by oshaw
I don't believe I can formulate the superlatives necessary to adequately praise this story and its author.
So, I won't even try.
Second read and I had a very difficult focusing on the blurry print for the las couple of chapters.
We humans don't think to well or make wise decisions when under emotional distress for what ever reason. A first marriage failed because I didn't understand or listen. Over forty years later after reading many romance and loving wives stories on LIT I am finally starting to understand some of my failures in my relationships. I was luck to find a woman that loved me for forty years and wouldn't let go. I hope everyone is as fortunate as I was. What a story, sad but happy that the marriage continued. Great writing.
My eyes suddenly got so much dust in it. Definitely a five star rating. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
2nd reading brought tears to my eyes and a 5 star salute, I say without a doubt best story I have ever read here
Really shouldn't have been cutting all these onions while reading this story. 5 stars easy.
It is good that I read your story in private so my wife could not see how much of a baby I am. I loved it.
This is one of the most heartwarming and caring story on Literotica! It touched my inner core...
happy tears fell today!
Thank you for such a wonderful story!
You captured the essence of grieving parents from a sick child perfectly. It’s sad how high the divorce rates are from relationships where a child dies. I believe it’s over 90% of these marriages end in divorce. I have seen it happen in real life with others and it’s nearly always like this story.
The heart wrenching scene of the parents finding that bookmark and finally experiencing the release of all of their pent of emotion had me in tears. With kids of my own, that scene is my worth nightmare and something I hope I never have to experience.
Extremely well done, including the reconciliation at the end.
An amazing story, my second time through was every bit enjoyable. Sad yet life affirming, you captured a families struggle with loss and despair yet overcoming it all with time and each other. Thank you!
somewhere east of Omaha
A very beautiful story, I had a tear in my eye, I just loved it, being a parent it was easy to put myself in Rachel parents place⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Excellent story. The emotion was palpable. Very well crafted story and storyline.
Simply, the BEST! Thank you so much. There is a lesson to be learned. Spouses have to keep making their marriages work. Wonderful story!! 5 stara is not even close...
I was a front man for a hardcore band and I slammed my fist on the kitchen table three times trying to stop the tears from gushing out of my eyes... it didn't work. I am still crying writing this. (my beautiful woman... oh that made me cry and smile ear to ear at the same time)
If this is truly your story you and your wonderful wife will be in my daily prayers
At each moment of decision, the wife pulled away first, and put another man in front of her husband. Ray wouldn’t ever have even noticed Karen if Marilyn hadn’t already given her heart to John.
ZK
She blamed her husband for the illness. Not logical, but it happens. Grieving mothers tend to subconsciously blame their husbands when children get sick. She saw his strength as indifference.
And because she blamed him, she ran straight into the arms of her boss. Which resulted in her diminishing her husband in her heart and mind, and suddenly he could do no right. To her, at that point, only her boyfriend had the answers. She, again subconsciously, replaced her husband with John as the child's father. She no longer loved her husband, and therefore didn't trust his judgment with what she saw as now being HER child. Everything she did, was without thought or consideration for him. The consequences for his career were just too bad.
The husband on the other hand, saw his wife pulling away, and was helpless to stop it. He was losing them both and didn't know how to stop it. When he realized she was having an affair, (an emotional affair is still an affair), he gave up on her. Then he compounded the problem by having an emotional affair of his own.
Cannot give enough stars for this extremely emotional story. I am sure my wife was also chopping onions in the kitchen. To many tears from a man in his 70s. Thank you so much for this wonderfully written story. Second time of reading it.
The depth of daily emotion of the treatment combined with the devastation of Rachel's passing seems to real to be fiction. This has to be the best story I've read. For any parent that has gone through anything like this, you have my heartfelt sympathy. Thank you for this experience.
somewhere east of Omaha
At 67, married 45 years to my angel, I didn't think could cry. Wrong. Best story ever!
Loved this story. Hard to type with tears in my eyes. I made it one of my favorites. 5 stars.
I started this story at work and had to keep reading even while driving and yes I know stupid and dangerous especially when I got to the part where the parents broke down after seeing what their daughter drew for them and I'll be honest I like to consider myself a tougher guy I hate cheating wives and hate cuck men even worse as hard as I thought my heart was I broke down and had to pull over and cry like I hadn't cried in years this darn well should be a movie
I re-read this story. Even remembering it from 2014, it still got to me. One of the earlier comments said that this should be made into movie - I agree. Sure miss Oshaw.
I am blown away with this story. It is one of my most favorite story that is available her.
To the Anonymous commenter who said "overrated". What are you, some super macho man that shows the world how big and strong he is by kicking puppy dogs? Get over yourself!
I was moved to tears. I lost my dearest wife to leukemia fourteen years ago.
Thank you for this loving, wonderful story.
