Devil's Daughter

Chapter 19

Valentina's pov:

Dark clouds cover the sky as if they were a blanket of sadness. A subtle wind makes the leaves roll around on the floor making a barely noticeable sound. Thick fog has settled over the horizon and despite it being around 12pm there hasn't been any sign of sun since that day.

Everyone is dressed in black, the only other colour you can see is the colour of the flowers pilled on top of a casket. I can't brung myself to look at the casket, which is in all black, perfectly contradicting the flowers full of life. Wave after wave of guilt washes over me as I replay the same scene over and over in my head. There's nothing I could have done. Right?

The casket starts to lower into the grave dug for it and the family opposite me shatters into pieces. Tears roll down their cheeks, and I bit my own lip trying to remain strong but when my gaze lifts up and I'm met with a picture of the now deceased, I completely break. My lip trembles and I let out tears, each of them leaving a wet trail as it slides off my cheek.

The blonde laying in the casket protected me and died in the worst way possible. As much as I try to find a way to forgive myself I can't. I should have done more. I should have made a better effort to protect those who protect me.

Only a couple of silent sobs are heard as the fog gets thicker and thicker, now making it hard to see to the end of the graveyard. A couole of rain drops land on my head, but at this point I don't differentiate tears from rain drops.

It's hard to see someone who you love, get taken away from you forever. This is someone who died for me, who risked everything to protect me, and I couldn't even return that favour once. I couldn't save a life.

The funeral finishes farely quickly, and the fog has lifted up a little bit allowing me to grasp a view of the new grave. It's decorated with the most beautiful flowers, and I wipe my tears telling myself he's in a better place now.

People have already started to leave and with hands in my pockets I walk over to the broken family. The mom, Liz, is now standing upright, barely holding herself together, her husband, Tom acts like her support, helping his wife stand up with his hand around her waist. Their two sons stand next to each of them, both of the blonde boys look exhausted and like they haven't slept in days.

"Valentina." Liz speaks first moving from her husbnads arms to envelope me in a hug. I feel myself melt into the hug, and a couple of more tears escape my eyes.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper.

"Don't be sweetheart." The blonde woman pulls from my arms, bringing her hands up to wipe tears from my cheeks. "It's not your fault he's gone."

"I feel like it is." I admit, avoiding her eye contact.

"Hey, don't do that to yourself kid." Tom steps forward, next to his wife. "There's nothing you could have done." He says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm still sorry." I say.

"It's okay honey." Liz looks at me her eyelids flooding with tears. "He died doing what he loved, protecting people."

"Yeah I guess so." I reluctantly nod, as my phone buzzes. It's the hospital. "I have to go."
———————
"What's going on?" I ask as I rush through the wide hospital doors.

"The doctor said she needs new lungs." Leon, Blake's older brother says. He's sitting down in the waiting room, his head in his hands.

"Shit." I curse, running a hand through my hair. "How long does she have?"

"He said 2 weeks without new lungs, but uhm" he pauses for a second, meeting my eyes. "She has a rare blood type which means not every ling fits her. It's extremely rare that we find her a donor in time Valentina."