**Warning contains graphic details about certain events.
"A whole new world. A new fantastic point of view. A whole new world. A dazzling place I never knew".
-Aladdin, Disney
I came home to find J sitting outside. I had built a back deck for her. Of course, Rose too, she wanted me to put together the patio set she had bought. I was getting around to it. I went into the garage and grabbed my tools. Then, I made my way outside. I took apart the box, and started to put the pieces together.
I glanced over to find J just sitting there. She was watching the trees in the backyard, soaking up the sun in the sky. I silently chuckled to myself. Rose brought out some lemonade for us to drink. She sat in one of the patio chairs.
"Finally, I was wondering when you were going to get to that." She said, raising her glass up to her lips.
"Well, I figured if I didn't do it soon, you would, and you shouldn't have to do it." I huffed, and grabbed my screw driver.
"No, I shouldn't." She said, tilting her chin up.
Rose got up from her chair and headed for the door. Before she went in, however, she stopped and looked at me.
"A girl shouldn't have to wait to be proposed to either. I'm starting to think I'm going to have to ask you." She said with a slight chuckle.
"Now, now, wait a minute there missy. A guy needs to make sure the lady is the right one." I said, shrugging my shoulders.
Rose raised her eyebrows at me. Her eyes popped out of her head. She shook her head at me, and I could hear her chuckling in the kitchen. The funny thing is, she doesn't know I already have the ring for her, I had to hide it, because she has been getting anxious.
I know she has been wanting me to propose to her. I wanted it to be romantic and special. I also had to her for her parents, and father's permission. I know that's an old tradition, but it means something to me. My family is traditional. Once her father said yes, it was finding the perfect ring there.
I searched everywhere. I didn't want to get her a cheap ring either. Rose was special, and deserved a good ring.
Which I found at JC Penny's for a reasonable amount. Now, it was time to actually plan the proposal. I wanted it to be intimate. She was sort of upset with me over J, but I know she has grown to love that dog as much as I do.
My plan is to attach the ring onto J's collar, and have her surprise her. I was planning on proposing tonight. Cook a little dinner, and shead to the bedroom. Where I will have attached the ring onto J's collar. I had the little box setting on my nightstand, behind the bed. Where she will never look. Smart right. I had finished putting together the patio set.
I set the chairs around the table. J looked up at me, almost smiling. I smiled at her.
"Come here girl," I said in a baby voice. She came pouncing on me.
Slobbergot all over my face. I wiped it off, before heading back in. I picked up her dog food, and fed her while she was wagging her tail at me. She finished her food and ran outside. I grabbed my keys, and she finished her bowl of food. I would need to put more food in her bowl when I get back.
I headed to the bedroom and grabbed the little ring box. I would need to take that with me, I wouldn't want Rose to find it before I proposed. I headed out to my door, and went to my truck. I hopped in, and headed to the store. I was going to get some groceries for tonight's proposal plans. I was excited, I kept thinking about J. Maybe I should go back and fix her food bowl. What if she got hungry while I was gone?
I better head back just in case. I turned into an empty parking lot at the Dollar Store. I parked and went inside. Since I was going to propose, I should get J something too. So, she doesn't feel left out either. I picked up a tug-a-war toy, and paid for it. I headed out the door. I turned left to get back on my street. I was heading home, and then it all happened so fast.
Crash.
That's all I remember. I was driving down my street. Then, I was suddenly floating out of my body. I was floating towards the sky. I couldn't stop myself. I felt like I was in one of those space moves. Where there was no gravity, but I couldn't stop myself from moving.
Except, I didn't have a space suit. I looked at the ground. I could see my truck. It crashed with another vehicle. It looked bad. My truck was smoking, and I could see the ambulances in the distance. I could see the fire trucks heading towards us. I could hear the woman in the other truck.
She was screaming so loud. I tried to float towards my truck. It took a lot of effort, it felt like I was swimming in the air. I saw myself. I looked around, and I saw the ring box laying across the road. I looked tired, but with a smile on my face. I was bleeding on the side of my head. I could see my truck smoking. Then, it sparked, and my truck blew up.
I thought back to J. I started to remember what I was going to do. I was on my way home to J. I needed to feed her. I forgot to put more dog food in her bowl before I left. I had installed a dog door to our back door. That way all she had to do was go in and out of it. We didn't need to let her out.
