SNK Week 2k17 || AnimeTrashLord-007

Day Six.2;; Growth||Mikasa x Jean

    It had been twenty-five years since the accident but his feelings of adoration and endearment for his late wife never faltered. It was painful for the first few months, almost unbearable in fact. There were many times he contemplated how he could join her, desperate to hold her even if just for one last, fleeting moment. Every time he drove down the patch of highway where it happened, he could feel his heart tearing in two all over again. Over time, those feelings of sorrow and desolation faded away and Jean just felt numb. It wasn't until his family reached out to him and intervened (even going as far as forcing him to see a therapist) that he learned to let go of his anger and allow hope back in.

    Taking the therapist’s advice, he chose to cherish her memory and celebrate her life rather than letting his own pass him by as he continued to mourn her. It had been three years, after all, and his mind and body were suffering from the torment he cast upon himself. She wouldn't want him to remain a shell of the man he once was, lost in the endless void of regret and self-condemnation. It was time to let the light back into his heart.

    Accepting that their fate was sealed and that there was no turning back time, Jean returned to the site of the fatal car crash and buried his hatred toward the other driver in the soil alongside some Japanese Cherry Tree seeds. The action was completed with ease but the ideology wasn't as simple to embrace. The other driver had murdered his wife, after all, and escaped unscathed aside from a few cuts and bruises. He didn't deserve Jean’s forgiveness, he didn't even deserve to live. These thoughts weren't abnormal, according to his therapist, but shouldn't be allowed to fester. That also was easier said than done.

    Jean had continued to revisit the site every few days to check up on the seeds. While it was uncomfortable at first, it soon became a second home to him. He would sit down and talk to the budding plants, the conversation always steering toward the memories of his wife he was most fond of. The sun once high in the sky fell beyond the horizon as the hours passed. Jean reminisced about everything, from their wedding celebration to that time they ice skated beneath the never ending sea of stars. He spoke to the small trees of how they met, what her favourite ballet was, and how her smile could brighten the entire room. Tears streamed down his face as he remembered their last conversation together. She had bolted out of the bathroom and leapt into his arms. Holding the pink pregnancy test in front of his face, she informed him that their family would soon be gaining a new addition. He thought it was ironic how the best day of his life soon became a waking nightmare.

    Within a few years, the seeds grew into saplings and then into mature, flowering trees. Jean thought they looked beautiful, much like his late wife. They were graceful and elegant, just as she had been. They gave him a sense of security and protection as their pink leaves hung overhead, just as she always had. He couldn't think of a tree that better suited the marvelous woman his wife had been. Pride swelled in his heart as he watched the trees grow over the years. They soon stood tall along the highway, flourishing throughout the spring as they brought colour to an otherwise dismal world.

    Even after twenty-five years, Jean’s love for her was undying. Every day he would sit beneath their cherry blossoms and gaze toward the sky. His back rested against one of the large trunks, his mind drifting toward sleep. It was serene amongst the shadows cast down from the towering trees; it was the perfect resting place. He felt close to her here, as if she lived on within the miniature garden he created in her honour. Sometimes he heard her voice, angelic and sweet, calling to him over the wind. He could feel her embrace, warm and welcoming, whenever he closed his eyes. This was their home, their own slice of heaven.

    “I love you, Mikasa. I always will.”