Marriage by contract

ALEXANDER’S POV

I stood a couple of paces away from the bed. The bed my father laid on, was wired to machines that I couldn't tell what they did except to keep him alive, till this moment. The doctor called me saying he doesn't have much time left and that my father wanted to see me immediately. I grabbed my keys, left the company, and rushed over to the hospital to see this almost-dead man smiling up at me.

"You're about to die, what's funny?" I asked in a strained voice.

“Oh it's nothing, I'm just thinking about the life I lived. Your mother, God bless her soul, and then there's you." He says and I shove my hands in my pocket.

“You shouldn't think father, you should concentrate on breathing, " I say to him nervous at moving closer. I had this nightmare last week that I tangled up the wires connected to his machine and he died because of that. The remembrance of that dream made me step a few paces back, I definitely cannot be the cause of his death. "No it's okay, I had a dream last night.

I saw the pearly old gates gleaming so brightly " he said dreamily and I scoffed. "You sure you're going to heaven old mad?" I asked and he laughed. He laughed so hard that he started to cough and for a few seconds, it scared the shit out of me. I moved to call the doctor but he grabs my wrist, "No need, I'm fine" he says.

"Did you call me here to tell me about the pearly old gates?" I asked him anxious to leave this place. I hated hospitals, they gave me the creeps. Mom was here for about six months after she had a ghastly accident, gracias lord, she’s fine now. Now my father was here about to take his last breath. Don't blame me if I was ready to burst out of here.

"I left you a gift, in the will," he says so animatedly and I smile. "So there's a will?" I ask and he laughs again but he doesn't cough this time. "Yes you silly boy, there's a will. It's something your mother and I discussed last night." He says and I raise an eyebrow. "So you edited the will this morning?" I asked and he shakes his head. "Last night when I woke up, I sent for the lawyer" he whispers like it's some sort of secret.

"That shouldn't be possible, you're not sane enough to do that," I say and he sighed. "Imagine my son calling me crazy" he mumbles before turning to me. "I remember every one of the passcodes to the will, every security question and answer so I'm quite sure of how sane I am," he says and we both laugh.

"Will you tell me what it is?'' I ask him and he shakes his head. "No, no, then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it ?" He asked me with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Well ever it is, I hope it's good," I say and he smiles. "Your mother insisted, so you know it's good," he says. "I want to be buried with your mother's photo. You know the one I'm talking about, the one on my desk." He says and I sigh. "The one you both took when you got married?" I asked and he hums, yes that one.