A Fathers Promise

"Daddy, whats that?" Sara asked her father as they both stared outside the large bay window. All day John had heard the warnings on the TV and radio.
"Its just a little storm, honey." he lied to his six year old daughter. He picked her up in his arms, holding her tight. Believing in his heart everything was going to be alright. The wind was blowing outside, making swishing noises. Sara winced.
"Daddy..." Sara whined. Looking at him with her light blue eyes.
"Its okay. Everything is gonna be okay." he promised her. She dropped out of his arms and left to grab her doll. Outside trees where rocking to the wind and out of the corner of John's eye he saw a trash can fly across his next door neighbor's yard and into his.
Sara climbed back into his lap and said, "Mommy needs to come home." John nodded his head in agreement. Mary had said she would only be gone for a few minutes to pick up milk and eggs from the store, but she had been gone now, for nearly two hours. Rain began to violenty pour onto the house, streets, everywhere. Sara wiggled in his arms.
"Daddy, I'm scared!" she screamed and wiggled farther into his embrace. He began to slowly walk away from the window with Sara screaming in his arms for her mom.
"Wheres Mommy? I WANT my mommy!" he didn't know what to say. He too wanted to have answers to these questions, but everytime he dialed her number there was no answer. Sara repeated it over and over until finally she was too horase to scream any longer. Slowly Sara's eyes began to close from exhaustion and soon she drifted into a deep slumber. Once John had put her under the covers he closed the door and walked back into the living room. The wind was whistling loudly against the house.
John closed his eyes praying, "God, please bring Mary home. Sara needs her, I need her." Dialing Mary's number once more he heard the familar dial tone followed by Hi. It's Mary. Sorry I can't answer the phone, but please leave a message and number and I'll call you back as soon as I can. He slammed the phone on the maghomy coffee table and cussed underneath his breath. The rain continued to fall. Crying its loud tears. The newscaster appeared upon the television making its last warning, People of the Halifax area find shelter immediately. We are under a tornado emergency. Grabbing the remote hastily he turned off the TV. The rain continued to fall. Watching the trees sway to the winds rythmn he began to wonder if Mary was ever going to come home. He looked outside at the heavy rainfall and made a leap towards the door. His car was waiting in the driveway, he started it up. Heading for the store in hopes of finding Mary, his thoughts were side tracked. He had left Sara unattended at home sleeping. Suddenly a loud boom! echoed around his car and all he could smell was burning rubber.
"John...John. Wake up, dear." a sweet angelic voice whispered in his ear. John slowly opened his eyes. A white glow appeared around him and this young lady dressed in nothing but white was standing before him.
"Where am I?" he asked. The women grabbed his hand pulling him up.
"Follow me." her sweet voice sang. John began to walk behind the women, wondering where she was taking him. They walked for a few minutes until finally she motioned for him to stop and he obeyed. Before them was a glowing white screen and a movie was playing.
"Mommy! Mommy! Your home!" the little girl screamed at her mom.
The women picked her daughter up. John had seen these two people before, but where. Suddenly John realized. It was Mary and Sara. John stood there, puzzled. How could he be here, but yet his family was standing there on the screen. He wanted to wrap his arms around Sara and shout, "I promised you she would come home!" But his voice only echoed through out the white room. Staring at the screen he heard Sara's tiny sweet voice say,
"Daddy, would be proud of me Mama. I didn't cry when he left me here all alone." Mary looked into Sara's eyes, tears welling up in the corners, almost breaking free.
"He would have been so proud, honey. So proud." Hugging her daughter she looked up into the fresh light blue sky and whispered a prayer for her husband who was now in Heaven looking down at his family who he had unwillingly left behind.