Okay.

*door bell rings*

"Give me a minute!!! I'm coming!!! , screamed Meredith as she got herself out of the bathtub.

*door bell keeps ringing erratically*

"Young lady, don't you hear the door bell?"

"Damn it. Can't even have a peaceful bath in this house".

"Alright, here I am. Now this better be someone important".

*Meredith opens the door*
Ma'am, are you Mrs Davis?", asked the cop.
"Well, yes I am."
"Ma'am, we have some news to share."

The cop stepped in without much confidence. He was trembling, almost like he felt
guilty for what he is about to do.

"Are you one of my husband's buddies? He hasn't come home since yesterday."
"Yes Ma'am. I knew your husband. I am Richard. He was with me on duty last night".
"Okay...so where the hell is he? He missed our daughter's birthday and she is very upset. Now he sends you?".

The cop paused a while. It's almost as if he couldn't speak out words.

"He was shot on duty Mrs Davis. We couldn't save him. I'm sorry",richard said choking his tears.


"What..? What the hell are you talking about? He told me he will be back in the morning
to take our daughter to the pool. Quit messing around."

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. But...I'm not joking. He was shot trying to protect a little girl
from an armed robber."

Meredith fell on her knees and started tearing up.

"Mommy..."
Oh my baby..." She hugged her 6 yr old as hard as she could.

"Mommy...why are you crying? Where's Daddy?"

"Daddy is gone baby....he is gone..." , Meredith broke down in tears, her hands wrapped tight
around her daughter's body.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo", screamed Mary waking up from her sleep.
She was breathing hard, panting and sweating like she's seen a ghost.
She looked at the clock and it was just past 3.00 AM.
She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hon, are you ok", asked George, her husband.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay...come on, get back to sleep. We need
to head to the doctor in the morning for your appointment."

*alarm rings at 7 AM*

"Wake up sweetie. Mommy has a busy day today.
"5 min pleaseeeeee", pleaded ryan.
"Alright. I need you downstairs for breakfast in 30 min.Understood?
"Sure....", ryan , still in his sleepy voice.
Mary kissed her son's forehead and headed out.

"Are we going to talk about last night, Mary?", asked george, slicing his bread.

"Well, let's see, not really."

"Oh come on hon. I know what happened. It's the same thing that happens every year."
Mary gave her husband a stern glance.
"Now, stop talking Mr. It will only take me 5 min to drop ryan in school.
I want you ready and set for your doctor appointment soon.


"Alright, alright. I'll get going".
George wheeled himself out on his wheelchair. It's been almost a year
since he was in an accident. Today's appointment is supposed to shed some
light on his ability to walk in the future.

*phone beeps".

"Morning Mary. There's been a slight change of plans. The meeting
this afternoon has been preponed to 10 AM. I hope you can make it.".

"Oh you got to be kidding me". Mary read the message from her boss and threw away the phone in frustration.


"Mom, I'm ready!!", entered Ryan with a grin across his face.
No matter how frustrated she is, there is something about Ryan's smile which makes her worries melt away.

"Alright, champ. Here's your lunch. Get yourself in the car. I'll be there
in a minute."

"I can't make it. I need to drop off Ryan in school and take
George for his doctor appointment. You guys carry on." , Mary responded
to her boss and put her mobile on silent.

"Mom...my teacher asked us all what do we want to be.. what should I say?", asked Ryan.
"Well. I don't know Ryan, whatever you like I guess".
Mary was still distracted about the meeting. Missing it might after her
promotion.

"Here we go sweetie. Have a good day, alright? Be a good boy." Mary kissed Ryan's forehead and saw him leave.

"George, I'm back. Come on, let's go. We will be late to your appointment."
"George? Where are you?".

"In here.", she heard him in the kitchen.
"What are you doing? You had your breakfast already."
"Well I did, but you didn't. And I'm not going anywhere until you eat this sandwich."

"Oh come on George. I need to get you back to home, then go to my office."
"What's the rush? I told you I can take care of myself."
Mary sighed.
"Damn it. Give me that." She took the sandwich and started munching away.

"You nervous?", asked George as they were on the way to the doctor.
"Well, a bit. I guess. You?"
"I feel good. I feel confident. Like..I'm gonna be walking real soon."
Mary smiled. She prayed that's true.

*At the doctor's office*.

Well, let's see what we have here.", said Dr Richard in an enthusiastic tone.
He was holding the report from a scan which would determine if George is ready to walk.

After reading for about 5 min, Dr Richard took of his glass and placed it on the table.
"Well...say something Doc. You are driving me crazy here.", chuckled George.

"Look. Maybe I should just talk to your wife first."
"No no no....whatever it is, you tell us, right here."
George was losing his confidence and getting nervous. Mary could tell that by seeing his hands shivering. She reached out and held his hand and smiled gently.

"Okay..well...here it goes. I'm sorry George but..the nerves in your legs are too damaged for you to put any weight on them. You can't walk.."
George's eyes were starting to fill with tears.
"I can't walk now...or..." George stammered.
"Ever George. You will never be able to walk. I'm sorry." , said Dr Richard.

"Oh this is bullshit. We spent so much money for what? This? Are you kidding me man?" George shouted.
Mary was still in shock and couldn't believe it. But she knew she had to control her husband.

"Well, thank you Dr richard.", said Mary and stood up.
"George...let's go."
"Let's go? Go where? This man took dollars and dollars out of our pocket for some treatment and this is what he comes up with?"

"Honey..Let's go. We knew it was only a 50-50 chance going in. You can't blame him."
"The hell I can't." screamed George and banked the desk.

