In the quiet confines of a hospital room, Phobos sat at the bedside of his beloved wife, Rosemary. Emotions weighed heavily upon him as he grappled with the bittersweet culmination of joy and sorrow. Rosemary had just given birth to triplets, a testament to their love and the joyous occasion that it should have been.

Rosemary, a beacon of light in Phobos' life, was now struggling to keep herself awake from the crippling hands of death. Phobos was overwhelmed with sadness and grief. He cherished the memories of their time together, knowing that his joy was fleeting and that his sorrow would last forever. He vowed to make the most of what time they had left together, so Phobos held Rosemary's hand tightly.

"Phobos..."

He looks at her, trying to hold back his tears. "Yes, princess?"

"How are the babies?"

He smiles gently at her as his eyes start to water. "They are wonderful my love...they can't wait for us to go home." 

He knew deep down she wasn't going to be coming home.

"Home..." Rosemary says quietly with a tired smile. "How I wish we were home instead of this place. I miss our bed." 

"I know",  he squeezes her hand gently.

"And Ash..., oh Ash is going to be so excited when we walk through the door." Her eyes struggle to stay open, but she tries her best.

He gently kisses her hand as a tear falls. "I love you so much, Rosie...I've loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you..."

She slowly turns her head to look at him. "Are you okay my darling?" She says weakly.

He takes a deep breath trying to stay together for her. "I'm always okay when you're around." His hands shake a bit as he tries to hold back a sob. "I just can't wait...till we get home. Where we can finally be a family...all 6 of us...me...you...Ash...and the kids." 

"All 6 of us..." She smiles gently. "Like we've always wanted."

"Yeah...like we've always wanted."

That pain in Phobos' heart was getting harder to deal with. He didn't want to let go. But he knew he was going to have to. That light that was guiding him through the darkness of the world, was slowly fading into nothing. He was starting to lose sight of everything around him. More tears traveled down his face at the thought of them.

Not just her. But them.

He thought they did everything right. They cured her of her sickness with the chalice...she was supposed to be okay. The kids were supposed to have their mother. He was supposed to have her by his side for eternity. 

His hand gently moves a piece of her hair out of her face. She looked so tired. So tired and yet so beautiful. 

He thinks for a moment. And brushes his thumb against her cheek. "It's okay Rosie."

He looks into her eyes. Those beautiful purple eyes. Trying to make sure he doesn't forget those beautiful eyes he fell in love with. Trying to take in as much as her as he can. "You can rest...I'll be right here when you wake up." 

"Promise?"

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

She closes her eyes for the last time. "I love you Phobos."

He lets out a little sob. "I love you more Rosemary."

A small smile appears on her face before her body relaxes into the bed. 

Phobos sits in silence. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The door to the house opens, and Ash rushes to the door. 

"Hey! Slow down Ash," Nate says as he carries two of the babies into the house. Phobos follows slowly behind, with Blaise in his arms. He shuts the door when he's completely in the house. 

Ash looks confused. Where is his mother? Is she coming home later? Is she running an errand? 

Phobos slowly walks up the stairs, Nate following not saying a word. Nate puts Arabella and Castor into their rooms, while Phobos goes into Blaise's and sets him gently into the crib. Ash walks into the room quietly, watching his father. 

Phobos grabs a small blanket on the end of the crib and stops before putting it on Blaise. 

She made this.

He holds it to his chest as his breathing picks up and tears start falling down his face. His knees give out and Ash runs to him. A sob escapes Phobos' lips as he clutches onto the blanket. Ash sits by him and nudges Phobos' hand with his head, almost as if asking what's wrong.

"Oh, Rosie......" He sobs.

Ash was still confused. Why was his dad crying? Why did he say Mom's name?

Phobos can't seem to catch his breath and keeps whispering in between sobs, "Come back, come back, come back....please....I'll do anything.....please....p-please...I...I can't do this alone...I can't do this..."

Ash looked at his dad who was in pain. 

Come back?

He could smell his mom on Phobos. But where was she?

After a bit, Phobos gets up and puts the blanket on Blaise who fell asleep, and walks out of the room and heads to the bedroom. 

As Phobos enters the room he stops and looks at the empty bed, and then makes his way to it and sits down. Adjusting himself to the bed he lays on his back and then turns on his side facing the empty space.

Her space.

His hand carefully sits on the space and he closes his eyes as more tears threaten to escape. This felt wrong to him.

She should be here. But he knew she was never gonna lay in bed with him again. Or drink tea together again, watch movies together, talk together, shop together, just being together is never going to happen again. 

Ash slowly walks into the room and looks at Phobos from Rosie's side of the bed. He once again is confused about why mom isn't here, and why her spot is empty. Phobos looks at Ash. 

Ash walks away for a second and then comes back with something in his mouth. He couldn't talk, but he could give hints on questions he had. He gently sets a pair of white gloves on Rosemary's side, right next to Phobos. 

Phobos can't help but cry more and he then speaks, "She's not coming home." Ash tilts his head confused still.

Phobos shakes his head slowly, as he loses his control of emotions. "She's never coming home..."

Ash knew his mom wouldn't just leave them. She loved them so very much. So why wasn't she coming home? Why did the babies, Phobos and Nate come home? But Rosemary didn't.

It was then Ash figured it out. The tears spilling from his dad's face, him clutching the gloves that Rosemary used to wear...

His mom wasn't coming home...because she's not...here anymore.

Ash's ears flatten and his tail stays low to the floor. He slowly gets onto the bed and cuddles up to Phobos. Ash lets out a small whine...a cry.

Phobos wraps his arms around him still holding the gloves in his hand. 

As days, weeks, and months went by, the house wasn't empty at all. Family and friends would stop by to help with the babies and other things. But to Phobos, the house felt so big and empty to him. His bed went from holding two people to only holding one. Rosemary's spot at the table sat empty, and her teacup was untouched. The dresses in the closet would be his first stop in the morning and last stop before bed. He would hold onto one due to it smelling like his princess. He would hold them close and close his eyes, as he tried to remember what she looked like while wearing the dress he was holding. 

She was so excited to finally be able to wear those dresses again after having the kids...but she never got to wear them again. 

Some nights he visits her workshop in the house. And sits there and looks at her glasses and untouched fabrics and threads. If he sat there long enough, he hoped she'd walk through the door. But that never happened. 

It got harder as the kids started to grow. Castor had his mum's hair and eyes. And when Phobos looked at his kids. He could see the two of them from these kids...he could see her. And he knows that she's somewhere watching. And that she's right there with them. 

And if he closes his eyes long enough at night. He swears he can feel her right beside him in bed. 

His Rosie.......His Princess.