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I felt the joy of being with him, secure in the love we shared. What should have been a joyful countdown to our wedding turned into something else, as an unexpected interruption would forever change our lives.
“…It is two days until our wedding and our forever love story. Why did you decide to come all the way to sleep over? I already informed my brother that you were on your way to his house.”
“I just wanted to see you; I missed you so much,” he said while holding my finger and staring at my engagement ring, the proof of our unending bond. 
“I’ve always told you that you are not an actor. Stop being dramatic with your words,” I said, using the throw pillow beside him to hit his beautiful face.
Ayo has always been my person. From the start, we’ve done life together, convinced we’d find a way to be together even after death. We joked about sneaking around in heaven because our love was infinite. Despite our tough times, we always made it work—no one else would want to be with us.
“Do you want to watch a movie? Since it’s your first sleepover, you can choose, but please, no horror movies. We both remember what happened last time.”
Throwing his head back with laughter, he replied, “Yeah, you ended up praying in tongues because you felt the movie invited spirits into your room, and you made me stay on the phone the whole time. I remember hearing you say, ‘Are you still there?’ in between your prayers.”
“You know what? This time let’s watch a Korean movie,” he said while trying to stop laughing.
“Somebody please bring back my fiancé; this one is fake. You will really watch a Korean movie and not call it cringe?”
“Sure, the last thing I want is a repeat of you having a meltdown again; my goal is to see you happy.”
“You’ve started again, Mr. Sweet Talker.” Leaning forward to give him a big hug, I whispered behind his ear, “You already make me super happy, and I’m sure we will both be happier this weekend.”
The night went by with us watching a few episodes of Love Next Door, and surprisingly, he watched it with smiles. I am convinced I saw a little bit of tears.
We ate, made fun of each other, reminisced core memories, practiced our vows, and made sure we learned our dance steps. Time didn’t seem to slow down, and it was now time to sleep. What better place to sleep than in the arms of the one I called home?
A loud, annoying sound came from my bag; I knew it was my phone’s alarm. I glanced at my lover, sleeping peacefully. Reaching for my phone was tough in the dim light; Ayo must have turned off the lights while I was asleep.
I picked up my phone to turn off the alarm. I realized it was 5:30 AM, and I saw about thirty missed calls from my parents, my brother, and Ayo’s mom. I realized I had forgotten to take my phone off silent mode.
While contemplating if to call my brother or not, my phone ran out of battery. I left it to charge and quietly started putting things in order.
I woke to a loud bang on the door, realizing I had dozed off while organizing—very typical of me. Ayo was gone, but I figured he must be in the bathroom since his bags were still in the corner.
I opened the door to find my brother and mom. Grumbling about being woken up, I noticed my mom was in tears. I stepped aside for them to enter and called for Ayo, ‘my mom’s first child’. Oddly, he didn’t respond, and my mom and brother exchanged a strange look.
Still wondering why he wasn’t coming out, I quickly apologized to my brother about Ayo not coming to his house anymore and not letting him know, figuring he must have been waiting for him.
My brother said, “I knew he couldn’t make it. He called to say his car broke down and he’d found a mechanic. When he called back, it wasn’t his voice; I heard background noise and was told he’d been hit by a truck.”
He described the accident and how people rushed to identify the body, but I felt numb. I kept repeating, “I saw him last night. We ate on the floor. The table’s not even centered because we slept there.” I showed them the blanket and the trash can with empty food packs.
I struggled to get on my feet and went to knock on the bathroom door, saying, “Babe, everyone thinks I’m crazy. Please open the door.” I turned the knob, and all I remember was letting out a loud scream that came from my head straight to my heart and all I felt was a rushing wind sweeping me off my feet.
He was truly gone. My home came crashing down, and death was the bulldozer.
How to Cope with the Loss of a Family Member in a Tragic Accident
One of the things we are not prepared for is the loss of a loved one or a person; that’s why it is the one thing we don’t pre-plan.
Ever wondered how to cope with the loss of a loved one? Read this article to find out ways to cope with the loss of a loved one
Good story! Love that you also created an article on how to cope when you lose a loved one. So thoughtful!