Amaranthine

Chapter Thirty Five

 © Copyright 2011
All work is property of Leah Crichton, any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal.

Amaranthine: (am-uh-ran-thin)

eternally beautiful and everlasting

unfading, undying, immortal

As we drove to my house, Orion looked relieved, as if it had been him carrying the weight of the world on his very broad shoulders. It was only my world which rested there now.

“Are you okay?”

“I think I should be asking you that.” He looked at me.

“That was hard,” I said.

“It was hard to watch. Real hard.”

“It’s going to be okay now.”

“I thought you were going to change your mind.”

“I didn’t. I wouldn’t have.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. I don’t know what I would have done.”

 Farewells to my mom and Luke were far easier than saying goodbye to our friends and a thousand times easier than saying goodbye to my father.  The knowledge that I was going to see them in such a short amount of time made it bearable. It was like I was going out with a friend. Nothing more. Except my mom was crying. I was worried it was for the pain I was about to inflict on my dad as I left him behind.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Mom?” I was concerned, but I knew after my visit to the hospital, he would be fine.  It would take time and healing, but he was going to be okay. It didn’t lessen the feeling of responsibility for the deep emptiness in my dad’s heart. I knew the emptiness if I stayed would be even vaster, and I knew that in the next life time didn’t matter. Time wasn’t anything at all. My dad would be with us again before we mourned losing him. Before he realized it, we’d all be together again.

“I’m okay. He’ll be fine. Your father is the strongest man I ever knew.” She said it as if she was trying to convince herself of this fact. “Really, sweetheart, I’m happy for you. This new life is going to be better for you. I still believe you’ve made the right choice.” I nodded in a silent understanding.

Luke smiled. “It’ll be fine, I.Q. Try not to worry.”

“I’m not worried.” It was a lie. I was worried. Having been anticipating this for so long, I didn’t allow myself to be scared, but now that it was about to actually happen I was frightened. Orion stood in the background until Luke stepped forward.

“Sorry about how I treated you,” he said.

“No worries. Understandable. You are a good big brother. She’s lucky to have you.”

Luke sighed. “Not really. If I was, I could have protected her from you.”

Orion smirked. “Planning on spending your afterlife trying to fight fate, huh?”

“I guess not,” Luke said, defeated. “But you would have done the same if it was your sister.”

Orion nodded. “Probably. I love her, you know,” he said, as if that may make Luke feel better about it.

“I know. Just wish you didn’t.”

Orion shrugged his shoulders. “She was meant for me. There was nothing you could’ve done to stop it.”