He smiled at her.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Zac... umm, look, if umm, if when I'm gone, umm, you meet someone else -"
"There'll never be anyone else."
"Please don't mourn me forever." She begged, tears welling in her eyes. "Zac, I love you. If you ever meet anyone who can make you happy, please don't think you're being disloyal to me."
"No one's ever gonna be able to replace you Cassie. Oh man, I'm gonna miss you so much."
They sat on the piano stool, in each others' arms and cried.
**********
One morning in November, early morning, Zac heard Hope crying. Cassie was fast asleep next to him. When she didn't get up, he figured that she must be really tired. She had been very tired lately. So, of course, Zac got up and tended to Hopes' needs.
"Shh, c'mon, you'll wake mommy." He said to her quietly.
Finally he went back to bed.
It only seemed twenty minutes later when it was time for them to get up, even though it was a good couple of hours. Zac reached over to started stroking Cassie hair.
"Cassie?" he asked suddenly. "Cass?"
He leaned over. She felt strangely cold this morning. And not only cold, but a little pale...
Alarmed, and tears welling in his eyes, he put his hands on her face and neck, trying to find some sign of life. But there was nothing. Not even a faint pulse.
"Cassie." He sobbed. "Oh no, oh please no. No!"
The last 'no' was yelled and it seemed to echo around the house. Causing, of course, Isaac, Taylor, Babsie and Rita to come knocking on the door.
"Zac? Cassie?" Isaac asked.
This only caused Zac to cry harder. Taylor opened the door.
"Oh my gosh." Babsie gasped.
Hope chose that moment to start crying too. Rita walked over and picked her up. She looked concerned at Zac cradling Cassie.
"C'mon Zac." Isaac said softly, putting his arms around him.
Zac was pulled away from her, tears running down his cheeks in an endless rush.
"Cassie!" He sobbed. "I love you. I love you."