The sound of the ringing phone in the middle of the night woke her from a sound sleep. Whoever it was was going to get an earful when she answered.

“Hello?” she answered sleepily.

“Brianna Cooper?” the voice at the other end of the phone asked.

“Yes who’s this?”

“This is Dr. Chambers at Tampa General. This is about your husband…..”

She cut him off, “What happened to Brent?”

“He’s been in an accident. It’s not good. We need you to come down.”

“I’m coming, I’ll be there.”

She dresses in the clothing she’d discarded earlier in the night and was in her car in less than five minutes.

Ten minutes later, even though they lived forty-five minutes away she pulled into the hospital parking lot.

She ran from her car to the Emergency Room entrance. She forced herself to calm down and WALK inside to the front desk.

“I was called….” she began. “They said my husband was in an accident.”

“Do you know who you spoke to?” the nurse asked.

“Dr. Chambers I believe.”

The nurse pressed a button and said, “Dr. Chambers to the ER lobby, Dr. Chambers to the ER lobby.”

Brianna began pacing as she waited for the doctor to show himself.

Two minutes later, the double doors leading into the heart of the ER opened and the doctor walked out.

He was young, his hair was as black as a raven, and he had chocolate brown eyes. He was very tall. “Mrs. Cooper?” he asked, looking at Brianna.

“Yes,” she said. “Where’s Brent?”

“He’s up in surgery. Before I take you up I need to speak with you.

He held one of the double doors open and she walked through and he followed.

He led her into an empty trauma room and had her sit down. She wasted no time in asking, “What’s wrong with my husband Dr. Chambers?”

He closed the door and began his answer, “He was in a car accident at 11:00pm….hold on,” he poked his head out the door and called for someone.

A few moments later a Tampa Bay police officer stepped in. Dr. Chambers introduced him, “This is Officer Davidson, and he’ll be better able to explain your husband’s accident.”

“Mrs. Cooper, your husband was not intoxicated at the time of the accident. He was heading north on Tanner Road….”

She cut him off, “Yeah, we live on Tanner.”

Davidson continued, “It appears he was heading north and there was another driver heading south. That driver was intoxicated. As the other car reached your husband’s vehicle, the driver lost control of his vehicle and it spun out of control. He hit your husband on the driver’s side of his vehicle.”

“No,” Brianna whispered.

“I’m afraid so ma’am,” both Davidson and the doctor answered.

“Take me to him. Please,” she said.

The officer left the room and Dr. Chambers turned to her and said, “Before I take you up, I need to tell you a few things.”

“What?” Brianna asked, afraid that Brent had died and nobody had told her.

“He was badly injured. He may still be in surgery. He had a lot of internal bleeding.”

“My god,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her trembling fingers.

“If you’ll follow me, we can go check on his status.”

She stood and followed him out of the room and into an elevator that took them up to the “Surgery Floor.”

Once they were there they were informed that the operating doctor wished to speak with Mrs. Cooper before she went in to be with her husband.

A few moments later, they were greeted by a middle-aged man with blackish-brown hair. He introduced himself as Dr. Gregory Harris.

Turning his attention to Brianna, he asked, “You’re Mrs. Cooper?”

“Yes,” she answered straight away.

“I need to speak with you before you go in to be with your husband.

She followed Dr. Harris into the empty waiting room and sat down next to him. “What’s wrong with my husband?” she asked.

“We were able to stop all of the internal bleeding. But a few of his other internal injuries were too severe and we weren’t able to fix them. Frankly, I’m not sure if he’s going to make through the night.”

She let loose a strangled cry and said, “Take me to him.”

“Of course, follow me please,” he stood and she followed suit.

He led her down a hallway to the left of the waiting room. They stopped outside of room 731. Dr. Harris told her, “You can go in as soon as the nurse comes out.”

Brianna stood outside Brent’s room for what seemed like forever before the nurse finally came out. It had actually been only three minutes.

“Mrs. Cooper?” she asked. She went on when Brianna nodded her head. “Your husband’s awake, he’s asking for you. You can go in now.”

Brianna wiped her eyes, opened the door and walked to Brent’s bedside.

