He continued to look at the pictures for a while. The ones he looked at the longest were of their wedding. He still could remember it as if it was yesterday. He remembered how much she wanted white doves at her ‘dream’ wedding, as she called it. and of course she got her doves. That was he surprise present for her. and she loved it all.

He turned to look at the clock. It was 3 in the morning already. He figured that he better get to bed. That night he dreamt a weird, very weird dream.

“Hello?” he asked looking around.

No answer.

He continued to walk down the hallway. There were no doors, no pictures on the wall, and no windows. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached a door. He reached for the handle, but the door opened on its own. That startled him a little, but he proceeded on, cautiously. And he was shocked at what he saw.

It wasn’t another room, but the middle of a forest. There were tall red oak trees, wild flowers, birds, butterflies, -- you name it, it was there. The more he looked around, the more he realized that this was everything that she loved. Then he saw her.

Cassie.

She was sitting on rock in the middle of a circle of white daisies. She looked up at him and softly smiled. He stood there in awe. She was still as beautiful as when he first saw her.

He walked slowly up to her, afraid to touch her. Afraid that she may disappear. She held out her hand to him.

“Don’t worry. I won’t disappear,” she gently said.

He took ahold of her hand as he sat down next to her. He was still in shock at what was sitting next to him. It was his true love.

He gingerly ran his hand along the side of her cheek, as he looked deeply into her eyes.

“Do you know how much I’ve missed you?” he asked.

Tears slowly ran down her cheeks as she held his hand to the side of her face. “I know how much you’ve missed me,” she said, lying against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and just held her close.

“Baby, I’m sorry. But I have to go now,” she said standing up. He stood up with her.

“No. Come home with me. Please. I need you. Paige needs you.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t. You know that and I know that,” she said crying. “But keep me in your heart and I will be with you always.”

He pulled her close and passionately kissed her lips one last time. As they parted, they both were crying. They didn’t want to part but they had too.

“I love you. Remember that. And tell Paige I love her too.”

“I love you too,” he said, letting go of her hand. She began to walk away from him, but quickly turned back around.

“I’ll be waiting until the day that we can be together again, forever,” she said as a pair of angel wings engulfed her. There was a flash of bright light and she was gone. But in her place there was a white dove, flying higher and higher in the sky.

He sat up as the alarm clock rang. He was breathing hard. Was it real or just a dream?

“Daddy!”

Paige ran into her dad’s bedroom and jumped on his bed. He smiled at her.

“Hey honey,”

“Daddy can we go to the park today? And feed the ducks?” the three year old asked happily.

“Sure. Go get dressed.”

Paige jumped off the bed and went to get on her play clothes.

Before they went to the park, he wanted to go somewhere first. He had been there a few times, but Paige had never gone with him. And as he stopped the car, Paige knew where they were.

“Daddy are we going to see mommy?”

He nodded yes, as he took some daisies from the backseat. They got out of the car and walked past the various graves until they came upon the one that read Cassandra Marie Kirkpatrick.

Chris knelt in front the grave and so did Paige. She gently placed the flowers on her mom’s grave and kissed the gravestone. Chris smiled as he watched his daughter. Tears were forming in his eyes, but he didn’t show it. They sat there for a few minutes in silence.

“Daddy is mommy an angel?” Paige asked as they were leaving.

“She is honey. I’m sure of it.”

As Chris and Paige drove off to the park, a dove flew in off in the distance. Higher and higher into the sky…