DECEMBER'S APRIL

chapter one

     At eleven thirty-five p.m. on December 31st April Ann Snow, dressed in a white satin wedding gown, stood in the doorway of the candlelit Church as she stared down the aisle. It passed guests who sat in pews that were decorated with white satin bows, red and white roses, and baby's breath. Her eyes followed the snow white runner, which was laced with shimmering snow flake cutouts, down to the pulpit where everyone waited for her. The beautiful bridesmaids dressed in black satin, her beloved snow white terrier who walked down the aisle with her cousin Angelina who was her matron of honor, handsome groomsmen and the best man, the minister, and Benjamen Christopher who was her fiance. She watched tearfully now as the wedding march began to play and the guests stood. Her father looked down at her with a smile as he readied his arm for her to take. She put hers in his with a smile back. As they began their march down the aisle, thoughts of the past month whisked through her mind.

     Twenty-nine year old April Ann Snow, who was an auction house administrator, changed the calender month from November to December. She stared at the first day of December as she thought to herself, 'Thirty days and counting', which she was referring to her upcoming wedding day on new Year's Eve. Benjamen Christopher was to wed her on that day and she couldn't wait. He was a thirty-two year old pilot who owned his own aviation charter service. They had met on a blind date New Year's Eve a year earlier at a dinner given by her cousin Angelina who thought it was time for her to start dating seriously again.

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     April had swore off relationships some two years earlier after the man she had been dating for three years confessed he had cheated on her and the woman was pregnant with his child. April had loved him and was considering forgiving him until he told her that he loved the woman and they were flying to Vegas to marry. This news devastated April since he had told her that he wasn't ready to marry, but when he did it would be to her.
     Feeling embarrassed and like a fool, April withdrew from men and threw herself into her work. Angelina and her family cursed the man and practically threatened his life if he ever showed his face again. Fearing their wrath, he left. Angelina felt sorry for April and decided to set her up on a date. She introduced her to her husband's nephew who was only a few years younger than the husband. Unfortunately it wasn't love at first sight between April and Benjamen, but the two of them were tired of the dating game and wanted to give the relationship a try.
     So they started out as friends, but by valentine's day they were lovers who had fallen in love. To celebrate their blind date anniversary, they decided to marry on that day. Although this was a good idea, obstacles of a health crisis and decisions to be made by family and friends played significant roles in the following months with dramatic climaxes in December.

     The first week of December brought April's parents ongoing divorce to an end as it became final. How ironic April thought for the timing, they were now legally divorced while she would be married at the end of the month.
     "So how do you feel mom?" April asked her mother Cynthia who layed the divorce decree on the table and turned to April with watered eyes.
     "I feel like a part of my heart has been taken from me April Ann. Your father was my life for thirty-five years. We had been through it all together. We loved each other and thought we would be together forever." Cynthia said as April blinked a tear and took her mother's hand.

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     "Well, your forever was just to be for thirty-five years. All good things have to come to an end."
     "But not my good thing April Ann. Drew was my husband and always will be."
     "If you feel this way mom, why did you and daddy divorce? When I left home and went off to college you two were deeply in love I thought."
     "So did we, but once you left we realized that you had been truly keeping us together. We didn't know what to do with ourselves. You weren't there to keep us doing things together. Because of you we were a family. We loved each other, but it just wasn't enough. We were both so scared when Drew found out he couldn't father children. We thought that was the end of our marriage then...but I suggested adoption and Drew agreed by choosing you April Ann. Out of all the little baby girls and boys he chose you."
     "But a child can't save a marriage mom. If you believe that I kept you two together then your love for one another couldn't have been that strong."
     "But April Ann, having you did show that our love was strong. God created man and woman to replinish the earth by making families. Your love has to be strong if you decide to spend the rest of your life with one person and raise a family together."
     "So what finally made you two divorce?" April asked when they heard the front door open. Drew entered and answered April's question.
     "Jealousy made us divorce honey. Jealousy of each other made us realize that we each had to outdo the other." he finished.
     "What are you doing here Drew?" a surprised Cynthia asked as he walked over to April and kissed her forehead. He tossed a couple of keys on the table.
     "I'm returning the house keys. I've decided that the only way I need to get into this house is by you letting me in Cynthia."
     "Thank you." she said and picked the keys up as Drew sighed heavily.
     "I'm also here to see how you were doing. I see you received your finalized copy too."
     "I'm fine Drew. I did agree to this divorce." Cynthia said as April looked on confused.

