Heart and Soul

Heart and Soul





He sat at his desk thinking for what seemed like forever. His thoughts were no place in particular until he turned and saw the gold ankle bracelet hanging from the closet door knob. He sat there looking at for the first time in years and his heart broke all over again.

He looked at the calendar on his computer screen then realized it was ten years ago almost to the day, that she was killed. The ankle bracelet was all that was left of her, all that was left of their lives together other than their daughter. He reached out took it off the knob and started at it in his hand then started to cry.

"Dad?" Someone said knocking at his door. He slowly opened his eyes when he heard the knocking and voice again. "Dad?"

"Yeah." He replied sitting up in his chair waking himself up. The door opened, a brown haired girl around twelve stuck her head in then smiled at him. "Lisa, what's wrong?" He asked her.

"I noticed your door was still closed..." She said entering the room. "Have you been here all night again?"

"All night?" He said out loud. "What time is it?"

"Eight thirty." She told him.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"It's Saturday dad!" Saturday he thought. What happened to Friday? "Are you coming to breakfast?" She asked. He looked at the bracelet in his hand then back at her.

"Yes, sorry." He got up put the bracelet in his pocket then walked over to his daughter. She looked like her mother in so many ways.

"Are you okay dad?"

"Yes, just... yes." Lisa was two when she died. Lisa never got to know her mother and sometimes he felt he was the one that should have died. It was the one thing that haunted him for years after. Yet somehow he had forgotten... why?

They sat at the table eating breakfast. Lisa had made French toast with bacon and scrambled eggs, his favorite. He was quiet for almost half an hour before she said anything.

"What's wrong dad?" He looked up at her then saw her mother in her eyes. His heart broke again and he tried not to cry in front of her.

"I'm sorry." He told her, his eyes starting to tear up.

"For what?" She knew something was wrong.

"That you didn't get to know your mother." She got up and hugged him long and hard.

"But I do know her... through you." He looked at her surprised. "All the storied you told me about her made me believe she was right in the room with us." He pulled the bracelet from his pocket and handed it too her.

"This was your mothers. Not sure why I didn't give you this before? I'm sure she would love for you to have it." She stared at the bracelet in his hand then put her hand in his.

"Thank you my love." She said. He looked up startled at what she said then froze. In front of him was his wife.

"Mara..." He didn't get the chance to finish. She put her finger over his mouth then leaned over and kissed him gently.

"Thank you my love, you did a good job raising our daughter. I love you both so much." She pulled her hand away and she disappeared. He looked around for her but she was not there.

"Dad!" Lisa said looking around the room as well.

"Lisa?" They looked at each other like they were looking at each other after being apart for a log time.

"Dad... I thought I saw..." She didn't finish.

"I... I'm not sure but I thought I saw... your mother!" He told her.

"So did I!" She told him then sat down. "She told me she was proud of me for turning out so well."

"She told me I did a good job raising you." He told her then they both looked at the bracelet.

"She said she loved us both." They both said looking at each other. They began to cry holding onto each other and the bracelet tight.



"He's crying. Why is he crying?" The nurse asked whipping his face. The doctor turned staring at him. His body was mangled, broken bandaged from head to toe with his legs and left arm in casts. The monitor next to him showed his heart and pulse were above normal for someone in his condition.

"I have no idea." He said leaning over.

"Shouldn't we try and remove that bracelet out of his hand?" She asked looking down at his right hand. It was clenching over his chest holding a small heart shaped ankle bracelet.

"Just leave it. It's all that was left of his wife from accident. His mother said he gave it to her on their first wedding anniversary, just before he found out she was expecting."

"But... that was last month!"

"The car accident along with death of his wife and unborn child... that kind of trauma can break anyone beyond the physical limits. He had to watch them die and may never recover." The doctor finished checking his chart then turned to leave.

"When you get through, let his mother know she can come back in." Then he left. The nurse finished washing him put everything back on the cart, then turned to leave but stopped at the door looking back at him. A smile appeared on his face just before he died.