The majestic view of the cosmos was beckoning him to her arms, ready to comfort him for eternity. He was so close to accepting her offer of peace and infinite knowledge.  The canopy of stars and nebulae reached out to touch his soul. His arms opened wide to accept her invitation. He was ready, ready to pass through the veil of life and into the gentle, loving arms of God…

 

Did he hear something?

  A voice he thought, surely not here and now. He didn’t want to return to reality, just let me go… he pleaded with the unknown voice, let me belong to the universe again!

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  “Leave me alone!” he cried out. Was that his voice? At the moment, he couldn’t be sure of anything. All he knew was that he wanted so badly to be a part of the beautiful tapestry that lay before him.

  Something came into his view. Whatever it was, it began to block out his want, his need, his finality.

  What is it? he asked himself through the pain, the excruciate burning in his lungs as he struggled for another breath.

  Has she come for me? Is it time?

  His eyes tried to focus from the distant stars to the object obstructing his view but everything was fuzzy, like trying to see through swirling, inky water.

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  “Daddy, can you hear me? Daddy, are you all right? Oh, Daddy, Daddy, please talk to me!” He knew that voice from some deep, faraway place in his mind but he could not remember who it belonged to or why it was calling him. 

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  “Daddy!”​

  That meant something, he began to realize it was someone he knew intimately, images of a beautiful baby sleeping so peacefully, his arms crossed at the end of the crib, his chin resting on the back of his hands, just watching as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. For hours he would stand there, amazed he had a very small part in the creation of this perfect girl, his girl. Images … images of a young girl’s face staring up at him, laughing and singing as they danced together, her feet on top of his shoes, so sweet he thought, so sweet...​

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  “Daddy!”, Christine cried out, “Daddy, oh, Daddy why…”.​