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     "Wait a minute here. Daddy, what do you mean by you two were jealous of each other? Mom told me that you two had just grew apart." April explained as he looked at Cynthia who reluctantly gave him the go ahead to tell her what she needed to know.
     "Well honey, that wasn't true. I guess it all started as a game. I tried to prove that I loved your mother more, while she tried to prove that she loved me more. We did everything we could to out do the other until it got out of hand. We were in love, but we found ourselves competing against each other in every aspect of our lives. Who did the most for the other, who worked the hardest, who cooked and cleaned the best, who was the fittest, etc., etc., etc. Then of course I lost the battle when I was the one who couldn't have children. Cynthia still had the fight of competition in her blood so she suggested adoption. We then moved to another level of the game. Who would love you the most April. Who would provide you with the most, who spent the most time with you, who taught you the most. It went on and on until you grew up and left us. That's when reality sat in and we realized that our competing days were over. We had nothing else to do."
     "So is that why you two quit your jobs and worked from home so you both could be with me?" she asked as they nodded in unison. "And mom, is that why you freaked out when I grew up and started calling you mom instead of mommy?"
     "I guess so. You continued to call Drew daddy. I thought if you call me mom, he should be called dad." she chuckled as April smiled.
     "Well, this is really sad in a way. I mean I don't know if I should be flattered that I was loved so  much, or if I should be angry because I was used."
     "Well it's up to you honey. Your mom and I went into counseling two years ago and came to the conslusion that we were guilty of these things and the only solution was divorce for us. The counselor said his door was open to you if you needed to talk."
     "Well daddy, I don't think it's that serious. If I do need it though, it's good to know that his door is open for all of us."

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chapter two

     The second week in December brought sorrow for April. The death of her aunt Erica threw the family for a loop. At the burial April stood amongst the sea of mourners dressed in black feeling that all eyes were on her. Even the two television news vans that were parked outside the gates seemed to zoom in on her. That's when she felt her hand being squeezed. She looked up to see Benjamen's reassuring face telling her that it was alright and she had did the right thing. That was when Angelina poked her from behind. She too gave her the look she needed to see. Although Angelina was her partner in crime, she didn't feel as guilty as April did. Everyone had blamed April and Angelina for Erica's death.....everyone except Erica's daughter Frieda who was now staring at April too. Two policemen stood a few feet behind her while two prison guards stood on each side of her. April stared into Frieda's eyes and remembered what happened between them ten years ago.

     Frieda was six years older than her cousins April and Angelina. She was what the family called the black sheep. She drank, smoked, took drugs, slept with older men at the age of fourteen, and rebeled against her single mother Erica. She had been in a juvenile detention center and then jailed twice within a seven year period. Ten years ago April and Angelina were twenty-one and Frieda was twenty-seven. It was around the holidays when Frieda was fired yet again from nother job. Later that same night around two in the morning April and Angelina were on their way home from their first lounge party after having turned twenty-one. They were a little tipsy and decided to walk home. On their way they heard gun shots ring out and saw Frieda and a tall man running from a house.
     "What do you think Frieda is up to now?" April asked as Angelina shook her head.

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     "Up to no good of course." Angelina chuckled when a woman in pajamas ran from the house screaming that her husband had been killed. Two small children came out crying and clung to the woman's bloodstained pajamas. April and Angelina looked at each other in shock and left the scene running themselves. Later the story came out that the dead man had been robbed by a disgruntled ex-employee and was shot to death simply for revenge. His wife couldn't make a positive identification because she came in on the tail end of the scuffle but remembered Frieda from her husband's office. After a neighbor came forward and couldn't make a positive identification either, he did say there were two young women on the dark street who should have gotten a better look.
     A guilty conscience made April and Angelina go forward after agreeing that they didn't want to be responsible for Frieda killing anyone else. No one could believe they turned in their own cousin and after Frieda pleaded not guilty Erica hired a top rated defense lawyer. He couldn't help her and she was found guilty getting the death penalty because of her continuous criminal background. Of course April and Angelina didn't want her to die, but what was done, was done. Erica on the other hand went into debt trying to find a loophole to overturn the verdict for the next ten years.

