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"Serenity"

She walked past the house and stood near the edge of the small cliff, where it looked down onto the beach. She watched the waves gently rolling and then curling upon each other just before they stretched out over the sand. She took a few deep breaths letting the clean fresh air fill her lungs.

There were terns flying high in the sky lightly peppering an area, and every so often one would dive down slicing the water with their beaks as they fed on the small fish that swam along the top. She could smell the freshly bloomed wild sweet pea vines mixed with the smell of the salt air. It made her smile at the memories that filled this place.

Jenny sighed, as she turned and walked toward the house. The moss covered stone path lead her to the back of the house where the flowers were in bloom, the colorful planting beds like potpourri filling the air with a subtle fragrance. Jenny could feel every tense muscle in her body relax as she savored every minute of this.

When she opened the door and entered the house, he stood there with his arms open, he had been patiently waiting for her. Jenny ran into his arms, tears flowing down her face she had never been so happy to see him as she was now. Bob, Bob she cried I missed you so. He took her hand as they walked to the front room where the shutters were slightly closed over, letting the sun gently filter through, just as she liked it to be on a warm summer day.

He led her to the stairs and together they went up. The steps gave a friendly familiar creek as they headed for the top. Jenny was so content, again she gave a sigh and felt all her burdens lift as she walked with the man she loved. Bob took her into the bedroom where the smell of freshly changed linens still lingered. He opened up the French doors so that Jenny could hear the ocean and feel the warm ocean breeze pass over her.

There on the bed laid out was a soft cotton gown with floral embroidery down the front, Jenny remembered it. Her heart filled with love, as she changed into it again sighing as she felt all her misgivings leave her. She sat on the bed, Bob approached her and told her to relax, he would be leaving now but would be back very shortly. Right now he just wanted her to rest.

Jenny watched as he walked out the door, never before had she felt so peaceful, she lay back on the bed feeling the summer breeze, the sound of the ocean and the random chirp of the birds in the distance. Slowly her eyes closed and she slept. In her dreams there was a fleeting moment of sadness and pain, but it left her quickly.

*

Her family rallied around her bedside, Jenny had slipped into a coma. The end was very near, before she slipped deeper into her sleep they heard her call out to their father. Looking at her she now seemed so peaceful and without pain, her battle was over, they prayed for her as she slept, and they would be brave, she would expect that of them. When their father had died, Jenny had been very courageous; they would do that for her too.

Jenny sighed, her last breath, it was finally over, their tears flowed for their loss but somehow they knew this was for the best, her suffering would be no more. Her four grown children planted gentle kisses on her forehead as they left her bedside that day.

Jenny's opened her eyes to the feel of a soft gentle breeze. Bob was there waiting for her she reached out her hand to him, and as she got up there on the bed where she was lying was four long stemmed roses. Lovingly she picked them up and slowly walked away with Bob.

Learn more about this author, L. A. Hardt.
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