Adair was exhausted with care. Tiny lights, like dancing phantoms, burst in front of his eyes as he rubbed them hard, as if trying to expel the sleepiness that was swimming in his head. He was moving as if in a dream down the blazingly white hospital corridor, his legs weak as water. The nurse had told him to go to room A37, but he didn’t think he could face what he knew he was going to see…

---

It was a clear, cold night. Stars were strew across the sky, shimmering like little fires encased in crystal. I could see Kylie’s breath hanging above her like a ghost as she swooshed her arms back and forth through the snow. After a moment, she stood up and examined her snow angel critically.

“It looks a bit flabby, doesn’t it?” she asked. “I’ve never been good at these.” I smiled as I got up, brushing snow from my back. Looking down at the angel in question, I could not help but laugh.

“You maimed it!” I chortled, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. Kylie whapped my arm, but I could hear her laughing under her scarf. “That’s okay, though,” I said, taking her in my arms and looking down at her flushed face. “I still love you.” Her eyes twinkled as I pressed my lips to hers. We stood still for a moment, warm under the street light despite the frostiness in the air. Finally, I tore my lips away and looked into her eyes. “Love you,” she whispered, swiftly brushing my lips again. “Love you, too,” I said softly, taking her face in my hands and gently rubbing the chill from her cheeks. She smiled and buried herself in my chest. “Merry Christmas,” she whispered in a muffled voice that emanated from somewhere in the vicinity of my heart.

“Merry Christmas…” I echoed quietly.

---

Adair’s fingertips strayed to the doorframe, holding onto it ever so slightly, as if to steady him. His breathing was shallow and painful in his chest. A single tear slid down his face and fell to the linoleum, making a tiny shimmer of a star. Adair pressed the top of his head against the doorframe, collecting himself. After several long moments, he opened the door and stepped into hell.

---

“Adair?”

“Yes?” I answered, looking over at Kylie, who was curled up in the passenger’s seat.

“Do you know that song, “You Are My Sunshine”? I thought for a moment, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel.

“I guess so,” I answered after a moment. “Why?” Kylie smiled at me with an almost sheepish expression.

“Will you sing it for me?” she asked softly, her fingers finding mine and rubbing them gently.

“Sure,” I said. “But might I ask why?” Kylie’s eyes found mine.

“My dad used to sing it to me.”

“Oh, um, alright.” Then, taking a moment to make sure I remembered all the words, I sang Kylie’s song. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away…” I looked over a Kylie. She was asleep, a smile on her lips.

---

The small room was a starkly white as the rest of the hospital with the exception of a sheet of black hair fanned out over the pillow on the bed. Kylie’s body made hardly a ripple beneath the sheets; the bed seemed three sizes to large for her. Adair wiped the tears from his eyes and forced a smile onto his face.

“Hey Kylie,” he said a cheerfully as possible. “Feeling any better?” Kylie opened her eyes a fraction of an inch and smiled slightly.

“Never better.” Her voice was a fluttering bird, not but a whisper among the hum of the machines that ran their fingers into Kylie’s chest, dripping in blood that was not hers.

“Wonderful,” said Adair, tears welling in his eyes. “Hope that they’ve been giving you lots of ice cream,” he added in a vain attempt to lighten the dead weight that hung on the air.

“Not much, really,” Kylie answered sadly. Adair gave her a sympathetic smile and gently placed his hand on hers. Just then there was a soft knock at the door. A nurse entered, carting an IV pole behind her.

“Evenin’ luv,” she said cheerfully in her thick British accent. “Got company I see.” Kylie nodded. “Well, I won’t stay long then.” She gave Adair a wink and set to hooking up the IV bag to Kylie’s chest tubes. The bag suspended from the pole was full of dark blood. After the nurse left, Kylie sighed.

“They’ve given me so much blood, I feel like a vampire.” For a second, Kylie’s old smile returned, but it was only fleeting, for just then, Kylie began to cough, tremors shaking her small frame.

“Are you alright?” Adair asked, his brow furrowed with concern. Kylie nodded as another wave of coughs shook her. “Do you want me to get you a nurse?” Adair was half-standing, his hand still tightly clutching Kylie’s. Kylie shook her head. The coughing had subsided. Adair sat back down, his hands shaking.

“I want you to know something.” Her voice had been reduced to the smallest of whispers. Adair leaned closer to her so he could hear. “I am going to die,” she said softly, tearing welling in her eyes. “I am going to die, but there is nothing anyone can do but accept it.” She coughed again, but quickly regained her breath. “I want you to know that I love you…s-so much…” Tears began to leak from her shimmering eyes, sliding down her face in little streams. “Love you….so much…” Adair grasped her hand, as if clinging to her soul, trying to keep it from flying away. “Will you sing me the song?” Adair nodded.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You never know, dear, how much I love you….”

Suddenly, Kylie’s eyes went wide. “Father…” she whispered. “I knew you’d come for me…” Her eyes were staring at the ceiling, apparently at nothing. After a few seconds, her lips curved into a smile and with a sigh, she closed her eyes forever.

“Please don’t take…my sunshine…away…..”

A/N: This story is dedicated to a friend of mine who died much to young from cancer. I know she is with her father now.