I kept thinking about Rose. Oh, this was not at all what was supposed to happen to us. We were supposed to get married, and have kids. We were supposed to build a life together. Now that wasn't going to happen. I kept thinking of how she will handle everything, after I'm gone.
Flashbacks started to play in my mind. All at once, every single memory comes back to me. I watched when I first met Rose. I remembered my mom and my dad. I saw J first come into the hospital.
The firefighters finally get here. They loaded my body up in the ambulance. One of the firefighters picked up my little ring box. They placed it in a plastic bag. I watched as they loaded up the other woman into another ambulance.
I didn't know it would happen. I didn't know that my life would end so suddenly. Right when I finally found my best friend. That's when everything I loved was gone. I was driving down my usual path. I knew the way, like the back of my hand.
I knew where I was going and what I was doing. I had a present for J. I haven't been home lately to play with her and I wanted to make it up to her. Not only that, but I wanted her to have something to celebrate and be excited about. So I got her one of her favorite toys. A tug-a-war rope. I wasn't a very good wrapper but I didn't think she could open it like that anyways.
I went down my usual path. I was going at a good pace too. I turned to go down my street. I saw her playing outside. She stopped like usual waiting for me to come. I got distracted for a split second and then boom. I saw a blur of another car.
I knew that I had been hit. I didn't know how bad my injury was though. I passed out. That's when I started to float. I could see everything. Sirens. I could hear sirens. I thought I was going to make it. That I was going to be able to see my beloved dog and lover again.
I was pulled back to the ambulance. My soul came crashing back into my body all at once. I was coughing, and my body hurt all over. I could feel the pain everywhere. The paramedics tried to calm me down. I could feel blood coming out of me. I was wet all over. I don't remember being pulled out of my truck before it blew up.
They told me to not close my eyes. I couldn't help it, I did, and everything felt fine. Everyone says that when we die we have sixty seconds. In that sixty seconds, we think about all the people and things we loved. It all goes by in a blur. The flashbacks from earlier. I was having them all over again.
The last thing or person is the one you loved the most. J had been my pride and joy from the very first time I met her. She changed me in ways I didn't think were possible. I knew that I had changed her too. That she was happy and I hoped she would continue to be that happy, brilliant dog I knew.
I never knew that I could love something so much. Rose and J had taught me so much. Rose, she taught me about how I could love someone else besides myself. How I could have a wonderful future with someone.
J, this dog taught me how to love unconditionally, no matter what. You could go through some pretty rough things, but have a bright side in the end. In those last few seconds, I saw J and Rose. They were my whole world, my future, my hope. They were my life, and they would be my legacy.
In that last second before I left. I floated over to J. She was in the backyard, and just playing around. She had know idea, no idea about me. No idea of what was next for her. I could only hope that Rose would keep her. I know she wasn't fond of her at first.
I went down to her. I watched her run around. She stopped and looked at me. Her ears tilting sideways, she came pouncing to me. She wanted to play. When she came to me, she passed right through me. She turned around confused.
I smiled my sad smile at her. She didn't know. I made my way to the kitchen. I watched as Rose was working on her laptop. Her phone started going off. At first, she ignored it, and then finally she answered it. She dropped it, horror across her face. She flew from her chair, and grabbed her keys. She left the house. I guess that's the call from the hospital.
I went back outside to J. She was sitting there wagging her tail. J looked up at me, and for a second I didn't want to leave her. She rolled over on the grass, and in that last moment. I knew I could go. I did my part. I was the hero. She needed me, and I gave her a wonderful life while I was there.
I knew that Rose would take good care of her. I knew that she would be good. I just knew somehow. I couldn't quite explain it. Everything was going to be okay.
"Goodbye J, Daddy loves you with all his heart." I then took my final breath and it felt good.
I was at peace, I floated towards the sky. I closed my eyes, letting the sun shine on me. I saw it, the stars, the sun, I saw the whole world. It was so beautiful. I saw heaven, it was real, life after death. It was surreal. I could see everything from floating in space and time.
Rose
I was working on my photography portfolio on my laptop. My phone kept going off. It was always like that . I was always working, and everyone was always blowing up my phone. It wouldn't stop so I looked at the caller ID on my phone. Toni. It was Max's mom. I picked it up.
