Back in November after some humming and hawing I signed my name up to be a contributing author for the Fandom for Preemies, a compilation anthology that was offered to anyone who donated a minimum of five dollars to The March of Dimes. I was uncertain if anyone would care to donate just to read my entry but wanted to contribute something to aid a charity that has to do with children. Children charities are my weakness, they are the only ones I will happily open my wallet for and actively donate to. “You Are My Sunshine” was also written for the compilation.
This week I have my work cut out for me. Let’s see if I can discuss it without becoming a sobbing mess by the end:
Summary: They always say that you're never the same after you lose the one you love. What happens when you lose her, but can still see her, still touch her? Would you still be the same?
The story starts with Edward watching his daughter, Rey playing in her room. She is adorable in her conversation with her father as he joins in her make-believe world. After a reminder of what the plans are for the day, visiting her mother, Bella, he continues to check on his son, Seth. Seth has the typical teenager attitude but you can’t quite place the cause for it.
As Edward waits for his children, he has a flashback from when his daughter was born. This is where we learn Bella experienced some problems during delivery. Reading through the flashback of Edward’s emotions and suffering caused my heart to clench for him. Be warned, if you have endured a traumatic childbirth, it will bring back all your own memories, it definitely did for me. I wanted to stop, I really did. But theswandive’s gentle descriptions were so real and I became determined to see it to the end, even if it meant breaking my heart further.
But that’s what we all look for when reading, isn’t it? To get emotionally invested in the characters, feel what they are feeling, become attached. That’s what I found while reading.
As Edward waits for his children, he has a flashback from when his daughter was born. This is where we learn Bella experienced some problems during delivery. Reading through the flashback of Edward’s emotions and suffering caused my heart to clench for him. Be warned, if you have endured a traumatic childbirth, it will bring back all your own memories, it definitely did for me. I wanted to stop, I really did. But theswandive’s gentle descriptions were so real and I became determined to see it to the end, even if it meant breaking my heart further.
But that’s what we all look for when reading, isn’t it? To get emotionally invested in the characters, feel what they are feeling, become attached. That’s what I found while reading.
I feel as if the floor below me has opened up and swallowed me whole. The room spins around me and I realize my legs are shaky and I'm having trouble focusing on anything. I move to sit down, feeling very much like the odd man out. I'm alone in this room, my wife is unconscious and only these doctors and nurses know what's happening, but they can't tell me anything yet. Suddenly, I realize in the midst of all the commotion, that I haven't even seen or held my daughter. I look around the small room and she's not here.
After taking a few deep breaths, I continued to read and made it to the end. Now, I will tell you, in my entire two year career of reading fan fiction, I have cried only once. I can no longer say that is the case. I was a weepy mess, but for all the right reasons. I suggest if you are at all the emotional type, don’t read this at work like I stupidly did, find a closet where you can hide and bring kleenex. If you aren’t the emotional type or if you don’t dig canon parings, please read it anyway because it is beautifully written and will make your heart smile when it’s over.
Theswandive’s contribution for the Fandom for Preemies Compilation, in my eyes was worth so much more than the five dollar minimum donation and we are very lucky she decided to share it with us as well. Be sure to read and leave my friend some review love.