She took his left hand in her right and smiled down at him. She didn’t say anything because she was afraid she’d start crying and she didn’t want to distress him.

Brent turned his head and opened his eyes to look at her, “Hey baby girl.”

“Hi Brent,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what baby? You didn’t do anything. The accident wasn’t your fault,” she answered as tears threatened to fall.

“No, I mean I’m sorry for not coming home when you called.”

“No sweetie, don’t even worry about that. Just think about getting better and coming home,” she told him, knowing that it was a possibility that he would never come home to her and the baby she now knew she was carrying.

She pulled the chair from the corner from the corner of the room and sat in it next to his bed.

She clasped his left hand in between both of hers and kissed it. She bowed her head for a moment, praying that Brent would get better and be able to come home. She looked up when she heard a sharp intake of breath come from he injured husband.

“Honey what’s wrong?” she asked full of concern.

He grabbed her left hand tightly, fingering her wedding rings. “Never forget that I love you,” he told her and closed his eyes.

The next thing Brianna knew, doctors and nurses had Brent’s bed surrounded.

She shrank back into the wall and started crying.

She couldn’t see what was going on and she couldn’t understand half of what they were saying.

Brianna knew she was losing Brent, but she didn’t want to believe that it was happening right in front of her very eyes.

Dr. Harris was leading the team working on him and she heard him call for the crash cart.

He had them charge the paddles to 200 and used them on Brent.

After watching the doctors and nurses work on Brent for about forty-five minutes she yelled, “STOP, JUST STOP IT!”

“Mrs. Cooper, do you understand what you’re saying?” Dr. Harris asked a sobbing Brianna.

“Yes I do. Just stop. Please,” she sobbed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Time of death 24:35 am.”

After the doctors and nurses left the room, Brianna collapsed against the wall, slid down to the floor and cried like there was no tomorrow.

When she finally calmed down enough to think coherent thoughts, she grabbed her purse and yanked her cell phone out. She called the first person she could think of.

“Hello?” a half-asleep Nick answered.

“N….Nick?”

“Brianna? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Bre…Brent was…an accident…the hospital…you have to come.”

Nick shot straight up in bed, “What?! Brent’s in the hospital? Why?”

“Just come. Please,” she pleaded.

Jumping up Nick said, “What hospital? What room?”

“Tampa General. I’m on the seventh floor.”

“I’ll be right there.” Nick told her.

“Thank you Nick.”

Brianna took Brent’s hand in her again; she knew she had to let him go, she just didn’t want to. Brent was her everything and now she had nothing.

Five minutes later, Dr. Harris returned and told her, “Mrs. Cooper, I’m sorry but we need to move Brent’s body now.”

“Brianna looked up and nodded. She stood and kissed Brent’s forehead for the last time and whispered, “I’ll love you for always.”

She walked out of the room, looking back as she crossed the threshold of the last room Brent was ever in, she wiped the tears from her eyes and said, “Goodbye Brent,” then walked into the waiting room. Brent’s father and mother and step-father all lived three hours from Tampa; she needed to tell them about their son.

She crossed the room to the phone that was sitting on a table in the corner and dialed Brent’s father.

“Hello?” Matt answered the phone.

“Dad?” Brent’s father had told her before they had gotten married that she had to call him ‘dad.’

“Bri? What’s wrong honey?”

“It’s Brent. He was in an accident.”

“Where is he? Is he okay?” she could just imagine him sitting straight up in his bed staring at the receiver.

“He…he…he didn’t make it.” She said as the tears took over.

Brent’s father cried out and he said, “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“After they hung up Brianna broke down. She was soon surrounded by strong arms.

Nick held her as she cried. He held her until she stopped.

“Brianna, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“It’s Brent.”

“What’s wrong? Where is he?”

Dr. Harris popped his head in the door and said, “Mrs. Cooper we need you to sign a few forms.”

“Of course, I’ll be right there,” she turned to Nick and said, “I’ll be right back.”

Nick nodded and she left the room. It took her ten minutes to get the forms signed. She then returned to the waiting room and to Nick.

