ASPEN ➵ Paul Lahote [1]

twelve

TW: There is mention of grief, funerals, and death. It is light but still mentioned and discussed. 

Aspen Kennedy had never experienced grief. She remembers attending her grandma's funeral when she was just 4 years old, more so due to the experience rather than the circumstance. She got to fly on an airplane for the first time, the flight attendants doting on her and giving her a sticker for sitting so politely and making them laugh. Her family had been flying from Forks to San Fransico, where her mom's mother had lived. She was a woman that Aspen had only met a handful of times by that age, so at the young age she was, she didn't quite grasp the impact of losing a family member.

The one thing she could grasp, however, was the feeling of empathy. Even as a toddler, she became aware that she felt sad for others when she saw them experiencing sadness. When she saw her mom wipe the wet streams of tears off her face, Aspen used her own thumbs to swipe beneath her mom's eyes. When her Aunt Sara gripped her mom a little tighter in their goodbye, Aspen reached her small fingers up to wrap around Aunt Sara's wrist. She had always been perceptive of emotions of those around her, and felt them deeply herself.

Walking into the Clearwater's house was no different. Sheltering herself behind the broad shoulders of Paul, her hand loosely gripping his, Aspen quietly entered the home. The afternoon light was shining through the windows, illuminating the hardwood floors with orange beams dancing through gauzy curtains. The walls were painted a soft tan, framed pictures of a smiling family and two children hung at varying points along the hallway. The number of people that filled the space made the room seem small. Someone was in the kitchen because Aspen could hear the clinks of pots and pans. Passing through the entryway, the couple could see the sitting room and kitchen filled with members of the pack and some of the tribe elders gathered around in the space.

Paul tugged on her hand, giving her a tight-lipped smile to reassure her that this was okay. Aspen knew that Paul was hurting, although he wouldn't show the extent to which he felt the loss. Coming into the commotion of the room, Aspen could hear a soft sigh break through the air, and Paul softly released her hand as an older woman moved forward and pulled him into a hug. Long flowing black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her dark brown eyes rimmed with redness and unshed tears. Paul's strong arms wrapped around the tall woman, and he patted her back softly as he whispered, "I'm so sorry, Sue."

Aspen made the connection then that this is Harry Clearwater's wife, Sue, and she immediately hurt the woman in front of her. She couldn't imagine what she was going through. Losing a husband, someone you love. Aspen had been told that Harry had two children as well. She didn't want to imagine the heartbreak of losing a parent.

Sue Clearwater broke away from Paul's embrace and looked over at the brunette standing behind him. Aspen tried not to feel out of place, but she couldn't help the subtle shrink her body did when she was being looked at. Paul brought his hand down her arm and into the clutch of her own as he pulled her forward and introduced her to Sue. "This is Aspen," he stated, looking at the girl next to him.

At a loss for what to say, she began with what was sitting on her heart. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Clearwater. Harry was so kind to me when I met him not long ago. I-"

She was interrupted by the woman pulling her into a gentle hug. "Harry, told me about you," She spoke into her ear. "How you're the talk of the reservation since you met this one," She explained, her voice soft, as she motioned to Paul.

Aspen chuckled softly. "If there's anything you need, please let me know what I can do," the girl emphasized. Sue smiled back at her, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands.