Forever

Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of her life. Instead it turned out to be the worst. They were due to celebrate their 2nd year anniversary. Herself and Mark had plans to go out for dinner, they'd been planning it for weeks. She'd gone out especially to buy a new outfit.
She stood in front of the mirror, she smiled, she never usually liked the way she looked, but tonight, not even she could deny that she looked stunning. The new dress she had bought fit perfectly and complemented her body well. The dress was very low cut, which she knew would please Mark, she'd never wore anything this revealing, well not out anyway. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, and grabbed her bag and left for the restaurant.
She sat at the table waiting for him. He was late, He'd never been late before. She laughed off the worried feeling that hung over her, she put it all down to work, he was working late, that made her feel better, but she couldn't quite get rid of that worried feeling. She sat there for another half an hour, she started to worry once more as the fear slowly crept back into her head. She was just about to leave, when she was called to the front desk. She had a telephone call, that must be Mark she thought.
"Mark" she said cheerfully down the phone "where are you?" her smile that she had on her face fell. It wasn't Mark. Instead it was the hospital, with bad news. They had phoned to inform her about the accident. The accident that Mark had been involved in. She never thought that her world could fall apart so quickly. Mark had been hit by a car, a drunk driver. He'd died on the was to hospital, there was nothing that they could have done. She put the phone down, not even sure that they had finished talking. She left the restaurant, and walked through the empty streets in a daze. Nothing registered, nothing mattered. She reached their apartment, or now her apartment. She leaned on the door. She sighed. It still hadn't sunk in fully. She felt so alone, the apartment was so quiet, he wasn't there to greet her, he was never going to be there again. Tears built up in the backs of her eyes, but they just wouldn't fall. She went up the stairs to what was this morning their bedroom. She sat on the bed, it seemed so big now. She went to lay down, she stopped as she noticed a rose on her bedside table. She picked it up. There was a note attached to it, she read it.

"To my dearest,
you are my life,
I couldn't go a day without seeing your smile,
I'll love you always,
and I want to make this forever"

She put the note down, and looked to his side of the bed. There was a small box sitting on his bedside table. Her heart skipped. She lent over and picked it up. She opened it slowly with care. A tear rolled down her cheek and dripped onto her hand as she pulled the small ring out of the box. She moved it in the light as she noticed an inscription on the inside of the ring. She smiled as she read it.

"This is forever"

The tears fell heavier from her eyes as she placed the ring back in the box. She lay down and closed her eyes. Sleep was hard to find, but when she did, he was there, holding her hand slipping the ring on her finger.
"I'll love you forever baby" he kissed her. "As long as your smiling I'll be happy" he wiped the tears from her eyes. He kissed her gently on the lips and held her close.
She woke the next morning to an empty bed, and an empty feeling left inside of her. She lifted her hand to her face. She felt something cold against her skin. She looked down at her hand. There was the ring on her finger. She remembered the dream and smiled.
"I'll love you forever" she whispered into the emptiness of the room.