Autumn Leaves (a one shot)

1

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Pale and lifeless. Another life has passed by. My lifeline is gone and I'd have nothing to live for if I didn't have my world... my son, Derek. He's all I have left and the last piece of her that I have.

"Hey, dad?" Derek asks coming into my room. I turned around to face him. "Can you help me with my tie?"

"Of course, come here buddy," I said as he walked toward me. He's only 10 and we've never been anywhere that required this type of dress code. But today was a first for everything. "Okay, you ready?" I asked once I finished. He nodded and we walked out of the house.

I parked the car and looked at Derek through the rearview mirror. "We're here son." I got out and opened the door for him. We walked through the metal gates and down the path of graves.

"There it is dad!" Derek shouts pointing at a tombstone. Then he pulled me by the hand towards the grave. 

Here Lies Dove Jane Marshall

Loving Wife, Caring Mother

07.10.1993 - 01.07.2013

"Hi mom, it's me. Derek. I miss you," he said and started getting teary-eyed. I pulled him into my side and rubbed his back to comfort him.

"Dove, I don't know if you can hear me or not. But oh how I miss you and I-I miss you and I wis-wish you would stay," I choked up looking at the ground. "You're miles away now, but it seems like just yesterday, you were here with me. Here, with me and Derek." I say to her.

"Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you?" I hear Derek say quietly to himself.

"What?" I asked him.

He looked up at the sky. "I remember when mom used to say that to me. I asked her what it meant but she just said, 'one day you'll figure it out'... and I get it now dad!" he smiles looking up at me. 

"Wow, it took me longer to figure it out than it took you," I said and picked him up regardless of him being big now. "Sometimes I forget how smart you are, you definitely get that from your mom!"

He rested his head on my shoulder, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I miss her," he said. And I nodded.

"Yeah buddy, I do too."