Nick sat facing away from the door, reading an old magazine. He turned to face her when he heard her curse after kicking a chair. “Bri, what’s going on?”

Brianna’s face was still all red and puffy because she had been crying so much. She took a few deep breaths to keep herself at least a little calm before she began, “I hate to tell you this Nick. I never thought it would happen to us. Brent…” she paused for a moment and tears began to fall silently down her cheeks. “Brent survived his accident. He was his on the driver’s side of his car by a drunk driver. The doctor said they stopped his internal bleeding, but he that his other internal injuries were too severe for them to do anything for him. They didn’t know if he was going to make it through the night,” the tears were falling freely now. “He died Nick. Brent died.”

Nick sank back into his chair and ran his hands through his newly highlighted blonde hair. “Brent’s dead?” he asked in a disbelieving tone.

Brianna opened her mouth to answer but all that came out was a heart-wrenching sob.

Nick pulled her into his arms once again and held her as they both cried.

Fifteen minutes later, after they had both stopped crying, Nick stood up and said, “Let’s get outta here.”

It was now almost two am, and all Brianna wanted to do was crawl back into bed and wake up from this horrible nightmare.

Dr. Harris was standing at the nurse’s station when Brianna and Nick reached it. “Dr. Harris?” she asked.

“Mrs. Cooper? What are you still doing here?”

“I’m leaving now. I just wanted to know if there was anything else you needed me to do before I went.”

He thought for a moment, “No. There are a few more forms to fill out and sign but you can do that another day.”

“Okay. And thank you. I know you guys did everything you could,” her voice cracked on the last word.

“You’re welcome. And I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you, so am I.”

She and nick left the hospital and walked to their cars, which, ironically, were parked next to one another.

She went to get into her car when Nick asked, “Have you told his parents?”

“Matt knows. I don’t know if he told Belle yet or not.”

“You should be the one to tell her,” Nick said.

He moved to her side as she dug in her purse for her cell phone.

She checked it, “Damn it. I did it again,” she mumbled. Turning to Nick she asked, “Can I use yours?” waving her phone she continued, “Mine’s dead again.”

He wordlessly handed her his Razr and watched as she dialed her mother-in-law and step-father-in-law’s home number.

“Hello?” an angry, sleepy voice asked after the phone had rang seven times.

“Bradley?” Brianna asked.

“Yes, who is this?”

“It’s Brianna.”

“Bri, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Brent,” she paused as the tears threatened to fall once again.

“What’s wrong with Brent?” Bradley asked his voice full of concern.

Brianna heard mumbling in the background and knew that Belle was fully awake now.

“I really really hate that I have to tell you this,” she said and the tears came once more. “Brent was in a car accident. He made it through surgery once he got to the hospital but he didn’t make it. He died a few hours ago.”

“Oh My God.” Bradley whispered.

“What?! What’s wrong with my son?!” she heard Belle ask.

Just before hanging up she heard Bradley telling her mother-in-law, “I really hate to tell you this….”

The service was in an hour at 11:00am. The sun was shining and the sky a brilliant blue. It wasn’t fair that Brianna was dressing to go to her husband’s funeral.

Instead of wearing the customary black dress, she was going to wear Brent’s favorite dress. It was knee length and the color was deep blue. He had always said that the color made her dark brown eyes pop. She had her waist-length chestnut hair pulled back; well half of it was pulled back and held up with a silver colored star shaped barrette.



Her father-in-law had arrived a few hours after Nick had driven her home. She’d left her car in the hospital parking lot because Nick had refused to allow her to drive herself home. It had been a few days before the hospital had released Brent’s body so she could bury him.

“Are you ready to go?” Matt, her father-in-law asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied. She hadn’t bothered with much makeup, definitely no mascara because she’d be crying it off anyway.

She stood up and joined her father-in-law; as they walked through the living room, Brianna’s gaze fell on her favorite picture in the entire world. It had been taken the very day Brent had proposed.
******Flash*Back******

They were getting ready to take a week-end long trip with Nick and his girlfriend Mona. They’d be spending two days on the ocean in Nick’s boat.

