Epilogue

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nine months later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duncan proposed to me about a day before I went into labor, and I was ecstatic. My dream of marrying the man I loved was finally coming true.

I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, I named her Nevaeh, Heaven spelled backwards, because she was my little angel, and we loved her very much. We had a difficult time getting her here, and a difficult road with Duncan having HIV, you could tell that he had it more and more every day, and it scared me more and more everyday cause I didn't know when he could just fall over and die, the thought of him leaving me is scary as it is. But I've gotta be strong.

Duncan and I took Nevaeh home and got her settled into her new crib that he'd built. We both talked out what our fears were with the child, but we solved our issues. We'd been told by the doctor that she won't be able to live a normal life. The baby had caught the same thing as Duncan, and I was scared, but I wasn't going to doubt my little angel. I had as much faith in her as I did with Duncan to fight it, they're both soldiers, and I couldn't love anyone as much as I loved them.

We got married on Nevaeh's birthday, it was a small wedding, only close friends were there. It was amazing, everything I'd hoped for it to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~One year later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Normally someone with HIV, AIDS, or Cancer wouldn't of lived as long as he did. Duncan passed yesterday morning, sure it was upsetting, but also it was a good thing, he was finally free of his pain, he'd been hurting so long that I was hurting for him, and he didn't deserve anything that had happened to him. He was a wonderful husband, wonderful friend, just… and amazing man, but most of all, he was a fighter, someone who never gave up, which was one of the reasons I loved him with all of my heart.

His ceremony was the saddest day of my life, Nevaeh was too young to understand, but she held onto my hand as we walked home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Two years later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd been walking home from work when I ran into someone, "Oh, sorry," I excused myself. I looked up to see who it was and smiled. "Doctor Taylor, hi." I sounded a little bit too eager.

"Ah, Courtney. Hello." He grinned, "And please, call me Corey."

I laughed a little, Corey Taylor, lead singer of Stone Sour and Slipknot, I looked back at him, seeing if there was any resemblance. There wasn't.

"How've you been?" He asked, still smiling.

"I've… been better," I gave a short laugh, "And you?"

"I've been okay, I heard you had a girl, how is she?"

"Great, she's the sweetest kid you could ever ask for. I named her Nevaeh." I smiled to myself, wondering if her daddy could hear me talk about how smart and how sweet she was, and how much I loved that little girl.

"I also heard about your passing. I'm very sorry," He said sympathetically.

I shook my head, "Thank you, but don't be sorry, that just reminds even more that he's gone." I smiled, "Life goes on."

He grinned, "It sure does. Um…" He trailed off, sort of nervous.

"Yes?"

"How would you and Nevaeh like to go to dinner with me?" He sounded nervous, and wasn't really looking for me to say yes.

"Awh, well, we'd love too." I giggled. He beamed.

"I've still got your number; I'll give you a call tomorrow. And we'll set up a time?" He sounded so professional. I liked that.

"Sure!" Trying not to sound too eager, he laughed and we went our separate ways.

Walking home, I started thinking about Corey, then Duncan, I'm sure Duncan would want me to be happy, he'd be jealous as hell, but in the end he'd want me to move on and build a better life for Nevaeh. I remembered all the times I had with him, Bridgette, Geoff… Kelly. I missed them all dearly. Geoff was still alive and everything, it's just he moved far away with his new wife. I looked up at the sky, it was getting darker, it was pretty warm outside. But I felt a cold chill pass through me, and instantly, I knew it was a sign from Duncan… he's my guardian angel.