Frozen Summer

Chapter 39

A day later, Richard, Konnor and Bella were ready to go back to Ciscera, after a quick breakfast and tending to Elias it was time to say goodbye. Bella was standing at the entrance of the shack looking at the rising sun, she took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the cold air of the morning. Shivers ran through her body as a chilly wind rose but this sensation was the most pleasant feeling she ever experienced other than being in Richard's arms. She turned around and entered the home to say her farewell to Elias. Richard, Konnor and Mia were outside preparing the horse and packing their bags. Bella approached the bed where Elias was.

" Hey .. it's time for me to go. "

Still laying on his side with his back turned to the room, Elias simply gave her a wave.

" Oh come on Elias don't be like that. "

" Just leave Isabella. "

" Why are you mad at me? "

" I'm not mad at you. "

" Then what is it? "

Elias turned around with tears in his eyes.

" I'm growing old, my child, and my time is soon to come. I was hoping you would one day find someone to protect you properly and I could rest easy.. " He looked outside at Richard brushing his horse. " and I'm glad you found him but now, I feel like I have no purpose, I'm just an old man living in the forest waiting for the creator to claim me. "

" You aren't useless Elias, ever since mom passed you took care of me despite me never writing and sometimes being ungrateful, you never closed your door, you never stopped teaching me how to survive in this world. "

Silence fell between the two of them, Bella put her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

" Elias, I know you're being eaten away by the guilt of what happened to your son but just know that from my perspective, you are a great man. I'll be glad to call you my own father because you are great at it. And the day the creator claims you, Torik will be waiting for you and hugging you again. "

Unable to form his gratitude, Elias simply leaned forward and hugged his granddaughter.

" Your mother would be so proud of the young woman you've become. " Elias paused for a moment, thinking carefully about the next set of words he was about to use. " Listen to me child, you have something now, outside of this forest, you do not need to come back every year to see her or me. We are like shackles making you unable to truly move forward in life. "

Tears were flowing out of her eyes like a waterfall, she hugged him tighter, almost sanking her fingers into his skin.

" How could you ask me to leave you behind ? You are my last relative, I don't want to give up on you. "

Isabella was crying and shaking with emotions, Elias kept her against him, patting her back like when she was a little girl.

" There there my child it's alright, even if you don't come here, even if I'm no longer walking on this plan of existence, know that I will always be there by your side. " He slightly pushed her away from him and first pointed at her chest where her heart was. " I will be right there.. " he then pointed at her forehead. " ... and in there.

" I'm not strong enough to do it, I'm scared Elias, I still miss mom and dad .. "

" Listen my child, I have lived through many winters, buried many friends and my son and just recently I understood a very important lesson about grieving. It is a long, difficult and complex process, it is a battle against time itself to keep the deceased in your life as long as possible after their passing, but it is a foolish battle as time will always win. So it would be my salvation if you could finally move forward without ever looking back " .