Katie's Angel (16 page)

             
“I am okay. They said I will be okay. You got the worst of it. I am so sorry. I didn’t think…” he said as he broke down in tears.

             
“Jack, it isn’t your fault. If I had not have came over then you would still have your car. I am so sorry. I caused all of this, because I didn’t want to listen to everyone else,” she said as she looked away embarrassed.

             
“Katie, I don’t care about the car. It is just a car. All I am worried about is you. I was so worried when I woke up, that I drove the nurse crazy until she let me come here to see you. When I saw you laying there I couldn’t help but think how angelic you looked. You were so peaceful. If anything worse had happened to you, I would have been absolutely devastated.”

             
That was the sweetest thing Katie had ever heard.  She squeezed his hand tight. Looking into his eyes she could see something that she didn’t think she would ever see. She could see that he had a deep love for her.

             
As if reading her mind, he looked at her with tears in his eyes and said, “Katie, I love you!”

             
“I love you too!” Katie said as a tear falls down her cheek.

             
As they continued to share the moment the door to her room opened. As much as she didn’t want to she tore her eyes away from Jack. As she looked at the door, her mom and dad walked in. When they realized that she was awake, they both rushed over to her.

             
Trying to get out of the way and let them have some family time, Jack let go of Katie’s hand. Before he could move Katie tightened her grip on his hand. He looked at her and she had a smile on her face that said she wasn’t letting go. Without saying a word, he just squeezed her hand back.

              As her mom kissed her on her head she grabbed her dads hand with her other hand. She had everyone in her room that meant more to her than she had thought. She was ready to go home and live her life; even if it meant that Jackson wasn’t there it was okay. He was there in her heart.

A Year Later
….

             
Katie was up early. She had so much to do. It was the one year anniversary for her and Jack. She had planned for them to have a nice dinner with her parents and she was making the dinner.

In the last year so much had happened. She felt like she was a brand new person. She put on a pair of jean shorts and a red shirt. Then she
put her flip flops on, and grabbed the one thing she knew that would make Jacksons grave complete. She walked up the street and to the right. As she walked up the hill she realized that she wasn’t feeling the loneliness that she used to feel. She walked down the row to Jackson’s headstone. She kissed her fingers and touched the headstone, before she slid to the ground.

As she sat there she placed the picture of her dad, mom, Jackson and herself there next to the headstone. It was his favorite thing in the world and she knew that he would be so happy to have to close to him again.

             
It had been a year since she had been back here. It was so different this time. She took her shoes off and out them to the side. She put her back to the headstone and leaned against it. She talked about everything that had happened in the last year, with her mom and dad, with Jack, and most of all with her.

             
She had been talking to a therapist, and it was helping so much more than she thought was possible. She and Amy had started hanging out together again. She didn’t realize just how much she had missed her until they started spending more time together. She also told him how mom and dad was allowing her and Jack to see each other. It was a feeling she never thought she would feel again.

             
Getting a little somber, she said to Jackson, “I never told them about our conversation. They would have thought I was nuts if I had told them. These days I think about you all the time, but I am always happy when I do. I miss you but it is different. It is because I know you are the one there with me and you are always helping me to make the right decision. I love you Jackson. I will be back later this month to see you. Thank you for all that you said that day. You changed everything about my life and I will be forever grateful little brother.”

             
As she sat there thinking about Jackson she felt a hand on her shoulder. This time she didn’t need to look around for anyone. She knew that it was Jackson telling her he was right there with her.

About the Photographer

Dena Stanley is a mother of four children, and a wife to an Army man. She currently lives in Clarksville, Tennessee where she has her own photography company named “Stanley Family Photography”. She is originally from Arkansas. She loves her family and loves to do photography. In her free time she is running her kids to all their extracurricular activities and enjoys every minute of it.

About the Girl in the Photo

Mackenzie Christiansen lives in Adams, Tennessee with her parents and two siblings. She is a freshman at
Rossview High School. Her passion is Dance as she is a competitive dancer, as well as on the High School Dance Team. In her free time she likes to spend time with friends, family, as well as doing photo shoots.