*Debbie could hardly contain her excitement. The arduous and painful process of gifting new life into this world was a distance memory as the veritable fruits of her labour were now cradled within her pale, slender arms. She gazed into the tiny glistening jet black sapphires staring back at her. A petite bundle of flesh and bone, untouched or tainted by society or it's moral values. The first page of an empty book ready to be inked out in what was to be an unfolding epic saga of adventure and discovery. Motionless, he laid there wrapped in his blanket, taking in the features and contours of a face that would, in time, prove to be his only unifying point of solitude, shelter and undying love. For an instant, a glorious future flashed before her mind’s eye.*

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The maternity room door opened in a muffled creak as a lady dressed in a colourful frock and feathered hat crept in. She carried a brown paper bag filled to the brim with an assortment of fruit as well as a crumpled newspaper tucked under one armpit. ”How’s the little family union coming along?” she asked, baring a large toothy smile.

Debbie returned the warm acknowledgement. ”Just fine, Sarah. Thank you for the fruit, though you really shouldn't have. Would you mind placing them by the table near the window?”

“Of course. I searched at three of our local stores to find the ripest one’s for you and your beautiful new addition. The strawberries are so juicy, you have to try them.”

Debbie pursed her lips, whilst shaking her head with a proud smile. ”Later if that’s OK, Sarah. I’m still getting acquainted with the little one.”

She rushed over to the bed after placing the contents of the bag in a neat formation upon the wooden top. The overcast gloom through the large windows, did little to dampen the joy in the hospital room. ”Oh, he’s so adorable!” she cooed, waving a playful finger in front of them both. The newly born flitted his gaze this way and that, attempting to keep up with the interesting new object that had just invaded his field of vision. A look of curiosity slowly made it’s way upon his face.

”Yes, he certainly is. I can't get over the fact he's finally here.” Debbie whispered, beaming at the sight of her son's curious intrigue.

”Oh, he’s just too cute. I can already see he has his father's eyes.”

The mood in the room dropped faster than Sarah had time to think. Debbie looked up at her with a blank glare, tears already starting to well.

”I’m sorry, Deb.” She mumbled with a sorrowful pout. ”I didn’t mean to… What I meant to say was....”

”It’s alright.” asserted Debbie. ”There’s a time to wallow in one’s own self-pity and another to step up to the mark and place your priorities in order.” She looked back down at the soft, warm package nestled below her. ”My James needs me now. He’s all I have in this world and nothing will ever take precedence over that. Not even my own swirling inner demons. They'll have to finish their tussle without me as the intermediary.” Managing to raise a hand to his soft brow without shifting her arm, she stroked his forehead tenderly and muttered under her breath. ”Brandon is gone. Believe it or not, I’ve accepted that. Now I’ve got a plenthora of roles to fill in his life. I realize this fact only too well. This is the card we were dealt and therefore that’s what I fully intend to do, to the best of my abilities.”

Sarah could see the concealed pain hidden away amongst a confusing tangle of mixed emotions and thought it best to nip this in the bud as soon as possible, to avoid further mistaken utterances. ”Well, if you need a shoulder or ear, I’ll always be there for you. Please never forget that.”

The resonance of her words was felt by Debbie. She knew the truth contained within them, not being just some passing comment made simply to pacify the situation. Their thirty-something year friendship had helped forge an unbreakable and solid foundation that was capable of weathering the harshest of storms. She was also well aware of the forthcoming support Sarah would offer up per her new lifestyle and was never short of appreciation for it.

”You know, when someone you love passes on, they seem to fade in and out of memory as time pushes on.” said Debbie. ”It’s the little things they did that you try to hold on to. The finest details of that special connection you shared with that person. It’s been seven months now and already I’m barely clinging on to those fleeting scraps of sentimental moments. Like a movie being played out of sequential order in your brain. The familiar sound of his footsteps coming through the door after a hard day’s work or the way he’d rub my shoulders when I'd feel tired, on so many an occasion. He understood me, Sarah… And I can’t ever let those recollections go. I refuse to. I won’t.”

Sarah pulled a packet of tissues from her pocket and wiped away the tears as and when they emerged. "I must admit, Debbie. I’ve never had to deal with anything as jarring as this must have been for you, but I’m sure time will prove the ultimate healer. You’ll get through this, girl. You still got me, remember?”

There was a moment of brief silence as the two friends contemplated what to say next. Debbie was first to break that thin veil of ice. ”Thank you, Sarah” she said, grasping her companion’s wrist with a free hand whilst supporting the baby with the other. ”I know you won’t let me down. But I’m serious about what I said. The fragility of the mind and life itself. Death puts a new perspective on everything. The finite state of our surroundings and how we ourselves will one day become someone else's memory. That is one constant in this world that you can be sure will eventually come to be. Mortal decay is an integral part of every living thing's foundation. Embedded deep in our genes. But times have changed and now technology has caught up with biology. So I thought you'd like to be the first to know the good news. I’ve decided to go ahead with it. And that is my final decision.”

Sarah opened her eyes wide with a new and anxious worry. ”We’ve talked about this at length, Deb. The possible implications and ramifications. Are you absolutely…”

”Don’t change my mind, Sarah. I beg of you. For the first times in ages I see things clearly now. Maybe more than I ever have done before.” She placed a palm upon the soft, delicate flesh of her tiny saving grace. His round cheeks were warm to the touch and those shimmering beads studied her with an almost other-worldly fascination.

*”Yes, my little heart-throb. After the operation, your life will be better than you could ever have imagined possible.”*

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<h2>Hope you enjoyed this post, please look out for more on the way... (author: @ezzy)</h2><hr>