Epilogue
Fifty years later, Brian stared at that same picture. He had kept it in
perfect condition for all those years. Brian stared at the three members of his
family. He looked at himself, realizing how young and handsome he looked. He
was 76 now. His gaze drifted down to Brianne, just a baby in the picture. She
was now 50. He couldn't believe she was that old now. She had become a doctor,
just as Alexa had dreamed of doing once. She had married in her twenties and
had two sons. Her sons were grown up now and had kids of their own.
Finally, Brian's gaze settled on Alexa. A lump rose in his throat.
Alexa had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer just a few years after Brianne was
born. To save her life, she had to have her ovaries and uterus removed. Because
of that, she and Brian were never able to have any more children.
Alexa's cancer went away after that. She and Brian lived a wonderful
life together. They watched Brianne and their grandchildren grow up. But
Alexa's cancer came back just a year before. She only made it a few months
before she passed away. Brian took her loss hard. Shortly after her death, he
had been diagnosed with heart failure. It had only been a few months, but
somehow, he knew he was going to die soon. He just couldn't go on without
Alexa.
Now, he set the portrait back on his nightstand. He turned on the radio
next to his bed and switched the station to the oldies station. He felt a sharp
pain in his chest as Jessica Simpson's "Where You Are" started
playing. It was the song he and Alexa had danced to at their wedding. His
breath became shallow as the song played on. He lay back on his bed and closed
his eyes. As the last chords of the song played, his chest stopped rising.
***
Brian immediately felt a sense of peace come over him. He saw a golden
staircase extending before him. A bright light shined down on him from the top.
He began to climb the staircase. He had been there before. Only this time, he
knew he wouldn't be returning to Earth. When he reached the top of the stairs,
he saw a girl standing there, waiting for him.
"Alexa?" he asked. The girl smiled and shook her head.
"Will you ever be able to tell us apart, Brian?" she asked
with a giggle. Then her expression grew serious. "Come with me. Now is
your time. Alexa's been waiting for you." She reached out her hand to him.
Wordlessly, he took it. He was not afraid. He knew that in minutes,
he'd be reunited with his wife. He followed Elisa into the beautiful light, to
live for all eternity with his true love.
The End
