
picture from his deceased file. He looked so handsome in his
uniform, smiling and in the prime of life. He could still make me
melt with that smile. Next to the frame sat the American flag from
his coffin, in a mahogany case, and all his medals proudly
displayed.

“
I’m so touched they
included me. How very thoughtful of them to do that. I feel like
they did their best to give me a home here. I feel like
family.”

“
They’re really very sweet
girls, aren’t they? You
are
part of this family.”

“
This baby is so lucky to
have been gifted them as parents. Such thoughtful, wonderful
people.”

Cheryl had taken a lot of time and
effort in having Aiden’s body recovered and delivered to her care.
She had contacted his family, only to have them refuse collection
of his remains. It had infuriated her. Instead, she took control,
and had given him a proper military burial with full honors and a
twenty-one-gun salute. She had every dignitary she could contact,
anyone who meant anything that she could reach out to, attend that
day. It was a full house. A few of the men from Aiden’s platoon had
taken the opportunity to say kind words about him. They told
stories about how grateful they were for his bravery, without which
they wouldn’t be there to speak on his behalf.

Aiden and I had attended both of our
funerals. Not because we needed to, but instead, because we wanted
to. It was an unstoppable curiosity, as though we had to attend to
accept our new life. I could only guess it was some sort of
spiritual closure.

Gina had insisted Aiden and I be buried
next to each other. We shared a plot that overlooked a garden
dedicated to heroes in the military graveyard not far from the
base. Our names were engraved together on one headstone, as if we
had been married in that lifetime. It was a beautiful sentiment. In
this existence, Aiden and I could feel each other’s emotions. I
knew he was truly touched, as was I.

There was suddenly a lot of commotion
on the stairwell. Cheryl came flying down the stairs with suitcases
in hand.

“
Breathe. Breathe.
Breathe,” she barked up at Gina.

“
Can you just relax? We
have plenty of time to get to the hospital. Jesus, Cheryl, like I’m
going to forget to breathe! Can’t you hear me panting from all this
exercise getting down there to you? This little baby is fucking
huge!”

Gina emerged from behind the wall. She
was
enormous. I was slightly shocked that someone with such
a tiny frame could carry such a huge weight without toppling over.
She was absolutely glowing, though.

“
I meant do your breathing
from that stupid-ass class you made me sit through. If I had to do
it, then you have to actually use it. Now breathe!” she
demanded.

Gina just waved her off and took a seat
on the couch.

“
What the hell are you
doing? Are you planning on having that baby here? I’m in no shape
to deliver this baby. I’m not even sure I can get you back up on
your feet.”

“
Oh stop it. I’m … fine.”
Gina winced as she said the last part. She was obviously having a
contraction. I was so excited.

“
You know, they really had
better hurry. That baby is ready. Can you feel it?” he
said.

“
I can. Anything we can do
to get her moving faster?” I asked him.

“
We can do this!” Aiden
swiped at a picture of Gina, Cheryl and I, and knocked it onto the
floor. Cheryl and Gina turned toward it.

“
Look, even Sydney’s
telling you to get your ass to the hospital, pronto. Please don’t
make me beg you. We have to go. Now!” Cheryl was so cute when she
panicked. It wasn’t a side of her I was used to seeing
often.

“
Fine.” Gina braced against
the couch but I could tell she was going nowhere fast. “Can you
give me a hand?”

Cheryl clapped. Gina shot her a death
look. Cheryl helped her to her feet.

“
Next time,
you’re
going to carry the baby! Especially if you’re going to continue to
act like that.”

Gina turned her back to Cheryl and
headed out the front door to the car. Cheryl stood watching, with
her hands up in the air and her best
what-the-hell-did-I-do
expression.

I gave her a little push on her back.
She swung around to see what had touched her. We were
face-to-face.

“
Sydney?” She shook her
head, left the house, and slammed the door behind her with a loud
bang. She had been scared. I giggled at the thought of having
frightened her.

* * *

We rode along with them to the hospital
purely for entertainment purposes. We didn’t actually require a car
to get us there. But the banter back and forth between them had
Aiden and me in stitches.

“
I’m sorry I never got a
chance to meet them in their present form. They look like they’re
both a blast to hang out with,” he mused.

“
You have no idea. I can
show you a few if you’d like.” He nodded. I kissed him. We found
this to be one of our deeper connections, and I transferred a few
choice memories of the girls over to him.

“
See, that’s exactly what I
thought they’d be like. How lucky you had them both. Fucking
hysterical.”

When we reached the hospital, we split
up. I stayed with Gina, whom Cheryl dumped at the Emergency Room
entrance, and Aiden stayed with Cheryl while she parked the
car.

Gina was being wheeled up to the
delivery ward when they finally joined us.

“
Are you ready, baby? This
is it. We’re going to be a family. I can’t wait to hold that baby
in my arms.”

“
I just want to push. Can I
push now?”

“
No! Just because you’re in
the hospital doesn’t mean you can push wherever you are. Cross your
legs or something.”

“
I want to push so badly
but I’ so scared right now. I just want to be done,” Gina
confessed.

“
Oh hun, please don’t be
scared. Babies are born every day. Nothing is going to happen. I
have a feeling we have someone watching over us. Everything’s going
to be okay.”

The doctor and nurses came in and so
began the pushing, and the cursing and the crying. And it wasn’t
just Gina. Labor and delivery lasted over eight hours. To Aiden and
I, this was only a short blip in time.

“
One more push, Gina, okay?
Give me a good one. The baby is crowning. This is it,” her doctor
told her.

Gina pushed with all her might. Cheryl
held her hand and pushed with her. They were so cute. Aiden and I
held hands and watched as the small life we had been watching
entered into their world.

“
I give you your brand new
little girl.”

“
It’s a girl! Sydney was
right. She said she could feel her. Gina, it’s a girl. Look at our
beautiful daughter!” Aiden and I high-fived for my winning the baby
bet.

The doctor held the baby up for them to
see before the nurses hurried her away to clean up and take her
vitals.

Cheryl sighed with relief. She kissed
Gina on her forehead. They both had tears streaming down their
faces. I could feel every single emotion they did. It was amazing
to know what the birth of one’s child felt like.

When the nurses finally brought the
baby over to them, they handed her to Gina and left all three to
bond.

“
Oh my God, Gina. We’ve
waited so long to hold her. Hello, baby girl. We’re your
mommies.”

“
Do you want to say her
name first?”

“
No, love, you do it. You
deserve to after everything you’ve been through to have
her.”

“
Oh my sweet little girl. I
love you so much already and I just met you. We chose to name you
after someone who meant the world to us. Without her, you might not
be here. Your name is Sydney. I hope you grow up to be as beautiful
and amazing as she was. I just know you will.”

I looked to Aiden, with my hand over my
heart, and all my emotions rolled over me. Talk about being honored
and touched. He smiled at me and I could feel the pride he was
feeling.

“
Now you tell her what her
middle name is,” Gina told Cheryl.

“
Sydney, we wanted to honor
the man who would have been your uncle, because your Aunt Nini
loved him so much, and we wanted to make him part of our family,
too. We know it’s unusual, but your middle name is Ayden. We
spelled it with a “y” so it was more girlie. So welcome to this
world, Sydney Ayden Venice. I know you have two guardian angels
that are watching over you. You are so lucky. I wish you could have
met them.”

I could tell how Aiden felt at the
second honor they had given him that day. He pulled me into a hug
and kissed me.

We both leaned over to look at our new
“godchild” and she looked back at us. Children that young can sense
our presence easily because they come from where we are. She was
oblivious to everything around her, except for the four souls who
gathered to form a circle of complete love around her at this
moment.