     Now as April averted her eyes from Frieda to watch Erica's casket lowered into the ground, she thought it nice that Frieda was let out of jail for the burial. She thought it sad that two months earlier Frieda finally confessed to her mother that she did kill her boss. After that confession an angry and embarrassed Erica,  who had become homeless and refused help, disappeared. 
     Several days before the burial she was found dead from food poisoning after eating stale potato salad and chicken from a dumpster. April said her goodbye but couldn't hold in her grief. Benjamen comforted her and once they reached his car, he told her to stop feeling guilty. When she told him that she couldn't, he told her that he understood because his father was going through the same thing.

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     He began from the beginning and told her that he came from an aviational family. His mother and father met and fell in love while serving in the Air Force. His mother was a jet mechanic and pilot. His father was a dare devil jet pilot. This put him in the elite grouping of top gun fighter pilots. He lived for the thrill of combat flying and quickly became the bad boy fly boy of the bomber squadron. With all of this going on, he and Benjamen's mother found time to be together and marry.
     After careful planning they found themselves ready to start a family which they did a year later. Benjamen's older brother Elijah was born with Benjamen following years later. Their father decided to make the Air Force a career while their mother took an indefinate leave of absence to raise their sons. Five years later an accident ended the father's career when his cockiness led to bad judgement.
     While practicing combat training maneuvers he sped right up on a fellow pilot's jet, as he usually did, and quickly turned sideways accidently allowing his wing tip to clip the other jet's wing. Because of the high speed both jets slightly wobbled leaving both pilots surprised and unfocused on the training for a few seconds. This led to each pilot not noticing the other oncoming training jets in the group.
     Benjamen's father sideswiped one of the jets causing the surprised pilot to spin out of control. Benjamen's father barely regained control of his jet as it dropped and skidded onto the ocean while the other jet crashed into the ocean. His father got out of his jet as it came to a stop and jumped into the ocean. He later came back up with his fellow pilot as a rescue helicopter hovered several feet above them. Although he saved the life of the pilot, his own life as a pilot was over. He was disciplined, but eventually voluntarily left the Air Force.
     The family packed up and moved to a small town where the father got a job as an air traffic controller. They lived an average life until Elijah reached puberty. He got his girlfriend pregnant and at eighteen they married. A year later they divorced and he went off to school to become a lawyer. Benjamen dated frequently as he went to business school while he worked with his mother at an air strip as an airplane mechanic. She became a short distance charter pilot and he went to the big city to work as a mechanic on the large commercial planes after graduation. His father, who now had a phobia against flying, continued to work as a controller. Elijah became a lawyer. He later divorced and decided to become an aviation lawyer.
     Three years later Benjamen returned home and wanted to become a pilot and start his own charter service while his father began to experience headaches. A year later Benjamen's business was off and running as he ended yet another relationship and Elijah married for a third time. Five years later at thirty-one Benjamen had four pilots working under him as his girfriend of one year quit him because he was a workaholic. At the same time Elijah divorced wife number three who he had two children with while their mother told them that something was bothering their father because he was acting moody, nervous, strange, and a little forgetful.
     She knew that he was harboring a secret that was affecting his health, but he refused to discuss it with her. Well it all came to a head unfortunately one dark and snowy night. On this night their mother was piloting a plane in zero visibility weather and was coming in to land. She was awaiting clearance from the control tower which was being controlled by their father. He told her and another cessna pilot that he would get back to them but he never did. Both planes crashed into each other killing both pilots because the father had forgotten what he was doing at that particular time.
     After a forced medical evaluation, it was found out that the father had alzhiemers disease. He knew he didn't cause the crash on purpose, but he was the blame and never truly got over her death. He was treated for depression and began a drug program for the beginning stages of alzhiemers Benjamen sighed deeply as he finished the story. April comforted him by hugging him tightly. That's when she saw her ex-boyfriend Wilsyn watching them from the graveyard. April pointed him out to Benjamen. Wilsyn began to walk away when he saw Benjamen get out of the car. They watched him disappear amongst the graves.

