Sweet memories.

It had been a sunny day outside, with birds chirping, the sweet and warm breeze of spring waving through crowds of people, the feeling of lightness the season brought. Just like the last time, he felt his world crumbling beneath his feet on this exact day, but only this time he couldn’t afford to break with it, he was alone, and he knew someone depended on him, he had to be strong.

He focused on the task at hand, finishing the last touches the place needed. 

As night set on the horizon it brought a fresh breeze, so different from how it was a few hours earlier, making the flowers that were neatly arranged in vases dance accordingly to the wind, losing some of their petals, which now were laid on the floor and the tablecloth.

Lights already dimmed, the table set ready, music emanating from the corner of the living room, from an old disco being played through the old record player, giving the place a nostalgic feeling. 

He was ready, he could do it, for both of them.

The man stood still, admiring all of his hard work and the passion put behind this. Trying no to, he began dreaming about the feeling of his wife, her hands travelling through his arms and chest, her sweet mouth whispering nothing but appreciation towards him causing his skin to rise, her voice, always so vivid in his mind, stirring the same old feeling deep down his core, her scent always so delicate and her skin always so warm was engraved in his system, filling his lungs to the maximum, engraving over and over the same smell, making it something that he would never be able to forget. And that he never wanted to.

Suddenly, a loud noise made him jump out of his fantasy, and while cursing himself for getting lost daydreaming, he ran towards the only thing that could have made the noise.

Upon arriving at the source of the sound, his bedroom, he noticed a fallen box in the ground and his child sitting besides it, crying.

"My sweet, sweet baby, why are you crying? Does it hurt? Are you hurt?"

The father asked, almost panicking due to his daughter's distressed cry, as he kneeled down right by her, checking her little body for any injury. 

"No-No" Said the little girl between hiccups.

"I miss mommy and I was try-trying to pick her pic-picture, bu-but I fell with her things..." By the time she finished explaining, her cries were getting more and more loud, worsening her hiccups.

"Hey, angel, you don't need to cry! Mommy misses you so much, and she's not mad at you about the box, I assure you, how could she?”

“What do you say we pick this box up, pick the nicest picture we have and go have dinner? Daddy's finished with the decorations and I made it just like you and mommy like it, want to see?" The man stood up, with his arm towards his daughter, motioning for her to get up and take his hand.

"Okay" She said while getting up and drying her face with her little hands.

"You're so pretty, just like your mommy, and like her, I don't want to see my angel crying, okay?" While on the verge of tears, the father took a quick glance at his baby girl, making sure she saw how true he was.

"Okay daddy" Her little voice made itself known while she helped her dad pick the items from the floor and put it safely inside the box.

They sat there, on the bed, deciding which one was the best photo, and after some good minutes, they came up with the one at the beach, where she was smiling, looking at the camera with the sunset behind her, making her golden curls shine like an angel ring, her eyes reflecting the happiness and the peace felt at the moment. 

After choosing, the man picked the box and put it in the same place it was before while secretly trying to hold his tears from his daughter.

As both of them exited the bedroom and entered the living room, hand by hand, they felt a change, not something physical, but something much more noticeable and invisible.

Her familiarity, her warmth, and even her smell they could feel. The presence of the woman they loved, was right there, with them. 

While shocked, they made their way to the table.

“Daddy!” Said the girl abruptly.

“Yes, angel?” Her father answered.

“I love it, it’s so pretty! And I think mommy likes it too, she probably thinks you hired someone.” The little one replied, while making wild gestures with her hands, making her and her father laugh.

“Yes, she’s probably thinking I would never be able to arrange something like she did. While I’m not the best, I think your dad earned some points, right?” He joked, smiling at the framed picture in his hands and the little girl clinging to his arms.

“Yes! A hundred points! Daddy’s the best!”

Laughing, the man guided his daughter, setting her in the chair by the table while he went to the kitchen to serve both of them.

After giving her a forehead kiss and with both ready to eat, they looked at each other, and after sharing a knowing smile full of joy, they looked at the woman’s picture, laughing with them making herself known just like she never left.

While on the verge of tears again, the man wondered about all that happened, involuntarily remembering her struggle to fight the cancer, the light leaving her eyes day by day, making her so weak and fragile.

Allowing his tears to silently roll down his cheeks, he watched his baby girl smiling and eating, talking non-stop, just like she used to, just like nothing ever happened. She was strong, and she would be fine.

“Maybe, just maybe…” he thought to himself “I can make it work.”

With one last look at the framed photo and with a few more tears, he started eating.