Eyes Behold

22. Gone

" Rose didn't cry that day . Not when they took her to the morgue to recognise uncle, aunt and Chris . Not when she saw them . Those who saw them said that they had cuts and bruises tattered all over their body and face ,especially uncle and aunt . She didn't cry , just ran her hand on their cheeks with only a ghost of a touch as if trying to remember that touch , that feel of holding them . "

Rose had stayed in the morgue never breaking down a tear . She wanted their last moment together to be away from tears but she never tried to hold them in by force . How could one hold something in when it  never even existed in the first place ?

Her parents had taken the grunt of the impact . The large truck had collided with the hood of the car with large force. The driver had crossed the red lights and was in quite a speed . He couldn't slam the brakes on time . Since Chris was also on the right side, towards the impact , he took a large amount of the impact too. Rose was the farthest and thus escaped with little injuries.

" Even when her relatives visited, hugged her , patted her back , gave her soothing words, she didn't drop a tear . She acknowledged their presence but didn't talk to anyone. She hadn't spoken since the news of Chris had broken out. I was still in Edmonton trying to book some tickets back . When mom told me about Rose I was dead worried. I hurried to the graveyard as soon as I landed . She was there standing watching the three being lowered down. "

Tyler walked towards her and slowly wrapped his arms around her from the back just as they opened the coffins one last time. Feeling the warmth of her closest family , her brother and seeing the still , lifeless faces of her beloved family , a first tear rolled down her eyes followed by another and yet another. Her knees buckled as she let out a loud painful scream.

Tyler held her close preventing her from falling down as she put her hands in her hair screeching out loudly . The last two days hit her like a train as she held on to Tyler for dear life.

She slowly moved towards the coffins, her eyes blurred with tears , burning bad . She tripped on a pebble but Tyler caught her. He was in a distraught state too . They were his second family, his home . But he held himself strong for his little sister.

Rose stumbled to them and rubbed her eyes as she took them in for one last time . Observing the man who gave her strength, a sense of protection and intense love for her she let another tear slip . His black hair slicked back , his eyelids closed hiding his beautiful eyes, the eyes that were also looking at him now . Looking over to the woman who groomed her up into the lady she was today her eyes held love and adoration for the most beautiful lady in her life. Her mother's long hair tied into a plait just like she liked it , her face relaxed , her large doe brown eyes hidden from her .

She looked over to her brother, her bestest friend, her partner in crime , her love of life . Rose held onto the charm in her bracelet that Chris had gifted to her just a few days ago on her birthday as she bid them a final goodbye.

She stood up on shaky feet and turned to see Tyler standing there tearing up. She ran into his arms squeezing him tight . She looked up at her second mother , her Aunt Avi who came running to her engulfing her into a warm hug. David held onto her hand squeezing it tight . Kayden patted her head with affection. Her grandparents, her other family members tore up at the site. Seeing her break down like this had left them heart broken.

She was a sweet girl who didn't deserve this . No one in the world ever deserved anything like this .

" We couldn't let her stay there alone with the memories in every nook and corner of not only the house but also the city , she had spent 15 years of her life there , with them . " Tyler continued

" We had to leave , immediately.Rose was breaking down with every passing second. I couldn't see her like this. She was constantly going into a daze staring at a wall continuously or roaming around the house touching everything around .

Mom took her custody and we hurried her back with us. We let her uncle Kayden take care of all the arrangements there like leaving the school and receiving the custody of her house till she turned 18 while we took care here of getting her enrolled in a school here .

For the first several weeks she would have nightmares of that night while I held her close. She would cry every night after the nightmare and I would hold her close. It broke me so hard to see her like that. She was breaking apart Mels, Meri . She was breaking so bad." Tyler started crying remembering those nights he spent rocking her to sleep or taking her out on late night rides when she couldn't sleep.

Rose loved him to death. He had been so supportive of her all the while. He would take her out with his friends who all loved her a lot. They would hang out at their favourite spot with David. Aunt Avi would spend lots of time with her often taking off from the school just to be with her. They would cook and bake together, go out for strolls.

Uncle Ben often took her out for the NGO works , taking care of the needy . Spending time with them she had started realising that there were many people in the world who even if didn't go through the same pain she went through but still had difficulties in life and were trying to overcome them . She saw their misery , she felt their pain . Slowly ,helping them started making her happy .

She started smiling again , she started laughing again . Helping them helped her melt away her sorrows , her griefs. She started living again. Seeing her like this filled everyone's heart with a familiar old warmth and happiness. Something that one gets when their family is finally complete, when they are finally complete.

This took time . She started realising that spoiling her memories with her family by crying when remembering them not only brought grief to her cousins , aunt and uncle but also to her family . How would they feel when they see her crying whenever she remembered them ? Terrible. And she didn't want that.

So she vowed to smile . Smile and never cry while remembering them ,the most beautiful people of her life.

Once Tyler was convinced that she would be alright which was not until Rose smacked him hard and packed his things herself almost throwing him out of the house, he decide to leave for Edmonton . He had been missing on two months of work so far. She couldn't let him do that anymore.

All this while she had been struggling to get herself back, adjusting with the new school for which David had been of great help and learning to live her life without them. It had been difficult, a lot but she had overcome her nightmares by the third month . It was possible only because of the love she got from all. Their support had been the strong pillar of life.

She was yet not ready to go back to her town , to her old school , the school where she had left everything and everyone behind. It wasn't her fault , everything had taken toll one after another pressing her down. Calls from relatives, therapy sessions for the nightmares , sleepless nights , coping up with new environment, new school , new life , time went by in a blur.

Nobody knew anything about this in her school . Uncle Kayden had taken care of that . He didn't want her to feel left out amongst her friend, been called names or downgraded. Little did he know he was snatching away a very important part of her life.

The accident had broken down the phones making her lose all the contacts . Neither could they call , nor could Rose call back . Going back to the city was a big no . She knew she wouldn't be able to handle it yet . So after one year when she did go back , she felt it was too late to go back now .

Would they still be waiting for her ? Would they still love her or would they hate her ? No . This can't be happening.

It took everything in her not to run back towards the school . But her insecurities had the best in her. So she let the insecurities win as she left back her life there. She was gone .
———————————————————————
A/N
Hiyaa guys !!! So I'm back with the next chapter...

How did you find the chapter??? Felt like tackling me to death ??? Hehe .... I know you love me and I love you back and I'm too lovable to die yet and you still don't know when Rose and Jordan will come together ... so I can conclude I'm quite safe ... * grinning like the fool I am *

Anyways let's go ahead with our daily slogan .... pls vote ,share and comment..

Thanks
Lots of love and hugs
Joban ❤️