Peace in the Storm
Weston Cook walked besides one of the sweetest girls he had ever met. She was average in looks, but her personality made up for that, for sure. Alice Staci was a one of a kind, energetic, goofball. One of those people that you wanted to be around all the time.
"Wes?" He snapped to attention. "Are you even listening to me?"
"No... Sorry. I spaced off. I was thinking about how wonderful you are if that makes the situation any better."
"It doesn't, no. But you can answer my question. That'll remedy the situation."
"What was the question?" He asked sheepishly.
"I was wondering what your favorite type of weather was?"
"I don't know, I've never really thought about it. Why do you ask?"
"It says a lot about your personality. My favorite is the rain. It's so chaotic but peaceful. You know what I mean?"
"Not really no..." he shook his head.
"Good! That means I can explain it to you!" Her eyes lit up and her hands gestured wildly as she explained the merits of story weather. "We should test what your favorite weather is. It'll be a good personal journey for you and it will make us better friends. This is so exciting!"
"Can't wait to start." He smiled down at her perfectly round face and flushed cheeks. He seriously couldn’t wait for this to start.
As the months went on he experienced snow, snow, and more snow. That was all the winter months were going to bring him in Montana and he knew that. But every month he and Alice still went out and spent a day just experiencing the different types of weather winter had to offer.
He definitely didn’t like wind. Especially cold wind. And snow was fine as long as it was a slow consistent pouring of flakes. Growing up in Montana taught Weston that cold was a thing, that didn’t mean he had to like it any, and he didn’t. Cold and cloudy was the worst. Wait, take that back, cold and windy was the worst.
Before winter was over Weston and Alice fell in love with each other. And just a few days after Christmas they became engaged. Weston had never been happier. Could Alice be his weather? He loved her like she loved rain storms. He knew they could “weather” any “storm” together. (Weston also thought he was the funniest thing to come to the earth since Betty White.)
During their first rain experience Alice suddenly toppled over in pain.
“Alice! Are you alright?” She had been fine seconds ago, she was just about to jump in a puddle.
“My side…” She managed to get out through the pain.
Weston scooped her up and carried her petite figure to his car. He gently set her inside and buckled her into the seat. “I’m going to take you to the hospital and call your parents.” He closed the door and started dialing the moment it was shut.
“Well, hello Weston.”
“I’m taking Alice to the hospital.” He climbed into his truck and started up the engine. “Can you meet us there? She’s toppled over in pain, something about her side. It looks like she is clutching at her liver.”
“Oh, no. They did warn us. We’ll be there. Don’t worry.” They hung up and Weston wondered about the they Mrs. Staci had mentioned. And about the warning. He would have to ask when Alice was safe in the hospital and the doctor was doing his thing.
He drove as quickly as he dared and made it to the hospital without causing an accident or getting pulled over. He deserved a gold star. He carried his sweet Alice into the hospital. She moaned in pain the whole way.
“Wes, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Alice. Now just stay quiet until the doctor asks whats going on.” He kissed her forehead and breathed in her sweet scent. “Mrs. Staci, has she been checked in?”
“They should take her back right now.” Suddenly a gurney came speeding towards them.
“Is that Alice Staci?” The nurse asked in his gruff voice.
“Yes, sir.”
“Will you please set her down? We’ll take her back now.”
Weston set his beloved on the gurney and stroked her hair. “I’ll come in and see you as soon as I’m able to, my sweet.” Then they rushed off with her crying and shaking figure.
“Wes, there’s something we need to tell you. We’re kind of surprised that Alice hasn’t done it herself, but now is definitely the time.” Mr. Staci took him to one of the waiting chairs and they sat. “Alice has cancer.”
Weston felt his eyes widen. “That’s why she’s in pain then?”
“She had a benign tumor on her liver. They took it out just in case it decided to become a problem. The doctor at the time told us that it shouldn’t ever be a problem again. About a year ago her doctor told her that it was growing again, it was too small to see if it was going to be a big deal, she was supposed to go in for a six month check up to make sure everything was alright, but she never made the appointment. This is confirmation that it’s going to be a problem.”
“Steven Staci?” A voice shouted from a door.
“Yes?” Weston felt his heart beat like the hooves of a wild horse; uneven and quick.
“I hate to deliver this news, but your daughter has what we think is stage 4 cancer. We will have to run more tests to get concrete information, but that’s what we believe it is based on her symptoms and her past history. If you would like to go see her you can.” The three of them followed the doctor to Alice’s room.
She was sound asleep on the bed. Her parents went to her side immediately, Weston however stayed in the door way staring at his future bride. Stage four cancer. The sound of it ricocheted through his head, giving him a headache. His Alice was dying, and she had never told him.
Alice stayed in the hospital for a month. Her cancer was confirmed and her treatments started. Weston didn’t think they did anything for her. If anything he thought they were making things worse. She was hardly awake enough to have a conversation. But even when she was asleep her face was twisted in pain and he wished he could take it all from her.
One night Weston was sitting with his Fiancée, just holding her limp hand in his and reading a book to her. It was a Jane Austen novel, just too possibly bring her a little joy in her hour of need. Suddenly her hand tightened its grip and he looked from the book to Alice’s blue eyes.
“Weston, I love you more than anything. I’m sorry we won’t be able to find your favorite weather.” She tried laughing, but failed in the seriousness of the situation.
“Don’t say things like that. You’ll be out of here in no time and we can get back to our weather hunting.” He kissed her hand. “I love you more than you can understand. You have to make it out of here.”
“I will, just not in the way you want me to.” Weston went to argue but she cut him off. “I know I’m dying. I know this is my time. I can feel my spirit longing to go home. I’ve been holding on for you, but I don’t think that I can keep it up any longer.” Tears were pouring down both of their faces. “Wes, when I pass I want you to go out and find love like we have. I will always love you, but we can’t be together. So I want you to take the ring and go find someone who can love you for time and all eternity.” She easily pulled the ring off her thin fingers and placed it in his hand.
“I don’t want to make this promise.” He cried. “I don’t know if I can ever love someone as much as I love you.”
“You will. Make the promise.”
Weston took a deep breath and looked into Alice’s pain filled eyes. “I promise.” Alice smiled.
It wasn’t long after that encounter that Alice Emery Staci passed away. The whole family was devastated at the loss of someone so sweet. Weston was devastated more than the rest. He would never find peace after this. He fought that cancer with her, but only he came out a survivor. How could he live without her?
On her funeral day a storm was brewing in the distance. But the moment her casket went into the ground the clouds broke into tears. It wasn’t a thunder storm, just a simple rain storm. One that Alice would have loved. Weston walked out and let the rain pour on his face. He sat there waiting for it to wash him away from the place of his sorrow.
That when it hit him. This was Alice’s favorite weather, because it showed peace in the hectic world. This was Alice talking to him from beyond. This was her way of telling him that she was okay, and better than she had been in a long time.
“I find peace in the rain, Alice. I find peace in the rain.”