They left at 10:00am on Friday morning. They anchored fifty miles out but it was perfect.

The water was so clear that they could see down for many miles. The color of the water was so blue that there were no words to describe it.

That night they’d eaten the fish that Nick and Brent had caught earlier in the afternoon. Brianna had flat out refused to help them clean the fish because she hadn’t wanted to watch them kill the fish. Brent had sympathized but Nick had laughed when she said that she felt sorry for the fish.

They stayed up ‘til midnight talking and being stupid and then had gone to sleep.

When Brent had first suggested they go on the trip, she’d thought he wanted her to go along so he could get her in bed but it hadn’t been like that at all. It had been the complete opposite.

He woke her before sunrise the next day and they sat on the deck, his arms wrapped around her, watching the sun rise.
Nick and Mona joined them later when they smelled the food she and Brent had cooked.

They ate breakfast and began talking about what they were going to do that day.

All four of them were certified scuba divers but Brianna and Mona had never been diving out this far before so they decided to go diving.

They waited for a few hours until 10:00am before getting ready to dive.

Brianna emerged from her and Brent’s cabin in a bright fluorescent yellow bikini she’d bought days before.

“Dude!” Nick said. “That thing’s bright enough that you can see it from miles away.”

“Funny Carter,” she said slapping him in the back of the head.

They suited up and descended slowly. They stuck together for about ten minutes and then Nick and Mona swam five yards away.

Brianna was amazed at how beautifully clear the water was. She could still see up to the surface.

Ten minutes after Nick and Mona left, Brent scared Brianna out of her mind by tapping her on the shoulder from behind.

She spun around quickly afraid that something was wrong. Brent pointed and she saw what he was trying to show her. About three yards from them was a dolphin and its baby. They watched the dolphins until they swam away.

Twenty minutes later they surfaced. They stripped their wet suits and laid around in the sun for a while. Brent and Nick banished the girls to the cabin furthest from the galley for three hours while they cooked dinner that night.

Throughout dinner Brent had become increasingly nervous, “Brent, hon, what’s wrong?” Brianna asked.

“Nothing. I’m fine.” Brent replied.

They tried to keep a conversation going but every time one of them said something to Brent it took him forever to reply so they ended up giving up.

Finally they finished eating. Brent and Nick, who had learned their lesson the last time they’d cooked for the girls, had washed their dishes as they had cooked, so there weren’t many for Brianna and Mona to wash.

Nick pulled out his new toy, a brand new camcorder, and began trying to get everyone to do the craziest thing he could come up with.

Brianna and Brent were sitting on the back deck of the boat when Nick and Mona found them. “Hey B,” Nick said pointing to his pants pocket.

Brent scooted closer to Brianna, put his arm around her shoulder and leaned his forehead against hers. “Bri,” he began. “You’re the love of my life. I don’t know what I’d do with out you. I never want to find out. Will you marry me?”

For a moment Brianna was speechless. Then she managed to whisper, “Yes.”
******End*Flash*Back******

She still had the tape Nick had recorded that night.

They managed to get to the car without Brianna’s memory launching any more assaults on her.

When they got to the cemetery a half hour before the service began, there were already many people. They made their way through the mini crowd to the seats set up for the family. Brent’s oldest sister, Amalia, was the only one of his family there so far besides Brianna and his father.

Nick arrived a short time later; he sat down next to Brianna and hugged her.

When Brent’s mother arrived she protested that because Nick wasn’t family he couldn’t be sitting with them.

“Belle,” Brianna began. “A funeral is not the place to argue about whether or not someone’s sitting in the right place.”

Belle shut up and Reverend Camden stepped up to begin the service, “We’re gathered here to say goodbye to Brent. He was a loving son, brother, friend and husband…” at that point Brianna buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

Nick put h is arm around her shoulders and she turned and put her face to his shoulder and cried.

She listened to the reverend go on about Brent and his accomplishments, “One of which,” he said. “was marrying the love of his life Brianna.”

They played a few songs that Brent had loved, the last of which was ‘Girlfriend’ by N*sync. She had them play it because that was the song that had been playing in the club when Brent had, well asked Brianna to be his ‘girlfriend.’ She smiled at that memory.

