Becoming Queen

Chapter 41: Grief & goodbyes

Eleanor

Staring down at the diamond ring Elias had brought for Sofia, I stared at Oscar who was frowning at the mahogany door that blocked us from Sofia who was still crying a whole day later.

His fists were clenched, but his eyes softening every time Sofia screamed out in heartbreak. Just like me, Oscar hated nothing more than hearing our children cry.

You could insult him, beat him and steal all his money, but none of that even came close to the sound of his children crying.

He rested his head against her closed doors and shut his eyes. A few tears falling down his face at the sound of Sofia screaming into her pillow.

Resting my hand on his shoulder, I looked at my husband knowing that this was more than Sofia losing Elias.

He hadn't properly grieved the loss of his mother. The only other woman that kept him going. The woman who gave him strength whilst he endured abuse at the hands of his father.

"How am I supposed to comfort her? Eleanor how can I stand her listening to her crying? I'm her father, yet I feel helpless" he looked at me with tears in his eyes. Lifting my hand up to his still gaunt cheeks, I watched as he leaned in to my touch and let his tired eyes fall shut.

"We have to be there for her when she wants to come to us. She needs space to cry as do you honey".

Oscar frowned and tilted his head.

Stubborn man.

"I'm fine Eleanor and"-

"No. I know you Oscar. We've been married for nearly 12 years. All the time I've known you, you told our children to never bottle it in. I'm your wife and I am here for you just as much as you are for me and our children. Don't shut me out".

Oscar frowned at me like he always did when he tried not to cry, but as I stroked my hand down his cheek, the tears started to fall and before I could wipe them away, he collapsed his face down onto my shoulder.

Wrapping my arms around my giant of a husband, I rubbed them round soothingly with a tight embrace reminding him that even the strongest toughest of men needed a shoulder to cry on and as his wife, I wasn't going anywhere.

"I miss her. I-I miss my mum. I didn't even get to say goodbye" he cried.

His body trembled and shook with my shoulder muffling the sound of his cries.

All the pain he endured, all the beatings, all the taunts involving our children and now the death of his kind hearted mother. He broke in my arms.

"She's at peace Oscar. She's watching over us smiling in pride at how strong her family and how strong her son is after all he endured. She loves you so much sweetheart" I whispered soothingly to him as his legs grew heavy.

Carrying him to the floor, I let him collapse onto my body and cried his heart out.

He had been holding on to it for too long. And now, he was finally free from the emotional pain and suffering. He needed to let go of it before helping to heal Sofia.

Oscar's cries had quieten and now he only had tears falling down his face.

With my nails gently sliding through Oscar's raven coloured hair, I looked down at him with a sad smile only to realise that another hand was now sliding through his hair.

Finn sat beside us and smiled at both Oscar and I, his eyes watering as he looked at his daddy crying.

Finn didn't say a word as he pulled his hand away and instead nestled himself in Oscar's lap.