When the Sun Begins to Die

Chapter 60

Josh P.O.V

I feel my heart drop to my stomach. Heavy bleeding was never a good sign during or after childbirth. I hold our nameless child close as he cries, trying to soothe him as best I can while holding Cadence's hand.

Both Dr. Smith and his nurse are frantically trying to stop the bleeding, but all I can focus on is the heart rate monitor connected to Cadence. It was slowing. The time in between each heart beat got longer and longer.

I tuned out the doctors mumbling about what to do. I couldn't bring myself to listen. I was only focusing on Cadence.

"C-Cadence, Hun, stay with me. You'll be o-okay," I sputter out softly, holding his hand.

He smiles softly and places his hand on my face gently. "It's okay," he whispers, "you'll be a great dad," he continues, looking at the crying baby that I'm holding.

'No I won't! I can't do this on my own! Cadence has to be there! What will I do without him!? This child cannot grow up without knowing the wonderful, unique, amazingly loving person who carried him! Cadence has to be okay!'

"N-No! Cadence, don't say that! You're going to make it! You'll be there too! He needs you! I need you!" I argue, tears flowing from my eyes like a faucet that someone left running.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see the doctors talking about what to do. I'm not listening out of fear, but I can see the worry in their eyes. I am praying that they will be able to fix him because I won't know what to do without Cadence in my life.

"It's okay, Josh. I love you," he says softly, pulling me closer by my shirt.

"I love you too," I tell him, moving a bit closer.

He pulls me into a loving kiss by the neck of my shirt for a few moments. It's been so long since we've had a loving embrace like this that I never want it to end. It makes waiting for his forgiveness worth it.

After a few moments in the kiss, I feel Cadence's grip on my shirt loosen and his hand slowly drops to the bed. I look at the heart rate monitor and feel my entire world shatter to pieces when I realize that Cadence's heart has stopped.

Dr. Smith and the nurse give each other disappointed looks and sigh. I am shocked.

"Why aren't you doing CPR!?" I scream, "Save him!"

"He's already lost too much blood," Dr. Smith says sadly.

"We tried our best," the nurse adds.

I cry and sit down, holding our son. The fact that I just lost Cadence hits me like a ton of bricks. I never thought I would lose him this way.

The nurse puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm very sorry for your loss, but your son needs a name," she says softly.

I sniffle and wipe my eyes, rocking him gently. "I'd like to name him Cadence," I say softly, "because I know that he'll be a wonderful man someday, just like his father," I add.

She gives me a strange look and takes him to the nursery for a check up. I would like to take him home and get away from this horrible place, but unfortunately, he will have to stay overnight.

I stand in the hall as they roll my love's body out of the room, a blood-stained sheet covering his body. I slide down against the wall and bury my face in my knees, tugging at my hair as I cry.

I look up for a few moments and see Mayor Greene. I stand up quickly and push him away from me, wiping my eyes.

"Get the fuck away from me," I snap.

"Easy now, I heard what happened. I'm terribly sorry about Cadence, but I need to know if you will care for your son," he says.

"Of course I will! I'm going to love that child more than anything on this Earth! Don't you dare take him, he's all I have left," I answer, rubbing my face.

"I wish you luck then," he says while walking away.

The next day I am allowed to take little Cadence home with me. I walk back to the apartment with him in my arms and sigh.

I sit on the edge of the bed and stare at the other side of the room. I am going to miss waking up with the one I love, but I have to be strong for our son.

I hold him close and rock him gently. "You are going to be a great man someday," I say softly, "it's just a shame that you won't get to grow up with your other dad in your life."

He cries softly as if he knows that Cadence won't be in his life. I rock him and hum softly until he calms down.

"You'll understand better when you're older. Then I'll tell you how wonderful he was and how much I loved him. But I'm going to do my very best to raise you right, for him."

'I will always love Cadence, no matter what. '