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chapter three

     The third week of December brought job worries that plagued April. She had to make the decision of either accepting a most sought after promotion or be fired. The promotion was the director's position which had become available at the auction house where she worked due to a very hostile takeover. This happened after the owner and his vice president wife retired a year earlier. They gave complete control of running the company to their thirty-something daughter who was the director.
     While under her control the company ran into financial problems because of bad decisions made by her. Conveniently during this time two young twenty-somethings came into the picture posing as financial consultants. The two conned the desparate daughter into investing in some stock by putting the company up as collateral. She knew it was risky, but not knowing what else to do she saw this secret investment as a way to try and turn the company around and end her financial worries.
     Unfortunately the naive daughter didn't bother to inform the company attorney to check into the new stock that the two con-artists picked out on purpose because it was constantly being confused with a similar sounding well established money making stock. Only a week later the daughter found out that she was tricked when the stock went belly up and the two con-artists gained control of the company and the daughter's position.
     After a lengthy and financial fight in court, the retired owners gave up and let the two take the company over. So the two became the owners and they needed a director. The company was small and April knew she would be competing against two other employees who had been there longer than she had. Her main concern was a man named Karroll. She went to the interview a little intimidated, but she wanted the position. She sighed when she saw Karroll.

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     "Hi April. I'm not surprised to see you here." he smiled and extended his hand. April smiled and shook it.
     "Hi Karroll. I knew my toughest competition would be here. You've been the assistant director for years and know this place like the back of your hand."
     "Well the few years you've been here you've shown a take charge and get it done attitude."
     "But you did take charge and you did get things done. honestly you shouldn't have to interview for this position. You deserve it." April assured him as he shook his head.
     "We don't get things because we deserve them April, we get things when they're done fairly and unfortunately our two new bosses are no where near fair." he said when the woman owner came out of the office and called him in. Thirty minutes later April found herself leaving the new owners office after she and Karroll were each given fifteen minute interviews. She went to the washroom and realized that she had left her briefcase in their office. She went back to get it, but as she neared the door she overheard the new owners laughing sarcasdically. Being curious she walked closer to the door to hear better.
     They were discussing their decision on who they were not going to promote and it was Karroll. They laughed at his being too old, too homely, too fat, too feminine acting for their taste. He was simply all wrong for the position. They believed that they couldn't have someone like him representing their hip new company that they had so cleverly and underhandidly taken over.
     April was the one who would represent them with her youth, good looks and overall appearance. It didn't matter to them that he was the better candidate and was the acting director already. As April stood there listening she couldn't believe what she was hearing and remembered a while back when something similar to what was being heard here was heard before but in a different setting.

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     April was twenty-three when she and Angelina were at Angelina's eight year old stepson's softball game. An eight year old girl had just struck out. Her mother stormed out of the stands and angrily tore into the girl by belittling her with abusive words. The little girl, who was overweight and wore glasses, continuously pushed the glasses up to wipe the tears from her eyes as the mother spouted the words stupid, clumsy, fat, awkward, a four eyes who was still blind as a bat, and a few choice curse words.
     An angry April stopped herself from going over to tell the woman offf believing that it was none of her business. She then had to stop Angelina, who shouted at the woman, from picking a fight. She convinced Angelina that an altercation would only embarrass the child even more.
      After coming back to the present April decided not to make the same mistake twice. She was going to voice her opinion. She burst into the office and threatened several discrimination lawsuits against them if they didn't offer the position to Karroll. She told them that he deserved the job and at fifty-nine it was only fair that he served as director until he retired in a couple of years. They angrily told her to accept the position or she's be fired. She thought for a moment and told them that she had no desire to work for people llike them and she quit. Of course with her resignation she would go to the police too and discuss their criminal activities unless they gave Karroll the job.
     After threats back and forth the two reluctantly agreed after she swore that she would keep quiet about them as long as Karroll kept this new job and was allowed to retire with full benefits. They agreed and April left not knowing that she was being watched.
     A few moments later her ex-boyfriend Wilsyn entered the new owners office and angrily slammed the door behind himself.

     Thirty minutes later April had finished clearing out her office and was on her way out when Karroll stopped her in the doorway. He told her that he couldn't believe that she was so unprofessional as to quit rather than stay and show that she was a good sport even though she didn't get the promotion.

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     She could tell that he was very disappoointed in her and didn't respect her anymore. She shouldn't have cared what he thought about her, but his demeanor towards his co-workers had always been patience and the utmost of respect. After not having tried to move up and out of his position he had held for the past eight years made this run against her for the director's position a complete surprise. She knew this was a good time to tell him what the new bosses thought about him, but then he wouldn't get the chance to prove to them that he was the best man for the job because he probably wouldn't take it.
     April smiled, sighed heavily, congratulated him and said she was sorry that he thought of her that way but he should have a fair chance at what he truly deserved. As Karroll mumbled sore loser under his breath, April left happy as she thought about the new job she was going to have, being Mrs. Benjamen Christopher.

