Unwritten

The Following is an excerpt from the book, UnWritten. The book follows Raphael, an Angel on a special assignment.  He delivers final messages from selected individuals, in the form of letters.  The book has offered many hope and encouragement to live life to the fullest and to leave no moment UnWritten.

UnWritten Chapter 12

Conner Mason stepped out into the cold mid-winter air. A
stifling chill traversed up his spine. A combination of thermal
underwear, purple running suit, green sweat pants, and an old faded
sweatshirt proclaimed his pursuit of warmth over style. A torn,
knitted, grey hat and mismatched gloves completed his chaotic
ensemble. A vision of fashion he was not; but he was warm and
endeavoring to remain dedicated to his newest resolution. Conner
made a vow to run two to three miles four days a week. So far, he had
been faithful. Four months had gone by and he was still at it. Even
his wife, Amber, was impressed with his commitment. She was not
only impressed but she was also thrilled that he had lost twenty-five
pounds. Conner was not obese, but he could definitely afford to lose
a little weight. He had become very concerned with his health after
numerous visits to the doctor revealed high cholesterol and the
symptoms of clogged arteries. Conner was only forty-six.

Amber smiled and waved as Conner began his morning run. The
Mason family resided on the outskirts of a small town in Western
Colorado. While the town was in the valley, their home was up in the
base of the Rocky Mountain range. Their property was exquisite:
hidden away amongst an extraordinary display of evergreens and
pine trees. A blanket of snow completed the picturesque scene. The
closest home to them was almost a mile away.

Conner and Amber were high-school sweethearts. They followed
each other to college and married during their junior year. Conner
studied marketing and Amber became an accountant, which people
always found difficult to believe. She did not possess the stereotypical
personality of an accountant. She was an optimistic, joyful, “life
of the party” cheerleader type. In fact, she had been a cheerleader all
throughout high school and college. Conner would often say to
Amber, “You know, your unforgettable smile is the inspiration to all
of my success.” This was an enormous compliment and true. With
overwhelming student loans, an old 71 Imperial LeBaron, and no
assistance from their families, Amber and Conner worked hard to
build their own marketing business from the ground up. They
started in the spare bedroom of their old apartment in the town
below. Conner was a classic over achiever, and Amber was brilliant
with numbers and finances. She also possessed the natural beauty of
a homegrown supermodel. In addition, her smile was the inspiration
for the name and logo that had become the calling card for the
Conner empire: Unforgettable Inc.

Conner waved back at Amber as he continued down the driveway.
He could not help but grin as the picture of her smile invaded
every portal of his senses. As he reached the end of the drive, his
grin began to fade. He slowed down his pace until he came to a
complete stop. He stood and stared into the trees while looking at
nothing. Once the cold winter chill had pilfered the last drop of
warmth from his well-insulated body, he moved. He put his head into
his hands and knelt down in the snow. He began to cry; his tears
froze upon his face. With deep sorrow, realizations emerged. He
would never see that smile again; he would never kiss those lips; he
would never hold her just to hold her. Amber was gone and she was
never coming back. Nevertheless, Conner still saw her waving to
him, still saw her unforgettable smile, and still heard her encouraging
him to keep running. This morning there would be no running.
He had tried. However, all he wanted to do was go back to the house
and achieve drunken stupor status once again.

Raphael watched from the trees as Conner slowly made his way
back to the house. It had been two months since Amber left the
earth. Two months since Amber poured out her final words. Two
months since Conner started drinking.

It’s been two months since Amber placed her words in my care. And
two months since…I failed, Raphael thought.

The words she used in her letter to Conner moved Raphael.
Unfortunately, every attempt to deliver her letter had been unsuccessful.
He left it on Conner’s bed, on the nightstand, on the bathroom
sink, by the TV remote, on the kitchen table. He even tried putting it
in the refrigerator and in what had become the liquor cabinet. Conner
never saw the envelope with his name on it; or, he chose to ignore it.
His sorrow and pain had driven him to a place of depression that
made it difficult for him to care about anything or anyone.

Raphael watched Conner stare at Amber’s picture for hours at a
time. Staring was not bad. The problem was the habit he paired with
his staring. Guzzling, that was the problem: bottle after bottle of
whiskey, gin, rum, cheap beer, and wine. Raphael did not know
much about the consumption of alcohol, but he did not think it was
good that Conner was gulping down bottle after bottle of every kind
of liquor he could get his hands on.

