Aj slumped against the chair on the plane. He couldn’t believe how stupid he was to leave her. The guys could have done one show without him. He knew he had just made the worst mistake of his life. Howie sat next to him, looking at Aj, concerned for his friend.
“How you holding up?” Howie asked.
“What do you think?” Aj snarled. Aj jumped up from his seat and headed to the bathroom where no one could bug him. He leaned up against the wall and stuck his hands in his pockets; he felt something in one. Aj pulled out a small folded up letter, the one Melody had given him, he had almost forgotten about it. He unfolded it and began to read.
To the best guy anyone could ever have. To the love of my life, my other half, my soulmate. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I am completely in love with you and always will be, even after life, I don’t know how I could have ever lived without you. You completed me, filled a void that I felt all my life and made me realize that life is great. My heart was empty when I wasn’t with you. When we kissed, a feeling of warmth would run through me and I knew that everything was right in the world. It’s true that you are my only one, my everything. You are the only person that ever made me feel the way I did. I love you, and no one else and that isn’t ever going to change, I love you.
Aj couldn’t hold back any longer, the tears poured freely from his eyes. How was he ever going to life without her, her kiss, her touch, her love that made him stronger than he could ever be on his own?
************
The next morning when Melody woke up, she woke up to the eyes of her family and friends. She didn’t even want to move, she hurt too much. Melody also discovered that she no longer had a voice. She heard her mom leave the room and return a few minutes later with a nurse. That was the last thing Melody heard, she blacked out.
The nurse called for the doctors. Soon four people crowed around Melody, working to help her. Her parents and friends watched on scared, they knew this was her last day, but they hadn’t even gotten a chance to say good bye.
Melody drifted off into whiteness. She flew easily through the sky, into the clouds, towards the bright light. She no longer felt any more pain; she was free from her body. She soon found herself in a large white room, nothing in the room, only her standing alone in the middle.
“Melody?” she heard a soft female voice call her name. She turned to find her angel standing behind her.
“Am I dead?” Melody asked.
“Not yet, you are between life and death,” the angel whispered.
“What do you mean?”
“You still have a choice, whether to live or move on to a better place.”
“I want to live.”
“Melody, it is not that simple.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have this choice because you have found love, Aj is the key to life or death. His love has made you stronger. I knew you would have this choice, this moment right now. I new death was not certain, that it was up to you, but you couldn’t know that. You had to think that death was certain, so you would treasure your time with Aj, and learn what was meant to be taught to you. Now is when you choose life or death. The only way you can return to earth is to prove you have learned to love another, a true love, with all your heart, because with that love you can do anything. If you can not prove it to be true love, then you will pass on to the other side.”
“What do you mean prove it?”
“Answer this my child, why do you love him? Be careful how you answer, this may be the most important question you will ever have.
*************
The doctors rushed about Melody’s body.
“We are losing her,” Hrs. Hartford heard one say. Vallery and Suzy hugged each other as they watched their friend. Melody no longer looked like herself, her skin was snow white, and she was hardly breathing.
“Please Melody, we are not ready to lose you yet,” Vallery cried.
*************
Aj slumped back down into his seat. Howie looked at him, not knowing how to act.
“Howie,” Aj said turning to him, “I know we can’t go back, it’s too late, it is Saturday.”
“I know Aj, I’m sorry,” Howie said, patting his hand. Aj closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep. Sleep would not come, all he could think about was how much he missed Melody.
