Love, Cecelia

Chapter 27 - Ronan

October, 2022

I watch the waves, as the hit the shore and they pull back.

Over and over again.

I want to cry, i need to cry but nothing comes out. My eyes don't have more tears. I'm numb. I already cried them all since that night.

Since that moment, my whole night changed, my life changed right there on that floor, a month ago.

I watch Grace as she holds her black dress down from the wind, stepping on the pedestal, while adjusting the microphone to her height.

She wipes her nose with an already crumbled tissue she was holding, before she unfolds a paper.

Her parents, sitting at the front row, crying.

On the side, his picture big enough, with that smile in his graduation cap and gown.

It's his graduation picture, after becoming a doctor.

This is his memorial.

With no body.

No body was found yet, after the explosion at where doctors and already injured people were resting in a small building as we know in Ukraine.

No body, no crime.

Except, it is a crime.

My heart is beating fast enough, that i forget to breath, so i open my mouth once in a while hopefully air comes in so I won't pass out.

James next to me, holding my hand.

Grace is the one who reads the eulogy about Ronan. She says stories about when they were little, how much he took care of her, stories i heard beforehand too, from Ronan.

She tells stories when they were still at the orphanage, and stories when they first got adopted. She says how much Ronan cared, even after he succeeded, he continued helping other people.

I smile, and that's where the tears finally begin to run.

Aaron gets up, holding Grace, when she starts to cry. She takes a few seconds before continuing the eulogy.

Then their parents got up, and thanked everyone for being here today. His mom said "When Ronan wanted something, you couldn't change his mind. When he decided to join Ukraine to help people, we knew that, this was it. He would do it, no matter what anyone said".

I wipe my tears and i look around blocking the voice out. Everyone came. His coworkers from the hospital, with their wives, and Hannah. The woman i met that night. People from the orphanage he grew up in. Even the doctor who i met him at the gala, came.

Everyone loved Ronan.

Part of me will always love Ronan too.

I watch the ocean, as it gets wilder, more grey, matching the colour of the sky.

It's his favorite place.

The beach.

I look up at the sky when i feel a raindrop on my forehead.