Rev. Camden asked if anyone wanted to share memories that they had of Brent.
Both of his parents got up and spoke about him and the things he had done in life, even those things he wasn’t all that proud of.

Nick got up and spoke about the things he and Brent had gone through together. Then he said, “A while ago Brent and I were talking. He made me promise that if anything ever happened to him,” his voice cracked. “That at his funeral I would play his favorite movie. So here it is.”

Someone from the funeral home pulled the veil off of the thing behind Nick and revealed a television/VCR. Nick pressed play and the memory that had assaulted Brianna earlier came flooding back.

They watched the ten minute video and after he pressed stop Nick said, “Brent, we’ll miss you.”

A few moments later Brianna stood and walked to the podium. She wiped her tears before beginning, “I never thought I’d have to say goodbye so soon. Five years isn’t enough time. We didn’t get enough time to spend together. Recently I read a story and there was a poem included that really got to me. I’m going to recite that poem now. I had to change a few words to make it more fitting to my situation but it still means the same thing,” she paused and took a deep shaky breath and continued, “I’m not sure of its titled so I’m just calling it DON’T THINK.

Don’t think of him as gone away, his journey’s just begun
Life holds so many facets, this earth is only one
Just think of him as resting from the sorrow and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days and years
Think of how he must be wishing that we could know today
How nothing but our sadness can really pass away
Think of him as living in the hearts of those he touched
For nothing loved is ever lost and he was loved so much
Turning toward the dark green (Brent’s favorite color) casket, she said, “Brent you’re my world, my heart and my soul. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you I love you so much and I’ll miss you for the rest of my life.”

She sat back down and Rev. Camden stepped up to conclude the services.

Two weeks later, on a Saturday afternoon, Nick and Brianna were out at lunch. They had arrived in L.A three days previous and were now celebrating the fact that he had finally ditched Paris.

Being away from all the heartache she’d gone through in Florida was good for her. She hadn’t been all that attentive to herself in the past few weeks. She had drunk or anything like that--though she’d been sorely tempted to—she just hadn’t paid much attention to herself. The baby, whom she still hadn’t told anyone about, was fine.

Brianna laughed at a corny joke Nick had just told, “It feels good to laugh again.”

Nick smiled and signaled for the check. They were going out to the tar pits. When Nick had found out that as much as she had been in L.A she’d never seen them he considered it his duty to show her.

They had gotten up to leave when Brianna stopped; she didn’t feel right. “Nick….” She faintly. He spun around and she repeated his name just before darkness took over.


Wiping the sleep out of her eyes she looked around the room, “Where am I?”

Jumping up at the sound of her voice Nick rushed to her bedside, “DON’T EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!! YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!”

“What?? I didn’t do anything did I??” Seeing the look on Nick’s face she asked, “What happened?”

“We were leaving the restaurant and you called my name. I turned around just in time to catch you before you fell.”

“So I’m in the hospital. Why?”

“When I couldn’t wake you up I called 911. The paramedics came and couldn’t wake you so we brought you here.”

“How long have I been here?”

He glanced down at his watch before answering, “Seventeen hours.”

She closed her eyes and sunk into her pillow for almost a full minute before popping straight up, “Did they give me anything?”

“An IV and some kind of medication. I don’t know what……why?”

“Get the doctor!” she half shouted. When Nick disappeared out the door, she said out loud, “Please God don’t take my baby too.”

Nick returned moments later with the doctor in tow.

“Mrs. Cooper,” being called by her married name stung. “It’s nice to see you awake. Mr. Carter tells me that you want to speak with me. What can I do for you?”

Avoiding Nick’s gaze, she looked the doctor straight in the eyes. “I need to know if the medication you gave me is going to harm my unborn child.”

“You’re pregnant?” Nick and the doctor asked simultaneously.

“Yes. Eight weeks along now. Is my baby going to be okay?”

“I’ll run a few tests, but your baby should be fine.”

“Thank you,” she said as the doctor left the room.

