Love in the Dark

Chapter Three: The Final Goodbye

Carlos sighed as he smoothed out his black suit, his eyes falling on the hearse parked outside the house, carrying the coffins. Swallowing hard, he acknowledged the reality: the funeral was happening today, and there was no turning back.

Hearing the sound of heels clicking, Carlos turned his attention to Charlese, who was descending the stairs, cuddling Kaia, who wore an A-line black dress.

Carlos's breath caught at the sight of Charlese, dressed in a black cape dress. She looked breathtaking, but he quickly dismissed the thoughts, knowing it wasn't appropriate to think of her like that at such a moment. However, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He was snapped back to reality when Charlese called out his name, now standing in front of him.

"Can you please hold her?" Charlese requested, making Carlos blink in confusion before coming out of his trance. He quickly nodded, carefully taking Kaia in his arms, his eyes still following Charlese as she moved forward, slipping on her black pointed stilettos.

Carlos looked down at Kaia, her innocence a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere. He knew today would be incredibly hard for everyone, and the fact that so many people would be attending the funeral had him on edge. He could feel the tension in the air, a palpable reminder of the profound loss they were all grappling with.

"She's been very quiet," Carlos commented, slowly caressing Kaia's back. She was cuddled against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, her small hands holding onto him tightly. He had expected Kaia to be grumpy, noticing the absence of her parents, but to his surprise, she had been very well-behaved. Her calm demeanor, in the face of such tragedy, was both comforting and heart-wrenching.

"She's a calm child," Charlese said, her voice tinged with sadness. She lightly sniffed as she caressed Kaia's head, a small smile briefly crossing her face. Her eyes fell on the hearse outside, and they became glossy again, filled with unshed tears. The sight of the hearse, a stark symbol of their loss, was almost too much to bear.

Carlos watched her, feeling an overwhelming urge to comfort her, to take away her pain. But he knew there were no words that could truly ease the burden she was carrying. He could only offer his presence, his support, and hope it was enough to help her through this dark time.

"Come on, now," Carlos said softly, breaking the silence. Charlese looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and sorrow. She nodded, taking a deep breath, trying to steady herself for the difficult day ahead.

As they walked out the door, Carlos held Kaia close, his heart heavy with the weight of the day ahead. The air outside was crisp and still, as if the world itself was mourning. People were already beginning to gather, their faces somber and respectful, reflecting the gravity of the occasion.

Charlese walked ahead, her steps slow and measured. Carlos could see the determination in her stride, even as she struggled to hold back her tears. She was putting on a brave face, trying to stay strong for Kaia, for herself, and for the memory of her sister and brother-in-law.

Carlos followed, his eyes never leaving Charlese. He admired her strength, even as he wished she didn't have to be so strong. Looking down at Kaia, who still comfortably clung to him, unaware of what was going to happen today, Carlos felt his stomach churn at the thought of her having to bury her parents. He felt a deep sorrow for Matteo and Esme, knowing they wouldn't get to witness their only daughter grow up. It was a cruel twist of fate that left Kaia without her parents and left them without the joy of seeing their little girl blossom into the wonderful person she would become.

As they approached the hearse, Carlos felt a lump in his throat. The finality of it all was overwhelming. He glanced down at Kaia, her innocent eyes wide and curious, and felt a renewed sense of purpose. He hoped whatever it was that Matteo and Esme had planned for her would turn out to be the best.

___

Charlese felt numb arriving at the church. She was trying her best to remain strong when she felt like breaking down and sobbing, despite the grief she had to remain collected for Kaia. And despite the fear of the uncertain future now that her sister and brother-in-law were gone, she had to remain strong for Kaia.

Charlese took a deep breath, fighting to keep her emotions at bay as she watched the coffins get carried inside the church. The amount of people around was also overwhelming her.

"Let's go," Carlos whispered, holding Kaia with one arm and wrapping the other around Chalese's waist, letting his fingers lightly caress it in hopes of providing her comfort; this was anything but easy and he doubted she could handle all of this herself.

Walking towards the church, Carlos felt a shiver of uneasiness run down his spine. Never did he ever think a situation like this would arrive, where he would have to attend the funeral of one of his closest friends and his wife.

___

Carlos stared at Esme's coffin as it was being lowered into the ground. The ceremony had somehow passed, and now they stood at the graveside, bidding farewell to the couple forever. Lightly shivering from the cold wind blowing around them, Carlos glanced to his side at Charlese, who stood holding Kaia, staring at her sister's coffin.

Charlese cuddled Kaia close, ensuring the little girl was warm and safe in her arms, shielding her from the sight of her parents being buried. It was hard enough for Charlese, and she wanted to protect Kaia from bearing the pain of the loss, at least for now.

Carlos shifted closer to her side, carefully draping his arm around Charlese's shoulder. When she looked at him in confusion, he offered a small smile of comfort. She eventually relaxed a bit in the warmth and reassurance of his touch as he gently caressed her shoulder.

The priest spoke quietly as Charlese watched the soil being poured over the top of the coffins. Lightly sniffing, she cuddled Kaia even closer. The little girl was all she had left, and the weight of that reality was heartbreaking.

"I think we should go now," Carlos whispered to Charlese, who continued to stare at the ground where her sister and brother-in-law rested, lost in her thoughts. He felt a strange tug at his heart as he noticed how devastated and tired she looked.

It took a moment for Charlese to comprehend his words. She looked at the graves for one last time before slowly managing to nod her head, glancing down at Kaia in her arms, making sure the little girl was secure.

"I'll take her," Carlos offered, watching Charlese tighten her grip on Kaia. He understood her fear of losing the little girl and it hurt him knowing there wasn't much he could do to alleviate her pain. "You need to relax, Charlese," he whispered, gently convincing her to carefully hand over Kaia into his arms.

Smiling softly at Kaia, who immediately clung to him and placed her face against his neck, Carlos looked at Charlese. He moved to hold her hand, offering a smile of encouragement as his thumb ever so softly caressed her knuckles.

Walking over the grass, they quietly made their way to the car with Carlos still cuddling Kaia against his chest with one hand while his other hand continued to hold Charlese's cold ones.

"Ms. Wallace," A voice called, making both of them stop at their tracks and turn to the man who called for Charlese.

"Yes?" Charlese politely asked; she had failed to recognize the man, and chewed on her bottom lip in nervousness when he stopped in front of her, making Carlos glare at him as he ever so slightly moved closer to Charlese, still holding her hand in his.

"I'm David Walter," The man said, reaching for his suit pocket and grabbing his business card. He handed it over to Charlese, who accepted it with confusion clouding her features. The realization soon hit her—he was Matteo's lawyer.

"I'm Mr. and Mrs. Reyes' lawyer," He confirmed. "I would like to meet you and Mr. Sainz as soon as possible," He added, causing both of them to frown as they wondered why Matteo's lawyer would want to speak to them.

"I need to discuss their will with you," He clarified, sensing their confusion.

Charlese looked at Carlos, sharing a look of uncertainty and curiosity with him. She then nodded at David, indicating her agreement, before Carlos gently led her away. They walked together, the weight of the day pressing down on them even more heavily now with the looming discussion about the will