Next to the picture of Amber was another picture, a picture that
remained turned over, a picture of three children. Conner attempted
to ignore this picture. In the early years of marriage, Conner and
Amber stayed consumed with earning degrees and establishing the
business. They did not even talk about children. Once college was
complete and the business was established, Amber yearned for a
child. Conner, consumed with the business, was not sure of the
timing. However, his undying adoration for Amber caused him to
change his mind. They began to attempt to build a family. After three
years of trying and an abundance of medical testing and advice, the
medical community informed them that Amber was unable to bear a
child. She was heartbroken. Conner was frustrated and deeply
distressed; his heart ached for Amber.

After facing the reality that she was unable to become pregnant,
Amber warmed up to the idea of adopting. As she researched the
possibility, she realized what an incredible gift adoption could be for
the child and the parents. She researched many adoption agencies
and read every story on adoption she could find. Locating a baby
consumed her. On March 19 of that year, they adopted their first
child, a baby boy whom they named Daniel Conner Mason. Two
years later, they adopted another boy whom they named Christopher
David Mason.

Amber was a wonderful mother and Conner quickly embraced
fatherhood, as the boys became the center of their lives. At the same
time, Unforgettable Inc. was becoming one of the most sought after
marketing firms in the nation. Amber stayed as beautiful as the day
he met her, and the boys made her smile seem to shine even brighter.
Conner was feeling on top of the world and very blessed with his
God-given family.

One day, when Daniel was nine and Christopher was seven, existence
at the Mason household changed. It is a day that Conner will
never forget. He worked late that day but was anxious to get home.
Amber left work early, picked up the boys from school and rushed
back to the house to make dinner. She called Conner to confirm he
would be home by six. He told her he would try. He pulled into the
driveway at 6:45 p.m. Amber met him at the door and greeted him
with her radiant smile. She pulled him close, placed that unforgettable
mouth on his, and kissed him as if her life depended on it.

“What is this all about?” he inquired with a grin.

“What, can’t a wife passionately kiss her husband when he’s late
for dinner?” she replied as she playfully tilted her head and smiled.

Now Conner was a little confused, “Yeah…I guess I was
expecting a smack from the frying pan, not a smack from your
pretty little mouth!”

He pulled her close and kissed her again, enjoying the moment.

The boys watched from the living room, gave each other looks of
disgust, and then yelled out together, “UGH…that’s gross, Dad!”

Conner yelled back, “Oh yeah!”

He ran in and tackled both of them as they started a wrestlingtickling
match. Amber laughed as she watched from the kitchen. Joy
filled the house as she called them into the dining room for dinner.
They sat to eat and enjoyed small talk of the boys’ day at school and
talk of their sporting tryouts. Conner shared good news of another
major client he signed with Unforgettable Inc. Amber listened
intently, enjoying the manly exploits of all three of her boys.

Conner noticed she was not talking and turned to ask, “What
about you, babe…what’s going on with you?”

Her eyes twinkled as if she had been waiting for him to ask the
question. She turned toward him, and he stared intently into her
eyes. Her smile conveyed a joy that words could not express.

“Are you…?” Conner asked.

“Yes…” she said, “I am pregnant!”

The boys yelled out, “What…pregnant?”

“I can’t believe it, I thought it was impossible! I mean, the
doctors said…” Conner breathed out every word. “Are you sure?”

“Yes…It’s true! I went to the doctor today. I didn’t tell you
because I wanted to be certain before I said anything…please don’t
be mad!”

“Mad? Are you kidding? This is wonderful! This is a miracle child!”
Conner jumped up from the table and picked Amber up in his
arms. He hugged her and kissed her cheek as he swung her around
in the air.

“Uh, honey…” Amber spoke up, “I’m pregnant; you may want
to be a little more careful?”

“Oh yeah…sorry. I just cannot believe this. This is amazing!”

Christopher said, “Does this mean that I won’t be the youngest
anymore?”

“Oh man…what if it’s a girl!” Daniel blurted.

Conner pulled Amber and the boys together for a group hug.

“Listen, everything is going to be just fine. Boy, girl…it does not
matter. We will just have one more in the Mason Clan to love!”

Almost seven and a half months later, the new little Mason
edition arrived. Conner announced, “We will call her Amber Grace.
Amber after her amazing mother and Grace because it’s a miracle she
is here.”

It appeared the Masons had the perfect lives. Three beautiful
children (one of which, according to the medical experts, should not
have existed), a thriving business, and a love for each other that
seemed to grow by the moment. It was a season of joy. A season
Conner thought would last forever. It lasted for almost three years;
then came “the news.”