After a long silence she turned to Nick and said, “Ironic isn’t it? The one thing Brent wanted most in the world was a baby girl and now if I have one he won’t be her for her.”

Nick stood and went to Brianna’s side. What she must be going through right now. He wrapped his arms around her just as she burst into tears. “It’s not fair Nick. It’s just not. Why Brent?? Why us?? He shouldn’t have died, he shouldn’t have.” She dissolved into tears once more.

Nick held her until she calmed down. “Brie, there’s nothing I can to do make him come back but if I could I would. You’ve got to remember what he was always saying though. ‘Everything happens for a reason.’”

Brianna opened her mouth to reply but the nurse walked in to draw blood for the tests the doctor had ordered.

Within an hour and a half the results came back and Brianna was happy to hear that her baby was fine.


Brianna was released the next morning.

Nick took her home. Well back to his L.A home where they had been staying and told her, “You have to tell your families,” once they had gotten settled at the kitchen table.

“I know, I know. But just because I should doesn’t mean I’m going to.”

“You might not want to but you have to. What’s going to happen if the next time they see you, you have and infant?” Brianna had told Nick that she wanted to stay and give birth in LA on the drive back to his house.

“Hmmmmph,” she said crossing her arms over her chest and turning her back to him.

After arguing with him for ten minutes more she finally gave in, “You’re not going to give it up are you?”

“No because you know I’m right.”

Yeah, yeah.”

She picked up the phone and dialed her parents’ home number.

“Hello?” he mother answered on the third ring like always.

“Hi mom. Is dad there? I need to talk to you both.”

“Of course. I’ll get him.”

Moments later Brianna was greeted with, “Hi Nikki, what’s going on?” Her father had been calling her ‘Nikki’ ever since she could remember. She thought it was because her middle name is Nekaylah.

“First I have to tell you that I’m in LA and I’m staying here. Secondly, I’m pregnant.’

There was a silence on the other end so she asked, “Are you guys still there?”

“Yeah,” her father answered. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yeah,” she said smiling. “I am.”

“But how?” her mother asked. “Brent’s gone.”

“I was pregnant when he died,” she answered quietly. “Listen guys I’ve got to call Brent’s parents. I’ll call again soon. Love ya.”

“We love you too.”

She wiped her eyes before dialing Brent’s father. He wasn’t home so she left a message for him saying to call her back.

She didn’t want to call Belle because she knew what her reaction would be. Belle had never liked Brianna and had accused her, on more than one occasion, of cheating on Brent with Nick.

She tucked her legs up under her as she dialed Belle praying she wouldn’t answer the phone.

No such luck, “Hello?”

For a second Brianna couldn’t speak; how could Belle sound cheery only tow weeks after her son had died?

“Hello?” she repeated.

“Belle?”

“Brianna, what is it?”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Again, what is it?”

Brianna took a deep breath and prepared herself for Belle’s reaction, “I’m pregnant.”

“And why should I care?”

“Because I’m carrying Brent’s child.”

“No you’re not. My son is dead.”

“I know that. I was pregnant when he died. I was going to tell him when he got home that night,” she said in almost a whisper.

“You are such a liar! My son is not the father. Its Nick’s isn’t it? How could you do that to Brent and with his best friend no less?”

“Belle,” Brianna struggled to control her mounting anger. “I loved Brent too much to even think about cheating on him.”

“Obviously you didn’t.”

“Belle, if you had ever bothered to get to know me you would know that I loved my husband. And that I would never do anything to hurt him.”

Brianna hung up and hugged her knees to her chest and cried. “You know Belle never liked me. Wanna know why?”

Nick nodded and she continued, “Before Brent and I began dating he confided in Belle on a lot of things. Once we started dating, he confided in me and not her. So she turned against me.”

“Belle’s always been like that. I don’t think she likes herself.”

Brianna laughed and threw a pen at him, “At least I told them.”

Readers,

I'm sorry it's been so utterly long since I've update this story. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, I'm glad you're liking it. To all those who have been patiently waiting for an update you're going to have to wait a while longer. I'm officially putting this story on hiatus and I'm not sure when I'll be back with more. Probably really soon now that I've posted this though.