That's just life

The end (1)

Alex's P. O. V.

I jolted awake.

A dream. That was all it had been. And yet, those memories....

The way her green eye and fiery red hair had stood out stark against her pale skin, the way her blood-deprived lips had curled up one into one of the most honest smiles he'd ever seen as a way of 'see you soon'.....

I jumped a bit as the door to my room opened. A red-haired tiny figure came scampering in, her little feet jumping up to my bed as she scooched into my side. 

I smiled.

Leia.

Her ocean-blue eyes, a mirror of mine, went wide and amusement sparked her eyes as she giggled. "You fell asleep, didn't you, dad?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Mommy said dinner's ready. She asked me to call you."

I held in a smile, knowing what was next, as I mentally counted down to it.

3, 2, 1...

"But I don't like broccoli." She pouted.

I laughed as I picked her up and made my way down to the kitchen.

2 black-haired boys, slightly older than Leia were bickering in the drawing room about something. 

And then I saw her.

She was laying out the dishes, her back towards me, her red hair pulled up into a messy knot near the base of her head, stray strands framing her face.

It must have been the sleep, the way too much sleep I'd had, and the dream, because seeing the red hair, made something wild inside me erupt with.....hope. An unexplained joy.

And then she turned towards me.

And it all came crashing down. The breath got stuck on my throat, and I took a step back near the wall, for support, any support. 

Reality came back and hit me in the gut.

For it wasn't green eyes that stared back at me, but bright blue, ocean ones.

                                                                                                * * *

It'd been 15 years. 

15 years since he'd waited in that hospital. 15 years since he'd held Claire while she'd been anxious, waiting. 15 years since the surgeon had come out and hung his head. 15 years since Mrs. Conrad's scream had rattled the windows of that gods-dammed building. 

15 years since they'd all worn black. Since Ava had let her guard down and screamed and screamed. Since Audrey had just stood back and watched, face devoid of any emotion. Since he'd found Trish in Sasha's room, holding onto her pillows and cried relentlessly into it. Since Cole had just watched, patting Trish's head, not saying any word, eyes welled up.

15 years since he'd laid those beautiful lilies on the grave.

Her grave.

The first few years had been worse than hell. 

Alex's felt nothing. Nothing at all. Everything lost colour, meaning. Everything became a blur of grey. 

He felt that the space she'd filled in him was gone. Gone, just like her. Gone with her.

Until that day in college, when he saw Elle for the first time in the hallways. 

Her red hair broke him. All over again. Her resemblance to Sasha, he hated it. All of it. He hated her.

It was too much to take. Too much pain, too many memories, too much history.

But a year later, he stated finding comfort with her. He told, her about Sasha, and she'd accepted every bit of it. 

2 years later they'd fallen in love. 

Yes, he still went to see Sasha from time to time. He went to her resting place and just talked to her. Like she'd want. He'd bring her flowers. 

Lillies. It had always been lilies.

He finally made peace with it.  He understood that maybe it wasn't his fault.

He knew that she'd want him to be happy.

And so Alex face himself another chance at happiness.

Soon Elle and him got married. 

She made him happy. So happy.

She'd dared to pick up the brush and repaint. Every shade, every colour, she'd tried her all to get it right. No matter how many times it got too dull or too dark, she never gave up on it. 

She never gave up on him.

And slowly, bit by bit, he started seeing colours again. World brightened up once more.

He'd be forever grateful to every god there was for Elle. 

This time he wasn't gonna let her go. 

A year after they'd said 'I do' to each other, 2 pairs of legs were scampering and scrawling around the house. 

Liam and Oliver.

And a year later, Leia.

Liam and Oliver had hair resembling Alex's, features like those of Leia.

He loved his family. A lot, with every inch of being in him. 

But he never forgot her, and he never would.

                                                                                      * * *