Girl on the Bench [Completed]

Deal

Rosa

I watched them lowering my Dad's coffin  into the ground. I felt hollow. He was buried next to Mum so at least they were together again.

The police had released Dad's body, they couldn't find the man who attacked me and I, rightly or wrongly, hadn't told them that I'd seen him again.

I hadn't told them about Dominic or Paul either.

Dominic had left and that was it. Weeks had gone by and I hadn't heard from him. I didn't want to. I was ashamed that I'd let myself get sucked in and that I'd started to care for him. I couldn't believe that I'd fallen for his lies. They started to fill in the grave and I took a step back.

I thought I was alone, Sophia and Callie were at work but I hadn't told them. It seemed right that it was just me here, after all I was the only one who really knew him.

The priest patted my shoulder as he passed and I smiled thanks at him. He followed the pallbearers and they climbed into cars and drove away.

I bent next to my Mum's headstone and wiped it with the sleeve of my coat.

"I'm sorry. I miss you," I said quietly. I straightened and turned around.

I wasn't alone.

Chris was standing there, dressed in black and holding a wreath. There was a mix of greenery and red roses.

"Hi," He said awkwardly. "I just wanted to leave this here. I remembered your mum and dad called you Rosa because they both loved roses so this seemed right somehow."

He walked forward and placed it at the top of Dad's grave.

"I'm sorry you had to do this on your own," Chris turned and looked at me sadly.

I shrugged and started to walk down the hill, threading my way between the headstones. Chris followed me.

"Do you want to get a drink?" He asked.

I shook my head and kept walking.

"Rosa!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a stop.

"Look, I know you don't like me in that way anymore and I don't blame you. I just thought you might need a friend today. Can it be me?"

I was tired. Beyond exhausted and my bones ached. The house had sold and I'd moved into Sophia's. I knew what I was going to do but I didn't seem to have the energy to do it. I felt unmeasurably sad.

"Rosa,please," Chris touched my cheek gently.

I nodded and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. We walked to his car and he drove us away from the place that held the person I loved to love and the one I hated to love.

                                       ***

Dominic

I watched her leave with Chris holding her close. There was a lump the size of a golfball in my throat that threatened to burst and leaving me crying like a kid.

I didn't want her to do this alone so I'd tipped one of the guys at the funeral home to let me know when her Dad's funeral was. He'd called yesterday so I'd dressed and watched from afar. I thought Sophia and her girlfriend might have been there but it was just her.

She'd stood there, head bowed, in a black coat and dress and watched them lower the coffin down without making a sound. I'd wanted to hug her, to tell her it was going to be ok but I couldn't. She'd asked me to go, I couldn't do much to fix what had happened but I could do this for her.