     A few days later a saddened April said goodbye to Benjamen who had a four day senior citizen chartered sight-seeing tour of Mexico and parts of South America. As Benjamen's brother Elijah helped the seniors and his three kids board the plane, April kissed Benjamen goodbye. She had wanted to go but she was feeling under the weather and still had to finish last minute preparations for the wedding.
     After April watched the plane take off she left. When she returned to her town house apartment that evening, she found Wilsyn sitting on her porch steps holding a dozen red roses. They stared at each other for a couple of minutes without saying a word. As she walked up to the porch he stood up. She reached him, slapped him, took the roses and put her key into the lock. He called her name.
     She stood frozen and sighed heavily as she kept her back to him. He told her he was sorry and knew she couldn't forget what he had done to her, but would she try and forgive him. He made a mistake, he still loved her, and wanted her back.

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     He was now divorced and claimed that the only reason he married was because he thought the woman's baby was his. A DNA test proved that he wasn't the father. He divorced and decided that he would give April time to heal so she could try and forgive him for making the biggest mistake of his life.
     He knew he had to get her back, but he had to come back with a new approach. So he stayed in Vegas to rebuild his life by gambling and investing the winnings into failing companies. He had been keeping tabs on her and remembered when she went into the hospital for uterine fibroid surgery over a year ago. He had flew back to deliver flowers to her personally, but at the last minute changed his mind and just had dozens of flowers sent to her room. April remembered the anonymous dozens and dozens of flowers, but didn't let Wilsyn know she remembered as she kept her back to him.
     He continued by telling her that when he found out about her bosses financially troubled auction house he wanted to help. After several months of research he paid a con woman and her associate to takeover April's bosses auction house just so she could become director. Once she became director he would make himself known and tell her that he was the one who was responsible for her becoming director and she would gladly leave her fly boy fiance for him. He knew when she became engaged and was determined to end the engagement.
     A furious April turned the key in the lock. She hated herself for feeling flattered that Wilsyn still loved her. She felt her mind becoming confused with old pinned up feelings for him, but her fast beating heart reminded her that Benjamen was her man. The door clicked and opened. Knowing that the wrong words would come out of her mouth, she kept it closed and started inside the darkened apaprtment.
     Wilsyn hopped up the steps and grabbed her arm turning her around with force making her face him. She looked up into his large brown eyes and felt herself, feeling like she use to long ago, melting from his firm touch.
     "I love you April. I always have and I always will. I'm ready to give you my whole self, body and soul. Please give me another chance. I want to marry you." he said in a voice that scared April. He pulled out a velvet box and popped it open. The sparkling diamond on the ring nearly blinded her.
     "Will you please marry me April?" he begged with watered eyes. April stared into his eyes and watched tears fall from them. She put her hand up to his face and gently wiped one of the tears away and shook her head.
     "No Will, I won't marry you." she answered and went inside closing the door in his face.

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chapter four

     The fourth week of December, on Christmas Eve, brought a special surprise for April. Even though she was on the birth control pill, she had just been told by her gynecologist that she was six weeks pregnant.
     A little over a year ago she had underwent surgery to remove benign uterine fibroid tumors through the myomectomy procedure Wilsyn had earlier reminded her of. Back then the doctor wanted her have a hysterectomy, but with her being young and never having had a child he suggested the myomectomy. She had been plagued with heavy menstral cycles and anemia. The severity of this caused her to have a blood transfusion which led to the unwanted, but necessary surgery.
     Children were the furthest thing from her mind back then since she had sworn off relationships at that time and honestly didn't care which surgery was performed. Of course that was then because now she sat in the doctor's office thanking God that she didn't have the hysterectomy as she rubbed her stomach and gleemed with joy. The doctor did advise her that after she gave birth she should have the hysterectomy anyway because fibroids were known to grow back.
     She would be faced with the same problelms of anemia, transfusions, and surgery again which would have too much wear and tear on her body in the long run. She agreed because she was not going to go through that again and as she thought about this being the only child she would ever have, the hospital's emergency room doors flew open.
     Benjamen and his brother Elijah entered. Elijah, who was lliterally holding Benjamen up, walked him over to a wheelchair and sat the weakened and sweating Benjamen down. Elijah began yelling for a doctor causing a commotion. As a nurse ran over to him to quiet him down, Benjamen passed out.