"Alright, that's enough George."
Mary sounded stern and George knew he had to calm down. She started to wheel him out
and get him in the car.

"You know what..just..drop me in the park.My friend ray wanted to meet me. I'll have him bring me to the apartment once we are done."
Mary dropped off George in the park and went home.
She was disappointed, frustrated and most of all, sad. She didn't know what to do.
She slipped over the ottoman and threw it on the TV in frustration.
She kept having vision of the day she found out her dad was gone.
It will be his 30 year anniversary tomorrow. But she had never dealt with the grief.

*Mary's phone rings*

"Hey Mary. Rachel here from office. Remember the documents I gave you a couple months
back to take care of since I was on vacation.? I need it today. Can you bring them
over?",
"Oh yeah Rachel, sure. I'll be..um..I'll be there in a half hour."
"Great, thanks."

Shit. Where did I keep those documents? Nothing ever stays in the same place in this damn home.
She started to search her room, her home office, the living room.
The document was nowhere to be found. Finally she went into the store room and started
to pull out all the boxes.

"Where the hell are those documents".
She opened up all the boxes in frustration and started throwing them
on the floor.
Amidst all the boxes, she found one named "dad". She had never seen it before.
She realized her mother must've left it here by mistake while shifting the home.
She opened the box quickly and found a bunch of her dad's clothes.
It also had the uniform he was wearing when he was shot on duty. She took the shirt
in her hands and smelled them. As she ran her hands through the pockets, she found a paper
in one of the shirt's pocket.

It was crushed but legible.
" Dear Mary. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you on your birthday. Daddy had to go protect a little girl, just like you. Now, I promise you I will take you to the pool tomorrow and we'll have fun. In the mean time, remember..you asked me a few days ago what I wanted you to be?..I mean...I didn't have an answer for it then.
And I actually thought about it, you know. What I want my little girl to be. Now, you know daddy's not that smart, right? I couldn't come up with any fancy words and even if I did, It didn't sound like something I would say.

But..suddenly, it came to me. It was so simple, right in front of my eyes, but I didn't see it.
Honey, you can be whatever you want in your life. But you know what I want you to be?
I want you to be OKAY, babygirl. I want your future to be OKAY. I want your life to be
OKAY. Now now, that might sound dumb but trust me, maybe if you are reading this someday
when you are old, you will realize, that being "okay" is not that terrible a thing.
In fact, a lot of people would kill to be just okay in life.
Now, that's what I wish for you babygirl.

When you wake up, I promise I will be here and I'll make it up to you
for missing you birthday.

Love, daddy."

When Mary was done reading, the letter was wet with the tears rolling down from her cheeks.
Her dad must've wrote it before he went out for his duty that night, but forgot to give it to her for whatever reason.
She pressed the letter on her heart and knelt down, screaming her heart out and sobbing.
Maybe this was the closure she needed. Maybe this letter will help her through
the difficult times in her life. While she felt her dad was taken away so suddenly from her, now there's a little piece of him he left for her.
"Mary...you still here?", she heard George.

She stood up, put the letter in her pocket, wiped her face and walked into the living room.
"Hi.", she said in a feeble voice.
"Hi..um..you alright..?", George asked worried as he looked at the ottomon and the broken TV glass.
"Sure..yeah..sorry..just um..never mind. I'm all right."

"I need to talk to you, Mary."
"I know George. And I do too. But not now. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Mary took her bag and rushed to the office.

*Later that night*

Mary knocked the door.
"Mommy's home. Open up Ryan honey."
She was welcomed back home with her son's huge grin and a hug.
"How was your day, baby"?
"Great. Daddy bought me ice cream on the way to home."
"Nice."
She walked in and noticed dinner ready on the table.
"Hmm. Did daddy cook as well?"

"Yup. He said you'd be tired."
Mary smiled and didn't waste a single moment. She dug on her plates and filled up her stomach.

She slowly walked to her bed room and found George working on his desk. She went behind him, put her
arms around his neck and kissed his head.

" You know, you should do all the cooking around here. You are awesome at it."
"Why, thank you, I am." George chuckled.
"Now..can we talk..", he asked, kissing her hand.
"Well, nope. I'm going to talk and you Mr, are going to listen."
George smiled.
"Well, yes ma'am, go ahead."
"Look, honey. I know you were disappointed today. So was I. But we knew this might happen. And there's no point in beating yourself up over it. Now, I know what you think. You are not a burden George. You never will be. I married you for you. For your soul. For your dorky face. Trust me, your ability to walk was not one of the reason I married you.", chuckled Mary.

"I know that but...", George started to talk only to be shushed by Mary.
"I talk, you listen , Mr."
"Now, where was I? Right...you not being able to walk changes nothing. I don't want to hear a thing about it from now on. Is that clear?"

"Well..sometimes you sound like my mom, you know...?", George said sarcastically.

"Oh really? She slapped his wrist. Now, let's sleep alright? We had a tough day and I want to just cuddle up."
George smiled.

They got ready for bed and knocked the lights out.
"Mom..?", came in Ryan.
"Oh hey baby, What's the matter? I thought you were sleeping."
"Can I sleep here? I hear thunderstorms."
"Oh right, sure. Come on."
Mary looked up at the ceiling and stared for a long time.
Her son on one side, grabbing onto her for protection, and her husband on the other side grabbing on to her for love, she felt complete.
Most of all, she felt okay.
"We are okay, daddy. I promise. We are okay.", she whispered as she shut her eyes for the night.