Memories
A young woman slowly finished preparing for a morning she had been dreading all week, as she slowly did up the zipper on her black dress. This young woman's name is Alianne (Aly) Parker, and she was preparing for the requirements that would have to occur after yet another devastating change in her rapidly changing life, and it was no party she was about to be attending. She took one final look in the mirror before going downstairs and didn't completely recognize the person looking back. Aly still saw a young woman of 23 with blonde hair and blue eyes an average sized, yet softly shaped nose (which she had been told, so resembled her grandmothers nose), full lips and a strong set chin (which to anyone that knew her portrayed just how stubborn she really is). The part that was different was that the usual sparkle that was in her eyes and the usual smile that lit her face wasn't there, her skin also was not it's typical tone of soft ivory but instead it was red and blotchy from the amount of crying she had done over the last few days. She gave an inner sigh of exasperation and realized that there was no way for her to hide the effects of the heartache she was experiencing and went down the stairs to get the looming requirements of the day done and over with.
The morning sun cast a glow on Aly's cheeks as she watched the casket being lowered into the depths of the earth. She inhaled a deep breath trying to keep in the tears and the strong sent of fresh dug earth reached her nostrils, along with the faint smell of the roses, her grandmother's favourite flower, that had been placed on the top of the casket. Her beloved grandmother, Elsie Parker, had finally lost her two month battle with leukemia. Elsie had been a very beautiful woman and one of Aly's best friends. Elsie was naturally a brunette but Aly only ever knew her as a blond, her eyes were green, her nose delicate and her lips full. Elsie had been quite the fit young woman, as being a ballerina demanded, but had put on pounds as she got into her later years. Elsie had always been the picture of grace. As sad as Aly was at the fact that Elsie had opted to go without treatment, Aly tried to imagine how lonely she would have been living Elsie's life. Aly had never known her grandfather, he had died when she was three and Elsie had lived alone ever since. It was easier for Elsie to cope with being alone back when Aly and her family had lived closer to her. Before Aly's family had moved to Ottawa her family and she would go spend Sunday afternoons with Elsie almost every week, but with them being in Ottawa they were lucky if they saw Elsie four or five times a year, and by the time Elsie had contracted the disease she had been a widower for nineteen years. Now Aly knew a lot of people who looked at her with immense confusion when she explained the length of lose, but there were fifteen years between her grandparents and so even though they both might have been able to have had longer lives (all health issues aside) problems beyond her control did occur and their lives were cut shorter than either would have probably wanted and thus resulted in what became a very lonely nineteen years for her grandmother. So with Aly now in her early twenties alongside her mother, sister, aunts, uncles, friends and a supportive fiancé, she tries to stay composed as she feels the tears starting to build in her eyes, even though it has already been a few days since her grandmother passed, it still doesn't seem real enough for her to grasp the situation and accept the reality that everyone else seems to be dealing with in complete sorrow.
Once the casket was buried the people started to leave, some silently and some in tears, but Aly felt as though her legs have been cemented in place. She never liked everyone to know her business, but quite honestly, she was starting to have about enough and was looking for any escape possible from the reality of what has happened in the last six months. This tragic happenstance has only been one of, unfortunately, three in the last half a year.
The first happened about six months ago, when this "snowball of misery" started rolling. Aly had just become happily engaged to her fiancé Daniel (Dan) Wolfe, he is the love of her life and the last person anyone would expect her to even want a relationship with, due to his line of work. He is very opinionated and very intense, but is also one of the most compassionate, sensitive and dedicated people Aly has ever met. Daniel is a CSI (Crime Scene Investigator) and deals with many hardships daily, but is also very serious about his job, friends, family and maintaining positive relationships. He also has an attractive exterior to match his fabulous personality. He is 27 years old and he has a smile that softens Aly's heart, makes her feel safe, and warms her from the inside out, he has the most beautiful green eyes she has ever seen, and with his gorgeous, thick brown hair and the softest lips Aly has ever kissed, she refers to him as an absolute dream. He stands about 6' 2'', which to a women of 5' 9'', comes as a slight upset because even though Aly would, she prefers not to wear heals. He is also well "chiselled" if you will, and enjoys close relationships with his colleagues and has a gentle disposition with the victims' families. After 2 ½ wonderful, and at points worrisome, years of dating he popped the question (right after getting promoted from a First Level Investigator to a Second Level Investigator). If she hadn't been sitting she would easily have collapsed on the spot. After Aly had blurted out as many yeses as she could while crying joyfully, she called everybody she could get a hold of, except her father (this is where that "snowball" comes into play). After Aly had finally hung up from her last phone call to her girl friend Jessica, which had involved plenty of joyous shrieking, Daniel came back into the room and asked if he could call his parents, who both seem to absolutely adore Aly. Once Dan had set the phone down he gave Aly a gentle yet questioning look, sat down beside her on the sofa and asked how her father had taken the news. The scent of Dan's cologne gently washed over her as he sat down, filling her nose with the soft smell of something light and spicy. She was never sure what spice the smell reminded her of but she always loved the smell of him when he wore it.
