They strolled through the park pushing the buggy that held their precious cargo. It was their delicate Julia. Kathryn timidly pushed the buggy along while Michael lugged the outsized diaper bag along side. They had been silent since they left their apartment.

“I still can’t believe that you did that,” said Kathryn under his breath.

“Are we still on that,” Michael retorted.

“I just can believe that you would do that to our child.”

“I don’t get what the big deal is.”

“It is a huge deal and I can’t understand why you don’t get that.”

“Can we just end this?”

“Whatever.”

The two strolled over to the green wooden eye sore that people would sit on. Michael dumped the diaper bag on the edge of the bench and it broke one of the prongs. Kathryn delicately sat down just to the right of the center and gently rocked the baby buggy back and forth. Michael tried to sit down but Kathryn moved over to the other side of the center and continued to rock Julia.

“Could you let me sit down?”

“Could you never do that to our sweet child again?”

“If you let me sit down, I will never do it again.”

“I still can’t believe you did it in the first place but whatever I can do to make you stop I’ll do,” Kathryn said as slid over toward the side.

“I just don’t get why it is such a big deal,” Michael said as he plopped down on his side of the bench.

“She is our child and she deserves the best.”

“The best does not mean that it has to be name brand everything.”

“Why do you think they are called name brand? Because they are the best.”

“I grew on generic and I turned out just fine.”

“Well that is debatable. Anyways I still think that Julia deserves to have the finest of everything and if that means I have to pay more than I am going to pay more.”

“Well I don’t get why you always have to pay more to have the best. You can get great clothes at any price. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on things she will only wear once.”

“I am not going to be cheap when it comes to my daughter and she does wear some things twice. So there.”

“How about we just drop the subject?”

“Sounds great to me,” said Kathryn while beaming from ear to ear with a winners smile.

A bitter breeze blew over the couple and they started to shiver. Michael dug into the diaper bag and grabbed a blanket which he threw over the baby and another one which he threw around Kathryn.

“I think we should get going before the baby gets cold,” said Michael as he stood and hoisted the bag on to his shoulder and started to teeter. Kathryn stood up and helped him balance.
As they turned to walk away the bench, they heard a deep voice from behind them. They recognized the voice and turn to see Jonathon stand a few yards away holding a gun.

“I can believe what you’ve done to me. To my family. To my daughter. You have taken away her life. Her possibility of a great future. You have ruined all of our lives. Now I am going to ruin yours you son of a …..” Jonathan shouted. Then a shot rang out that made Kathryn’s ears ring.

Kathryn turned to see Michael clutching his chest and falling to the ground. Kathryn leapt to the ground beside him. She pressed her hands over his hands.
Michael looked up at Kathryn to see her looking right back him.
“Kathryn, I am sorry. I am sorry for…..”
“Stop, you don’t have anything to be sorry about. It is my fault.”
“I just have one thing I need tell you.”
“No, save you breath.”
“I have to say it. It is something I have to tell you. I haven’t told you this but…”
“Just stay still. Focus on breathing.”
“I am dieing and I have to say this.”
“You are not going to die. You are going to live a long life and raise our beautiful daughter with me.”
“But I have to tell you that I lo…. I lo……” Michael whispered through the blood that was filling his mouth.
“Don’t speak. I know. I lo…. Michael. Michael!” Kathryn screamed as Michael eye went blank and lifeless. “No! No!”
Kathryn leaned in and kissed Michael. She pulled away and wiped the blood from her lips. She crawled over to the crying Julia and picked her up out of the stroller. She held Julia close to her body. Kathryn rocked back and forth and just stared at the body of Michael, the father of her child. She started to sing to Julia.
“Half of what I say is meaningless - But I say it just to reach you, - Julia…..” Kathryn sang as she continued to sway back and forth and stared at the bloody lifeless corpse of the love of her life.