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     The next day, neither knowing that the other had been at the hospital the previous day, they celebrated Christmas with their families but met back later at April's apartment that night. After they exchanged presents, April surprised him with another present which was her being pregnant. He was thrilled, but wasn't too talkative the rest of the night. He wanted to just relax and enjoy the moment. Although it somewhat bothered her, she decided not to let it spoil their upcoming nuptuals.

     This brought April back to the present day and time, her wedding day, new year's Eve. When she realized what was going on, she and her father had reached the minister and the handsome Benjamen at eleven forty-five p.m. The minister started the ceremony and when he asked did anyone object to their getting married, Wilsyn entered the Church.
     Everyone turned around as he stared at April and Benjamen in silence. He began to walk down the aisle towards them as April and Benjamen watched. He stopped midway down the aisle and slowly took a seat. The minister cleared his throat and went on with the ceremony. Fifteen minutes later the minister pronounced them man and wife and wished everyone a happy new year as the clock struck midnight. The guests threw up confetti and blew horns.
     After cementing the marriage with a passionate kiss, they hugged tightly until April felt Benjamen's arms loosen from around her as he slowly slid down towards the floor. April screamed as she struggled to hold him up, but the two fell to the floor as the wedding party ran over to help amongst all of the commotion.

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Epilogue

     Five years later after Benjamen collapsed and died at the wedding from a ruptured aneurysm, December brought April and her five year old boy and girl fraternal twins back home for the holidays. As they walked through the airport gates April stopped and watched the twins run into the arms of her parents as Benjamen's father and brother awaited their turn. They all were invited to Angelina's for Christmas dinner. Tears ran down her cheeks as she remembered the night Elijah told her how the aneurysm developed. Benjamen had been bitten by an infected insect while waiting to refuel his charter plane during the senior sight-seeing tour of Mexico and South America days earlier.
     After passing out on Christmas eve, a doctor told him that he was having an allergic reaction to the insect bite. Tests showed an unknown pathogen in his bloodstream which warranted more tests. He left the hospital that night, but was called by the doctor on Christmas morning with news that the insect carried an infectious and fatal disease. Unfortunately the doctor didn't know exactly what type of strain the disease was, but knew that it had to be stopped from spreading to the brain and clotting.
     A number of tests had to be done just to narrow it down from one hundred strains of pathogens to fifty. Tests would then have to be done for that fifty until one infectious strain remained and matched his. The problem was that it was a fast moving and damaging disease that was hard to figure out and required too many time consuming tests. It was now a race against time, but it was time that they didn't have. The doctor told him that he could die within the week if not sooner and he saw sooner than later.
     This specific strain would not be found within a week in their hospital lab, but there was an experimental lab in the Amazon rainforest that had access to more medicinal remedies that could find a cure quicker. Benjamen asked him if he could guarantee that he would be alive and back from the Amazon in time for his wedding.

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     When the doctor told him that he couldn't guarantee it Benjamen told him that he would stay and take his chances with their hospital because this way he wouldn't have to tell anyone what was going on. They all would worry and April would postpone the wedding not believing that a cure would be found in time.
     This was April's day, her first and only wedding day he hoped and believed. He refused to let his illness ruin the day they planned to begin life together because it belonged only to them. April wiped the tears from her cheeks as she remembered how angry she was after Benjamen's death because he chose not to tell her any of this and allowed himself to die just to be sure they married on New Year's Eve.
     Although in the end his sacrifice prompted her to move on with her life by moving away and becoming founder of a research center that worked with the Center for Disease Control that centered on blood diseases and tumors. Of course Wilsyn was still keeping tabs on her and wanted to help out with her research center. She broke down and welcomed financial backing for the center since he had become a multi-millionaire. They had become good friends over the past five years and were considering a possible life together in the near future.
     She now watched Benjamen's father as he held both twins. She smiled as they both kissed each of his cheeks at the same time. April walked over to her waiting family and hugged her mother, father and Elijah. They all headed for the exit door each knowing that their first stop would be the cemetary to visit Benjamen.


                                                                     THE END


by DJPM