Love never fails

02 | the funeral day

Chapter 10: Navigating New Beginnings

The weeks following Ben's death were some of the hardest I'd ever experienced. The viewing and funeral had taken place weeks ago, but the pain still felt fresh, as if it had only happened yesterday. Every morning, I woke up with the same heavy feeling in my chest, the weight of grief pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. The world around me seemed to move on, but I felt stuck, unable to escape the memories of Ben that haunted my every waking moment.

I found myself visiting his grave often. It became my sanctuary, the one place where I felt close to him. Each visit followed the same routine—I'd bring fresh flowers, usually his favorite white lilies, and sit by his grave, talking to him as if he were still here. Sometimes, I'd sit in silence, letting the wind carry my thoughts away. Other times, I'd pour out everything I was feeling—the anger, the sadness, the confusion. It was my way of keeping him close, of trying to process the overwhelming grief that hung over me like a storm cloud.

Lorenzo was my anchor during this time. He was always there, never pushing, just offering his quiet support whenever I needed it. We were taking things slow, letting our relationship develop naturally as we both dealt with the intense emotions of losing someone so important to us. We knew that rushing into anything too quickly wouldn't be good for either of us, so we took our time, learning how to navigate this new dynamic between us.

Chapter 11: The Rain and the Kiss

One rainy evening, we found ourselves caught in a downpour while walking back from the park. The sky had been threatening to open up all day, and when it finally did, it was as if the heavens themselves were weeping for Ben. We dashed for cover under a large oak tree, but the rain was relentless, soaking us to the bone. We laughed at our bad luck, our clothes clinging to us like a second skin.

As we stood there, huddled together under the tree, something shifted between us. The laughter died down, and for a moment, we just stared at each other, the world around us fading into the background. Without thinking, I leaned in, and Lorenzo met me halfway. Our lips met in a soft, tentative kiss, the rain mingling with the warmth of our breath. It was as if the world had stopped turning, leaving only the two of us in that moment.

But as our kiss deepened, reality came crashing back in the form of a loud thud. We broke apart, startled, and looked down to see that in our clumsiness, we had knocked over the lamp on his nightstand. Panic surged through me as I realized how close we had come to being caught.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Lorenzo's mom called from outside the door, her voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, just dropped my lamp on accident. Sorry, Mom," Lorenzo replied quickly, his voice slightly shaky as he hurried to pick up the fallen lamp.

"It's okay. Can I come in? It's locked," she asked, her voice closer now, just on the other side of the door.

"Uh, yeah, hold on, I'm changing," Lorenzo lied, shooting me a look that was equal parts apology and desperation.

"Why?" his mom asked, suspicion creeping into her voice, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"I took a shower," Lorenzo replied, trying to sound casual as he fumbled with the lamp, setting it back upright.

"Okay, hurry up. I need to tell you something," his mom said, her voice finally relaxing.

Lorenzo whispered an apology to me, his eyes filled with regret. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I whispered back, trying to steady my breathing and calm my racing heart. "I should go. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Lorenzo replied, leaning in to give me one last, quick kiss before I quietly slipped out of the room, my heart still pounding in my chest.