succumb - glenn rhee

[THIRTY-THREE] mourning

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE// MOURNING
"GOD, I MISS HIM SO
MUCH ALREADY."

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

Jade sat in the driver's seat of the RV, her knees tight against her chest, wearing one of the many floral button-up shirts her father had owned. She hadn't spoken to anyone after she pried herself from Shane's gruesome hold after she watched the bullet go through her father's head.

Her tears hadn't stopped flowing from her eyes, her body dry from dehydration, her stomach growling for food. Dale's services were being held that morning, and the girl watched from a crack in the closed curtains.

She watched from as the others stood around his newly-dug grave, each mourning his lost. Jade could clearly see Theodora being held by her father, the young girls face filled with tears. Glenn was the first to walk away from the group, his hands shoved into his pockets as he moved directly towards the RV.

Jade's breath heaved as she placed her forehead on her knees, her face shielded by her arms and legs. The door opened slowly and closed even quieter as the Rhee walked through the door. The both of them were silent as Glenn sat down in the passenger seat, simply looking at the girl beside him.

"What do you want?" Jade questioned weakly, her voice raspy.

"I don't know really. I mostly just want you to know that I'm here." Glenn answered, placing a hand on her arm.

"I don't- I just, I don't know what to do." Jade cried as she looked up to face him. "I was the reason he was out there, Glenn. If I would've just let him talk and not have gotten so mad.."

"Hey, hey." Glenn started in a reassuring voice, he knelt down beside her, grabbing onto one of her hands. "Nothing about what happened was your fault."

"I was so mad at him. The only thing he'll remember of me, is me yelling at him."

"No, that's not what is going to happen. He is going to remember a brave girl, who stood up for what she believed in, even if those close to her disagreed. He'll remember the strong girl that he raised, and loved with all his heart." The Rhee corrected with tears pooling in his own eyes.

"I feel so bad for yelling at him. The last thing I did with him was argue." Jade explained with a shake of her head.

"The last thing you did was try and find a way so he could live, and tell him you love him." Glenn reasoned.

"God, I miss him so much already." She responded with a sigh.

"I do too." Glenn admitted, as Jade slid down from her seat, moving to sit next to him as she leaned into a hug. So, the boy sat there and hugged her. And they mourned his loss as they breathed in his familiar cologne that had fused into the carpet and curtains.

The two cried with one another as they found comfort in each others arms. Trying to heal the cold and numb feeling inside their hearts.

x

Jade watched as the others took in their items inside the farmhouse, Hershel having decided that they all needed to be inside for the coming winter. Despite Jade's want to stay in the RV, she knew it was safer to be with the others.

Even though all of them were avoiding speaking to her as much as they could. They knew she was grieving, and they feared exactly what she would do as she went through the process.

She tightened the blanket she had taken from Dale's bed as her niece walked closer to her, sitting down beside her on the floor of the porch. Theodora leaned her head onto her aunts shoulder, before reaching through the blanket and grabbing onto Jade's hand.

"Hey, Teddy Bear." Jade mumbled, placing a kiss on the younger girl's temple.

"Why weren't you at Grandpa's funeral?" Theodora sked innocently, looking up at her with raised eyebrows.

"I just, couldn't handle it." Jade replied.

"What do you mean? He was your dad."

"Yeah, exactly. He was my dad, and I was really close to him." The older Horvath started, her voice cracking as she talked. "So, it was really hard, to watch him pass like that. And I just, I couldn't face going out there."

"I'm sorry, Auntie Jade. That Grandpa died." Theodora spoke, giving Jade a quick hug before moving to walk away. "Love you."

"I love you more."

xx
word count: 746