James and Leona were buried side by side, surrounded by rose bushes.
After Rosie was born, they set up arrangements for her in case something happened to them. They decided, in the end, that she'd live with Winona and Marcus.
"That's mommy?" Rosie asked, pointing to Leona's headstone. Winona nodded. Rosie pointed at James' headstone next. "And that's daddy?"
Winona nodded again. Every day, it got just a little bit easier to talk about it.
"What happened?" Rosie asked, brows furrowed.
"A bad man was going around and taking people away," Winona explained. "One day, he took your parents."
"Why?"
Winona bit her lip. "Because some people are just evil that way," she responded. "But, before being taken, your parents tricked the bad man. They knew that if the bad man saw their treasure, he'd want to take it, too. So, they hid it away. They saved for everyone who loves it."
Rosie tilted her head. "Where's the treasure now?" She asked.
Winona smiled bittersweetly.
That night, Winona sat in bed, rubbing her pregnant belly. Marcus sat beside her, reading the paper intently. The front page read: "SANTA CRUZ SERIAL KILLER DIES BY LETHAL INJECTION."
On the nightstand, the baby monitor relayed a soft cry. "Jamie is crying," Winona said to the unborn baby as Marcus got up. "She's a crier, just like her auntie Leona." She knew they weren't technically related, but she liked the connection.
Marcus turned around in the door frame. "Let's hope baby Leo is a little more laid back," He said, smiling. Winona smiled back.
As Marcus walked away, Rosie ran in. "Auntie, I heard abuela say once that love is the greatest treasure," she said.
"That's one of them, yes."
"So is that the treasure mommy and daddy died for?"
Winona's smile flickered. "In a way..." she said. "Yes."
Rosie nodded, then climbed onto the bed and laid next to Winona, pushing some wild hair out of her face. "I saw mommy and daddy in my dream last night," she said. Winona stared at her. "They told me they loved me."
"...Oh?"
"And if I needed them, I could look at the stars," Rosie added, snuggling next to Winona and closing her eyes.
Winona nodded along, eyes shiny. Without even thinking, she looked out the window and, for a moment, could have sworn she could see James and Leona in a loving embrace, looking down at the one thing they didn't mind dying for.
Winona smiled.
End.
YOU ARE READING
James + Leona
Short Story🌊 On a busy day at the beach in California, James Yang meets Leona Fernandez. 🌊 They fall in love and decide to start a life together, despite their family's lack of approval. 🌊 Will they make it together, or fall apart? ▪️▪️▪️ 🌊 Inspired by...
