The Journey of Victoria Morgan Ch. 03

Victoria knocks on the door to John's office.

"Come in."

"Hi," says Victoria as she enters.

"Hello."

"I need to talk to you about our relationship."

"Yes?"

"Umm... I'm sorry for the way things happened but I would ...still like to be friends."

"Friends? We dated for five years! I loved you since the first day we met at college orientation. Victoria I don't want to be your friend, I want to be your husband. Get out of my office!"

"John--"

"Now Victoria!"

Victoria leaves John's office and ignores his co-workers while racing to get into the elevator. While she is driving the song, It's Not Supposed to Go Like That by Rascal Flatts comes on and she cries all the way to her home.

Victoria can't believe he asked her to marry him and when it didn't turn out like he planned he flipped. Doesn't he know you can't just spring things on a girl like that? John is confused and angry; he loves her, they have the perfect relationship, or so he thought.

Victoria walks into her home; she turns on her radio and When Can I See You by Babyface begins to play as she changes into a dark blue night gown, pours a glass of wine, takes it into her bathroom, and places on her bathroom counter. She proceeds to go into her medicine cabinet, takes out an aspirin bottle, picks up the glass of wine and takes a large amount of aspirin as she gets into her bathtub.

Sometime passes and Louis arrives at Victoria's home. He knocks on her door with his tool box in hand and waits a minute before using his key.

"Hey Torry, I'm here!" he calls to her. "I guess she is still at work."

Louis continues through Victoria's home to the master bathroom in Victoria's bedroom listening to When Can I See You by Babyface and finds her passed out in her bathtub.

"Torry!" Louis is slapping her face and checking her pulse.

He rushes to the phone next to Victoria's bed and calls 911. Moments later Victoria is lying in a hospital bed and her father is sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"Hello, princess."

"Hello dad."

"So why did you do it sweetheart?"

"It hurts not seeing you. Every day I wake up I get out of bed and walk into my kitchen I hope to see you making French toast and when I realize you aren't there I am disappointed.

Then at the end of my day I can't wait to hug you and tell you about it and I walk into my home, look around for you, and you're still not there. Then it hits me that you died, you're never going to be home again. Why are you here now?"

"I'm here to correct a mistake."

"That mistake would be?"

"I never told you that one day I wouldn't be here. I saw how things are going with John."

"So you're a heavenly stalker now?" she joked.

"Watch it."

"Okay, go on correcting your misdeeds, daddy."

"I know your mother keeps giving you that line 'I'm in a better place...' She is just trying to comfort you; I know it's not working. She should have told you sixteen years ago that I was dead and never coming back. She was in a lot of pain at the time of my death, just go easy on her.

My earthy body was in a lot of pain and I would gladly feel that pain to be with you every day in that same body, but I am with you every day in spirit. My blood flows through your veins. I have never left you..."

"Okay..."

"Okay nothing! Victoria, think about what I just said. Give your mother a break, forgive her Victoria and give John some time. Tell the boy the truth and Victoria you are not your mother. Sweetie, take a chance on love. Oh, and don't you EVER try to kill yourself again. I have to go... I love you my princess." Benjamin disappears.

"Comeback ... Dad ... Come back!"

Louis peaks his head into Victoria's hospital room as she says this, "Come back? We just got here."

"Um...forget it... just thinking out loud."

"I see ... Can mom and I enter?"

"Sure."

Louis and Carrie Ann enter the room. "Thank you."

"Anytime... So what? Mom wants to yell at me for trying to kill myself and failing?"

Victoria hears Benjamin's voice. "Give your mother a break, forgive her Victoria,"

"Sorry mom."

"I'm a little hungry, anyone want something from the cafeteria?" asks Louis.

Victoria and Carrie Ann voice their opinions together. "No, thank you."

Louis exits the room.

"Baby why did you do it?" pleads Carrie Ann.

"I was sick of the pain."

"What pain, baby?"

"The pain of losing dad and the fact that you never told me he was dead and never coming back. I have waited sixteen years for my father to come back to me. Why weren't you woman enough to sit me down and tell me he wasn't coming back; I broke up with the only guy I could ever see myself marrying because..."

"I know... the stories you wrote as a child that I told you to stop writing. I am sorry. Your words cut me like a knife, I couldn't explain to you that and your brother that your father had died because it took me years to understand myself...please forgive me."

"I am really sick and tried... of holding a grudge against you. I forgive you mom."

Carrie Ann and Victoria hug.

Chapter 4

John knocks on the door of Victoria's apartment.

"Coming, who is it?"

"John."

Victoria looks through the peep hole and then opens the door.

"Hello, Victoria."

"Hello John. Why are you here?"

"I heard what happened to you. I tried to see you at the hospital but since I wasn't family they would not let me."

"Okay."

"I have been thinking about our last conversation. I love you Victoria Ann Morgan. It hurts that you don't love me back."

Victoria starts to cry. "I love you too John. My not saying yes had nothing to do with me not loving you; it was actually having everything to do with me loving you."

"I don't understand, you turned me down because you love me?"

"Yes...I turned you down because I love you too much. I didn't want to end up like my mother."

"What does your mother have to do with our relationship?"

"John, hear me out. You know my father died when I was nine. But what you don't know is that my mother never told me my father was dead. For a long time I wanted for him to come back until one day I realized he was never going to. I had never dated before you asked me out five years ago."

"Why?"

"Because I was afraid that my husband or any man that I loved would die or leave and I would end up like my mother. Then a really good friend came to me the other day and told me that I am not my mother and I should tell you the truth."

"Victoria, I love you and I promise I would never leave you."

"No! John you can't promise me that you would never leave me. You can't control when you die; if you die you would leave me."

"If God calls me home; know that I loved you as long as I could, it wasn't not my choice to leave, and will love you for eternity."

Victoria hears Benjamin's voice.

"Sweetie, take a chance on love."

"John, I love you and if you'll still have me I want to be your wife."

John gets down on one knee. "Victoria Ann Morgan will you marry me?"

"Yes!"