This Is Love
The audience happily swayed to the song's rythum, but Lillian's eyes never left Stevie. When her set finally ended, she parted the crowd with a shove of her arms, Grasping him as he wilted a bit.
"I'm OK! I'm OK!" He tried to convince her.
"You're not..You're faint."
Paul grasped Michael about the waist and, with Lillian, Joanie and Stephanie hovering around him, left the club.
**
A few blocks away, the fivesome sat in a circle, sipping soda.
"These people will be the death of us," Paul noted. A waiter circled them,
placing food onto the table.
"They're good people, mostly," Michael said, holding a bag of ice to his
temple.
"We all believe that, but when things like this happen.." Joanie shuddered,
"Someone sent me a pile of raw meat yesterday with my name pinned to an
entail. I shudder to think that someone's that angry with me."
Steph patted Joanie's hand, "We'll all be OK, Jo," She sighed, "We just have
to believe that we'll muddle through somehow."
"Well," Paul announced, "I say live for today. Live for today, or you'll
regret not living at all."
*****
Live for Today, or you'll regret not living at all.
"Lillie?"
She looked at him over her shoulder as she rinsed her pantyhose in the sink.
Smiled thinly. "Mike?"
"I..I was thinking..The day's not getting longer…And…"
She turned to study him while he sat on their bed. He looked tiny and
helpless. She stepped forth to say something, but he spoke first.
"I was wondering if you'd consider having our child."
She stood perfectly still, and for a moment, he feared he'd lost her.
Lilian simply turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pecked him
with a gentle kiss. "Where do we begin?"
He laughed through his tears, "I've heard the best way is with a kiss."
"Then.." She wrapped her arms around his neck, "Help me begin."
He did so.
******
Four months later
"…So they told me I have to take a pay cut," Paul snorted, "Imagine? A pay
cut?" He laughed heartily.
Well, I'm going to be needing a pay increase pretty soon, Lillian
thought, resting a hand on her belly.
"Well, you don't have a wedding to pay for," Michael groused.
"I heard insurance rates are going up, too." Stephanie remarked.
"You can shoot me now. That's the only way they'll be able to get blood from
me, I've been drained dry."
It was a horrible prophecy. None of them saw the bullet rip through the
walls of his chest; only the look of complete surprise on his face as he
lurched over against the table.
Paul screamed as he landed in Lillian's lap; she froze completely still, her
eyes glazed in horror. It was Joanie who tackled the gunman, who had been
trying to flee the scene. Lillian would be haunted forever by the man's
voice.
"What's wrong with you?! I killed Steven Richards! Why aren't you happy?"
Lillian brushed his forehead, "Michael, Michael, don't leave me!"
His eyes fluttered open; for all the world, he looked like he was going to
simply fall asleep in her arms, as he had done for months before.
"I love you, Lillie. I always will."
It was a whisper; she screamed for a doctor. He touched her chest. "It'll
be OK." He promised her, even if she knew it wouldn't be.
"You have to know…your dream's coming true, Michael. We're going to have a
baby.."
He smiled, resting his hand on her tummy. "My baby." He sighed, and kissed
her there.
Paramedics surrounded her, lifting him away. His heart was still beating,
but for how long?
She leaned on Stephanie, who helped her out of the booth and to her car.
It was then that she noticed the omnipresent rain that had haunted their
existence had lifted. A rainbow glowed in the distance.
"Live for today," She whispered, her eyes focused on the distant rainbow as
Stephanie climbed into the driver's seat beside her, "or you'll regret not
living at all."
In corroboration, their child kicked.