Welcome To The Family

The Graveyard

 After the birthing process was done, I could not get myself out of bed. I was curled up on my side as I sobbed and cried. Gabe went outside and left me to cry. When he came back inside, he crawled into bed with me. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to his chest. His fingernails were caked with dirt. He kissed my wet cheek.

"Linds, I love you," he said.

I bit down on my lip to stop my cries, but I let out another sob. Gabe tightened his hold on me.

"You can't lie in bed and cry all day and night," Gabe said.

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"I want to take you outside," he said.

"I don't want to go out," I said.

"Trust me," he said. "You will want to come outside. It will help you."

Gabe kissed my cheek again before getting up off of the bed. He pulled a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants out of the dresser. I wiped the tears off of my cheeks and I pushed myself up to a sitting position. Gabe pulled the blankets down and he grabbed my hand to help me stand.

"Gabe, I just want to stay in bed," I said.

He cupped my face in his hands before kissing my forehead. My lips lifted into a brief smile for a moment.

"We won't be long," he said.

Gabe helped me change into the clothes he had pulled out. He had me sit on the edge of the bed as he slipped on my shoes and did up the laces. The soles were molded to my feet. I wiggled my toes and noticed the blood stain on the tip of my left shoe. I was wearing these the night I met Gabe.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me onto my feet. I winced as pain was still in a dull ache in my lower abdomen. He snaked his arm around my side and helf me close as we walked outside.

The family were all in bed. Gabe had a flashlight in his hand as we stepped outside. I took in a deep breath of the cold night air. The small beam of light was all I could see as we walked past the barn and into the woods.

I kept stumbling on the roots sticking out of the dirt path we were following. Luckily, Gabe holding onto me was the only thing stopping me from falling. We walked through the woods until we came to a small clearing. He flashed the light across the clearing and I could see stacks of stones spaced out.

Gabe looked at me and saw my confused expression. He smiled and brushed the backs of his fingers along my cheek.

"It's a graveyard," he said quietly. "Dad and I buried her."

My jaw hung open slightly as I looked out at the graves. He cared enough to give her a proper burial.

"Which one is hers?" I asked.

"Come with me," he said.

I followed Gabe as he walked to the middle of the clearing. He turned the flashlight to illuminate the ground. The grass was torn and there was a fresh square patch of dirt. It had no stack of rocks.

"This one is our little girl's," he said.

His words made my chest tighter and ache. I let out a shaky breath to stop myself from crying.

"There's no rocks," I said. "How will anyone know it is hers?"

"I thought you would like to put the rocks on the grave yourself," he said. "I collected some rocks after we dug the grave."

My lips lifted into a smile. I got up on my toes and kissed Gabe's cheek.

"Thank you," I said.

"The rocks are over here," he said.

He pulled me over to a tree. A pile of rocks sat on the grass. I kneeled down to inspect the rocks. Gabe flashed the light down on me. I picked up one rock, shook my head, and set it down to the side.

I carefully analyzed each stone. I wanted the perfect one for my daughter. I came across one with a flat surface and set it aside. I kept searching until I found the right one. The edges were jagged, but it almost resembled a heart.

I got off of my knees and walked over to the grave. I meticulously placed the heart shaped stone on top of the flat one. Once I had it looking exactly the way I wanted, I got back onto my feet.

"It looks great," Gabe said.

"Thank you," I said. "You were right. I'm glad I came out."

"You need to trust me." Gabe put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. "I only ever do things to keep you happy and safe."

I closed my eyes. A silent tear escaped.

"I love you so much," he said.

I forced the words off of my lips. "I love you too."

"Let's go back inside before you get cold."

I nodded and he laced his fingers with mine. I rested my head against Gabe's shoulder as we walked down the dirt path. Gabe held my hand in a crushing grip. My free hand subconsciously went over my belly. It was odd to feel that it was no longer large.

"I bet you are tired," Gabe said.

"I'm exhausted," I said.

I looked over my shoulder. It was pitch black and I could no longer see the graves. I want to sit by the little tombstone I made for my baby and lie down on the grass. I did not want to leave her side, even if she is dead.

"Can we go back?" I asked.

"No," he said. "We need to get you inside."

"Can we come back out tomorrow?"

"Possibly. Now, you need to stop with the questions."

I nodded, and Gabe somehow tightened my grip even harder. I sighed and walked with Gabe back into the house.