Mood setting

"*beep*"

"*beep*"

"*beep*"

The ambient noises of the heart rate monitor rang through my ears as I lay on my back savoring my last breaths while my family surrounds me.

"You know… I will always love all of you. Even when I'm gone." I stated.

"We know... We all know, Dad." Stated my son.

"I get it... I wasn't staying it for now. It was for later."

At my words, the room fell silent. Breaking that sed silence, I spoke once more as a grim face became the facial dress code among my loved ones.

"You're all more than what I could have ever asked for. I-*cough cough Cough.*"

As I covered my mouth, I could feel a terrible burning sensation in my lungs. It was as if they had been set ablaze... It was a feeling I could never get used to but one that became more prevalent as time passed. Bloody mucus escaped my mouth and onto my hand as I reached towards my oxygen mask.

"Dad..." My daughter looked at me with waterfalls in her eyes.

"Hmm?" I beckoned.

"It's... I-... I don't know. I just..." She shook. She shivered. She wept.

"Diana. The only thing you need to say to me is that you'll miss me. That's all I need to hear. I'm not religious. I don't know where I'm going. Is the next chapter good or bad, only time will tell... with that being said, I know it's only a matter of minutes at this point. No matter where I end up, the only thing I need to hear right now is that You'll miss me. That's all I want. I want to know that I mattered to you. All of you." I stated as I held my daughter's hand while a tear slowly made its way down my face.

For a moment, She bit her lip so hard that I could see a little speck of blood on the corner of her mouth. Diana was always strong. But right now, She was in a situation that was completely out of her control.

"I'll miss you. Dad, I'll miss you more than anything or anyone. You were the best father. A wise man. A best friend." She declared.

"Wow. Hehe. Already got my headstone planned, huh?" I asked jokingly.

"Hehe. No, you goof. I meant that. From the bottom of my heart." She chuckled a little before wiping her tears.

"I know... I felt it." I turn my head to the left to see my son with his 3-week-old baby boy in his arms.

'My grandson... I wish that I could have at least been here for him to learn how to tie his shoe..., but I know, he's in good hands with Danny.'

"Danny… Can I hold him?"

"Of course, Dad." He said as he handed me my little bean boy, Sahar.

"Ah..." Sahar was a heavy baby at birth weighing in at about 10 pounds. Now, he was a hefty bowling ball weight 20.

"There he is. My little chunk." I said playing with my grandson's feet which caused him to laugh and giggle.

With his laugh, a wave of vigor was sent throughout the room.

"He's gonna miss you," Danny stated.

"Hehehe. No, he isn't. He's just a dumbass little baby." I stated with a smile from ear to ear.

"Dad!" Diana shouted.

"I mean, he has a fair point... but still. I'll make sure he does. I'll tell him stories about my childhood and how you raised me. Although he won't be here, I'll make sure Sahar knows his grandfather was amazing." Danny said while resting his hands on my free one.

"You better... or I'll hunt you. Hehe-*cough-cough-cough.*"

I started coughing heavily handing my grandson over to his father.

While I coughed violently, Diana came up behind me and began to rub my back as if I was the one in diapers.

"*Sigh* I'm fine... Thank you." She nodded her head.

I could feel it. A wave of fatigue started to hit me. I could feel the pain in my chest starting to dull. I could feel my eyelids start to get heavy. I could feel everlasting tiredness formulate. But before it could devour me into its belly known as the void, I had just a few more things to get off of my chest.

"Dad... Are you okay?" Diana squeezed my shoulders together with so much aggression that I could feel my old bones start to shift out of place.

"Aside from you digging your nails into my skin, I'm tired... I'll be going to sleep soon," I said softly. I barely had enough energy to move my body.

Sleep? This was an obvious lie. I didn't have a mirror near me but I probably looked more than half dead right about now with the grim-reaper giving me a back massage. This slumber would be my last and there would be no happy ending.

"Diana... Bring me those two from outside." As I requested, My two granddaughters, Rai and Aella ages 12 and 13 came into my room looking confused and scared.

"Hey, girls," I said with a smile and a fogged-up oxygen mask.

"Grandpa, *sniff-sniff* Are you dying?" Rai asked.

I loved these two girls unconditionally. They had my heart. To see them with the expression they had on their faces right now made me choke up. They made me want to forcibly turn the clock backward so I could hold them in my arms once more.

"Yeah... I'm dying. And this is probably the last time you're gonna see me." When those words came out of my mouth, the girls started to shower my chest with tears. I was absolutely drenched in their sorrows and despair.

"Hey. You girls listen up. I need you to listen close."

"Hmm?"

"Yeah?" They both with the youngest keeping her head in my chest.

"Everybody has to go someday? You know that right?"

I said with a warm smile.

"But why does your day have to be today of all days. It's supposed to be my birthday today. What type of present is this?!" Rai asked.

"I know... It's shitty." I stated

"Yeah. It is pretty fucking shitty." Aella retorted.

"Watch your-*" Diana was about to lecture until I raised my hand and interrupted.

"Not today Diana... Not today."

She was hesitant but she follows my orders.

"As I was saying... even with it being shitty, you can't control all of the outcomes of life. Sometimes people die for no reason. And Sometimes people kill for no reason. But that is just what life is. It's just random wild like that..."

the girls stared at me pondering on my words. To help with their confusion, I added.

"Let me break it down like this... sometimes, shit doesn't make sense... but that doesn't change the fact that we have to adapt to the-*cough-cough* to the *Cough-cough-cough*" I then held my finger out to signal that I was okay before any of my family members could jump to my rescue.

"*Sigh* You have to flow with change. because if you don't adapt at the moment, you won't be prepared for what comes next. This isn't the end. There will be worse days. My death is only a stepping stone for what's to come. That, I can guarantee. But Just because bad things will come does not mean there won't be good things to counteract those bad things. It gets worse. But things get better. They always do. After a thunderstorm,-"

X2"Clear skies always follow." The girls finished. They had heard this saying many times before in the past. I had ingrained it into their minds early seeing as I wanted to instill dedication and motivation in them at a very young age the same way I did With Danny and Diana when they were children.

"I'm glad you two remember... I love you two very much... I want both of you to remember that." My eyelids started to get heavy. I was losing energy rapidly. I felt as if I was losing warmth by the second.

"We love you too."

"I love you." Said Rai.

"Danny... Diana... I'm sleepy now... Take them out of here." Danny nodded his head.

Slowly blinking my eyes, they had shut for a final time.

Mechanical noises ensued as I was slowly plummeting. Plummeting to where? I didn't know. It damn sure wasn't to the heavens. I had done deeds in my past that I still hadn't repented for. Heaven was the right place for me.... but were my crimes heinous enough to send me to Hell? Probably. There was only one place that I had in mind that was related to an afterlife beneath.

I started to feel it getting darker. Darker, and darker. Then It got to a point where I could feel nothing. It got to a point where it could get no darker... Then, at that moment that a bright light formed; brighter than I had ever seen.