Seriously wow I’m so impressed with how powerful a story this is you are one truly amazing writer honestly wow thank you so much for giving me the pleasure of reading this amazing
So very well done. So easy for grief to cause disruption and heartache and then eventually dissolution. Great characters...even John and Karen. TC Ireland
I lost a 5 1/2 yr old niece to GBH. lost 3 more that never made it to birth. this story hit close to home.
Read the story for the nth time and it never fails to moist my eyes....Thank you for sharing. Looking forward for more of your amazing stories!
Not what I expected but after reading I have to say this is a superb piece, wonderful and touching 😥😦
Yes, you got me aching deep in my soul, 7+ years after reading the original again.
Why don't you grace us with a new tale after so long an absence?
A true five star story. This one has been added to my favorites. This story was emotional for me because I had a cousin who died from leukemia when she was a young teenager. I did shed tears reading this one, the writing was exceptional. Wish the author would return to Literotica.
Truly an amazing piece!
While so many stories fall to the dark side, this is a refreshing change to see two people recognize and commit to their love after so much turbulence and sorrow.
I don't know if anyone could read this with dry eyes. I know I couldn't.
"Snowflakes began to fall." Brilliant.
I knew it was coming, yet the realization was perfectly crafted. It reminded me of the conclusion of James Joyce's short story "The Dead": "A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly on the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned softly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead. "
Wow!!! What a moving story. Well written! Sad story with a happier ending, well done. 5 star rating
Several months ago I wrote, several months ago I shed the tears of a parent. In the end we had a daughter through the miracle of adoption. We went our separate ways but Megan is the tie that binds. Thank you for this tale! The world needs more oshaw stories.
somewhere east of Omaha
This was one of the first stories I read on this site, I found it today and couldn’t put it down again!!! Thank you so much for your work. I only stopped reading twice to explain to my wife why I was crying. Thanks again, from an old curmudgeon!
really great story very heart felt . added to my favorites list which is really short bye the way . five star and more
Wonderful,beautiful heartfelt reading,feel like I was with them thru this journey. Well written,good story for a movie
An absolutely brilliant story, well said and delivered. Yes, I have tears right now. You are a gifted writer. Thank you.
Merry Christmas
I do not have the words to tell you how this story touched me. So I will not try. Please continue to give people words that let them see the full breath of the charactors, as you have here.
Very well written!
It brought tears to my eyes, reading this mostly sad history.
I´m glad the author decided to mend the bonds in the end.
Bravo
Thank you for a Wonderful story, that so sad but had a major happy ending. The fact that they Both kept their wedding vows was the icing on the cake.
I'm not so lucky.
The best story I've read on literotica. If I could I would give it 10 stars. Deserves to be published and sold on Amazon.
I've read this story again and it ended the same way it did the first time I read it. With tears in my eyes. I gave it 5 stars the first time I read it and if I could give it more stars now I would. This is by far one of the best stories I have read on Literotica.
a beautiful tale of love, endearing and loss, by the end of it tears came down many time, that i had to wipe of. wasn't expecting a story of this mantle on literotica.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. January is cold and gray but your story has warmed my heart.
Wow! I have read this several times and very sad at her death. The note that she left was amazing and therefore happy ending! Great read again!
BR Cajun Guy
590 comments. That says a lot. Good story. Realistic. Read this several times already. 5* (13022)
P.S. Beats the crap out of those disgusting February stories that so many authors seem to fawn over.
what a heart-wrenching story. very well written, give's the reader a variety of emotions throughout the story. very solid 5 star's.
(2/2/2022) Very well written and so emotionally painful. Great message. Five stars! Now on my list
A tragedy with an uplifting ending? Only people with a big heart can write like this. You appear to be so. Thank you, I hope you go on to bigger and better things. I have loved to read, since dr suess, at 3. 60 years later, I come upon this. From my heart to yours, thank you. USMC 78
I read this story more than six months ago and wrote a short comment. I just read it again. Someone once called you one of the best authors here, and I agree. All your stories are excellent, but I am a sucker for a happy ending. My wife and I went through and even today are going through a similar situation with a child. Thankfully he is not physically ill, but there are other challenges that we face. It has been going on for 13 years. For the most part, we have been together on how we 'cope'. That is the key word, 'coping' with adversity. Hopefully it has made us stronger. Marilyn and Ray were not coping together and that made Rachel's passing so much more difficult for them. I wish my child can send us a sign, like Rachel sent her parents, so we too can find a way out of our situation. Keep on writing, please
You are an incredible writer.
As I write this I have tears streaking down my cheeks.
You have a way of running about hard ache that just rends he soul.
I read nearly every story in this collection only one I didn't care for. That said it really doesn't matter because you can''t Always bat a 1000. as far as I'm concerned you're batting 10000.
Thank you for a fantastic story and for putting all the effort and heart that you have into these.
I think I speak for everybody here that really appreciate your stories that we all owe it a gratitude to you.