"Hey?" I asked her,
"Rose got to the hospital now. Max has been in an accident!" I could hear her screaming on the other side.
I dropped my phone on the table. I was trying to process what happened. I grabbed my phone, purse and keys. I ran outside the house, and into my car. I got in it, I needed to calm down. I tried, but all I could think about was Max. I needed to get to him. I didn't even ask his mom which hospital either. I synced my phone up to the car, and called her.
"Siri, call Toni." My car was ringing, panic was rising in me.
I mean it was an accident, and he was at the hospital. That had to be good knews right? Nothing happened, they didn't pronounce him dead or anything. Toni, Max's mom finally answered.
"Rose, are you almost here?" I could hear the hysteria in her voice.
"Toni, which hospital is it?"
"The one on fourth street."
"Close by our house?"
"Yes that one."
"Okay, hang tight I'm almost there." I replied, I hung up and focused on the road."
I pulled up to the hospital shortly. I parked over there for urgent care. I quickly made my way into the hospital. Toni had told me which floor Max was on. I finally reached his room. His mom was laying beside him.
He had burn marks all over him. He looked terrible. I walked over and laid my hand on Toni's jhand. She raised her eyes up at me, they were tear filled and reddened. I couldn't cry. Part of me was still in shock.
The other part was I needed to be strong for his mom. His dad had left when he was younger, so it was just them two. Now here her son was lying in the hospital bed. Completely horrified at the scene before me.
.
Not only that, but Max was the love of my life. I was trying to hold her hand, but I felt a bag. I felt something in her hand. She was clutching a plastic bag. I opened it, there it was, the ring I remembered when I first found the ring. He could never hide things well from me. I laughed a little at that. He tried so hard for months to keep it a secret.
I knew he was planning soon. He had been acting weird lately, and I figured it was that. I tried to drop hints every now and then. I saw that he finally got them, and was just playing with me. My mind was brought back to the present. I looked him over. He had bandages everywhere. I didn't recognize him at all.
I wanted to hold his hand, but it was hooked up to the IV's. Toni needed to calm herself down before she hyperventilated. I turned my attention to her. Right now that's all I could do. The nurses and doctors will take care of Max. I know Max would want me to stop his mom from worrying so much.
I went out and grabbed some coffee. I came back and found she had passed out. Well, more coffee for me I guess. I sat there in the hospital chair. I could see Toni shivering beside him. I asked a passing nurse for a blanket, and covered her up.
Max's machines started going off. His mom woke up. Doctors and nurses rushed in, and booted us out of the room. One of the nurses made us wait in the waiting room. His mom was squeezing my hand tight. I squeezed hers.
A doctor came to us, I could see the look on his face when he saw us. It wasn't good. I already knew, I braced myself for Toni's reaction to it. He came over, and delivered the worst news anyone could have imagined.
"I'm so sorry to say this, but Max has passed away. We tried everything we could to revive him. If you need anything, please let us know." He said and removed his card from his pocket. I took it from him.
"Thank you," I said, shock coursing through me.
Toni broke down in my arms. I tried to comfort her as best as I could. There was no way she was going to drive home in this shape. It was best if I did, I mean I was in no shape either, but I was keeping myself together for her. I can cry later. All I could think about is what I'm supposed to do now.
There were arrangements that were going to need to be made soon. I wasn't in any condition to make them for her either. I walked with her outside. She needed some fresh air. We both need space to think. I haven't had time to process his accident. I've been too focused on making sure his mom was okay. I needed a break myself.
When she had calmed herself down. We walked back into the waiting room. I told one of the nurses to watch her, and that I needed to go to the bathroom. Which I did, as soon as I reached it, I locked the stall. I stood there and let it all out. I cried for what felt like forever.
When I was done I made my way back to her. We sat together, I know she knew I had been crying. We made it back to his room, and we watched as they unhooked his machines. This wasn't going to be my goodbye though, or the last image of him I would see.
Over the next week funeral plans were arranged. We got his expenses paid, and got him a nice casket. Everyone showed up and said their goodbyes. I brought J, she was his best friend. I knew he loved her very much, and would want her there.
I handed J off to his mom. I made my way to his casket. I gave him one final kiss. Goodbye my love, until we meet again someday. I closed the top part, seeing him for the final time.