A Wish Upon A Moon (On Hold)

Chapter 14- Rosary part 2

"Good morning, I hope everyone's day is off to a good start. I would like to thank you all for joining me and my family here today to celebrate the life of my parents who, sadly..., are no longer with us.If you could please take a seat, so we can begin." those who were moving around found a chair and sat down.

Mrs. Chavez took my place up front and Monica started playing the first half of the slideshow.

As pictures of my parents came on-like a timeline, from when they were little to grown-Monica's mom spoke.

"Alejandro and Camila Gomez were great friends and parents. We are gathered here to honor them and say a final goodbye." Mrs. Chavez went on speaking about how they met and what they had been through.

I sat quietly listening, remembering most of our memories as they were told.

After a while, Monica started playing the second half of the slideshow, showing their life involving me. Birthdays, Christmases, and other events passed.

A little before it ended Mrs. Chavez made eye contact with me, as if asking if I would come up.

I shook my head at her and motioned for her to go on. She did, looking a little disappointed, but what did she expect?

I had recently lost my parents and talking about them so soon would be like opening the wound even more. I needed time to heal, to learn to live with the idea that they were...gone. Forever.

I choked on a sob and felt tears leaving a trail on my cheeks. Tasted the saltiness of them as I gasped for air.

I probably looked like a fish out of water but that was certainly how I felt. Like I was suffocating, my heart collapsed into my lungs and my lungs caving in.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" an elderly lady asked, concerned, holding out a tissue.

I cleared my throat and gratefully took the tissue from her hand. "Sorry, yeah I'm fine. Thanks."

She held my hand and rubbed it soothingly. "You do know 'I'm fine' is the most told lie." she told me.

I shrugged and replied with "I don't know what else to say. I can't explain my feelings, it's hard."

She smiled sadly at me. "There you go. All you have to say is that it's hard for you. It's hard to deal with these kinds of things. I know, I've gone through them myself."

See this was I like hanging out and talking to elderly people. They already knew a lot, and were wise, and could understand you.

I blew my nose and gave the lady a weak smile. "You're right. Thanks."

She nodded, let go of my hand, and faced the front. I did the same, wondering about the cycle of life.

How had my parents met this nice old lady? They were both very social so that could be it. I wanted to be just like them to have good people by my side throughout my life.

Mrs. Chavez went on to talking about their personalities, how nice, caring, funny they were. That only made me miss them more, my throat closed up with tears that no matter how much I tried, I couldn't gulp them down.

I stood up and ran to the back, searching for the bathroom. I looked everywhere but there didn't seem to be one.

Instead, I sat in a corner, concealed by a plant, and cried. I cried until my throat was sore, until there were no more tears left, that I just sat there with my shoulders shaking with my silent sobs, in my silent pain.

"Hey," a familiar voice said. "Are you ok?"

I looked up to see someone I hadn't expected to see in a long time, possibly in forever.

"Xavier." I said, surprised. Sniffing, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands and held in the rest of my sobs.

"What are you doing here? Yeah, I'm fine." I told him.

"Oh, well my grandma died recently and I'm here for her funeral. What about you? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

"I'm sorry about your grandma, hopefully she's in a better place now. And I- well, I'm fine."

"You said that already. And you do know that that is a very common lie among-" I cut him off. I didn't need to hear the same thing twice.

"I know, someone already told me that." I sighed. "It's hard ok? It's hard to deal with this."

"What's hard? Why are you here, for who?" Xavier asked tentatively.

"My...my parents." I choked on those words.

"Oh wow. Both of them? I'm so sorry, no wonder you're so...sad. I'm sorry about that."

I nodded. "Thanks. I should go now, I'm not even supposed to be out here."

"Bye Sam." Xavier waved at me sadly. I waved back and went inside, taking my seat.

The rosary ended shortly after and some people stayed behind to glance at my mom and dad and say goodbye.

Some people even left pieces of special things to remember them by.

"Samantha, I just realized that Camila and Alejandro's funeral will be in Mexico since that's their home and where they decided to buy their places in the cemetery." Mrs. Chavez told me.

"What? Really? But...I don't think I'll be able to go because I don't have a passport." I was a little relieved at that I wouldn't have to see them be buried but sad too. I was their own daughter and I wouldn't be able to go to their funeral.

"I know. I'm sorry, I might go, but I don't know. They need someone to be a host, and I don't think...well I mean their families...and, yeah you know what I mean."

I nodded. I wouldn't be able to go anyways, since I was in an orphanage.

"Oh, you should go. You were a great hostess today and you know my parents better than anyone over there." I encouraged her to go.

"Yes but I don't feel comfortable leaving Monica alone, I don't really trust anyone as much as I trusted your parents."

"She could go too." I reluctantly told her. "I'll be in the orphanage so it's not like I'll get to hang out with her everyday, we both have school."

"Yeah, exactly. I don't want Monica to miss school. I suppose a friend of hers could take notes and homework for her." she said.

I shrugged. "It's all up to you."

She was about to respond when Sandra's voice interrupted.

"Sam, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, barely glancing at Mrs Chavez.

"Um...I guess." I mean, I was in the middle of talking to Mrs. Chavez, who was family to me, but of course, why not?

"What would you like to talk about?" I asked Sandra politely.

"Well, I was thinking. Since Camila is my sister, it's not fair for you to be given up for adoption at an orphanage when I could adopt you. So I would like to adopt you." Sandra dropped that like a bomb falling.

She just said it, as if it was no big deal, but to me it was. She disappeared from my mom's life and now she just wants to come and adopt me.

I swallowed and put on a fake smile. The fakest smile I could muster, and I made sure she could see that I didn't want to go with her.

"Of course, we'll see how it goes. Well I have to go, bye!" I waved at her and left to be with Monica and her mom.

They were my real family, not her. Maybe I would get adopted by Sandra, maybe not, but I really hoped I wouldn't.