Where Do Broken Hearts Go?

Chapter Twenty Eight

Rose took a in a shaky breath as she walked to the front. They decided to hold the service in a heated room and do the burial immediately after. Rose stood behind the podium and looked out at everyone that had come. The rows were completely filled all the way to the back. There was very little room left.

People were holding tissues and each other. Many had solemn faces. The crowd was not lively, and there was a certain gloom that was over the place. Everyone was grieving the loss of a dear friend. Rose sniffed as she leaned in towards the microphone.

She took another deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. Rose needed to be strong not only for her, but for the people that were there. She couldn't be falling apart in front of everyone. Rose needed to be encouraging and try to make things light, not make them more heavy. She let out one final breath before speaking.

"Good afternoon everyone. It means a lot to me that you all came to pay your respects to my aunt. She was a wonderful woman. She worked hard and was beyond intelligent. She was graceful, peaceful and always happy. She did what others asked her to do with a smile and a willing heart. I never heard Aunt Bea complain about her life. She loved what she was given. My aunt had been through rough things in her life, just like I. But she always held her head up high. She never stayed sad for long. She was always looking for the good in a situation, and I admired that about her.

"She was a wonderful woman, and I have so much to learn from her. I'm grateful to her coworkers, friends and acquaintances for being here today. She would have been so grateful to all of you. Aunt Bea was always loving and accepting, and she will be forever in our hearts." Rose paused and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. "Aunt Bea, you have touched the lives of dozens of people. You were a beautiful, wonderful person. I love you and miss you. You will never be forgotten."

A few sniffles could be heard as silence filled the room. Rose wiped tears from her own eyes and took her seat in the front row, right next to Andrew. Rose was out of it, even when they were outside in the freezing cold, watching Aunt Bea be buried. Rose was numb. She couldn't feel anything. It was as if all her emotion, all her liveliness drained out of her. She felt like a zombie, numb and incapable of sorrow. She held Andrew's hand the whole time, focusing on nothing in particular.

Once the funeral was officially over, two hours later, Rose still stood by Aunt Bea's grave, holding Andrew's hand. He hadn't said anything for two hours and she hadn't it. It was quiet yet some how settling. Nothing more needed to be said. It was done, it was over. Aunt Bea was officially buried.

It was all so crazy and up in the air until Aunt Bea was buried. It felt like at any moment she would walk through the front door, tired but happy for a long day at work. It felt as if it was all a dream, and Aunt Bea wasn't really sick. There were countless possibilities. But once Aunt Bea went into that grave, everything was final. No more wishful thinking or hopeful dreams. Once that casket was buried into the ground, there was no going back.

It was over. Aunt Bea really did die. She really wasn't going to come back. Rose was really alone. The emotion finally started to return to Rose, and she was no longer feeling numb. Now every emotion felt like a blow to the heart. Now everything hurt all at once. Rose grabbed her chest in pain as a sob escaped her lips. Andrew turned to her and Rose fell into his arms. It was all so real now. So final. Every emotion Rose had been bottling up was now coming undone. She felt every sob, every tear. She felt every word that swirled through her mind. Rose was finally breaking down, even worse than earlier that week.

Rose was finally letting out all of her emotions. Maybe this would be good for her. Maybe it was time to cry everything out and let it all go.

Rose leaned against Andrew's chest and didn't hold herself back. It was cold outside but Rose felt none of it. She felt too many emotions at once. But the one she couldn't hide, nor did she want to hide, was that small feeling of freedom. It was slowly growing larger and larger with each sob. Rose felt like each sob pushed her two steps closer to freedom. Rose was going to be okay, and she could see that now.