Where It All Began

Part 2

The newly and happily married couple then took off to the place where it all began; where they properly met for the first time, a full circle.

It was a secluded area hidden from the world and wandering eyes by large trees, beautifully haunting.

The glittering lake was shining even brighter along with the stars as if they knew of the happy news and were celebrating with the couple who had their first dance as man and wife under the moonlight; just like they did a year ago in the same spot, a fitting end to an unbelievably wondrous yet chaotic year.

The next few hours were nothing short of perfect, although it was just the two of them, it was enough, they were all the other needed and that night they slept with beaming smiles on their faces and promises of a thrilling future together. Hands intertwined; still in a tux and a beautiful white dress and sparkling wedding bands, quietly whispering the words they'd said to each other too many times to count in the past year.

"I will be here, always."

If only the story ended like this, with the happily married couple growing up together with plenty of children as they once upon a time promised each other but then again no one can escape pain and heartbreak, and no one can stay on top of the world for too long as they would eventually fall.

The next morning only one of the two woke up.

-----

It had now been a year since the boy passed and at the same time it was as if the girl too was gone. She never again smiled, she never laughed, she held a blank expression with empty and glassy eyes, it was as if someone reached within her and pulled out and crushed her heart leaving her completely and utterly broken and soul-less. The boy had taken with him the light inside her, the life inside her.

It was them against the world, and now she wanted nothing to do with the world.

Everywhere she looked she would see his face, she would find their memories blazing before her eyes. She built a life with him here and now it was all gone.

She was broken- no she was shattered and she couldn't seem to put the pieces back together- she couldn't not when a part of her was dead and now that her husband's death anniversary was quickly approaching it was much worse. She had been keeping her thoughts at bay and successfully living in the past, in her mind, completely ignoring the present, but no more.

She would have constant panic attacks and she couldn't keep the tears out of her eyes nor the memories burning in her mind.
She wanted nothing more than to lock them away and these monsters in her head. She physically could not deal with them anymore and they were slowly killing her.

The nights were the worst, she would dream that she had it all back, had him back, she would be safe and sound in his arms but wake up in an empty bed. In his emerald eyes she would find peace and solace but she would awaken to find it was all made up. In her new dreams she would think about their future but she'll never see those days. He was still so young and there was so much they still hadn't had the chance to do; gone was the chance to go on adventures together, start a family and help each other grow, all that was left was a small glow of longing in her heart.

The dreams hurt worse than the nightmares because she would wake up to find him ripped away from her arms.

And finally the dreaded day appeared.
On this day exactly a year ago she had to let go of the hand of the man who gave her everything. Who held her when she was upset, who would laugh with her and cry with her and make it his life's mission to make her feel better even when he was dying inside- specially then.
Who would always put her first, who would follow her to the ends of the earth, who was her better half.

So ignoring the rational part of her brain she went to their place, the small clearing with the shimmering lake that held so many of their memories- the memories that hit her like a truck as soon as she glanced at the place.

She remembered their first meeting; his smile that set off a thousand butterflies in her stomach.

She remembered their first and last dance under the midnight sky.

She remembered when she drunkenly kissed him in the lake for the first time; sealing their fate.

She remembered his contagious smile.

She remembered his tears and the feel of his soft yet rough hand under hers.

She remembered waking up next to her husband with the brightest smile and she remembered her loud painful and piercing cries and shrieks which no doubt woke up the whole town as she held his cold, unmoving body.

She remembered her silence following the grievous day, and suddenly it was all too much.

The girl couldn't breathe and after a year of living without him she couldn't take it anymore. He was her life and she needed him to live.

She couldn't exist without him- she tried and it was impossible.

There were too many memories in this place and as she slowly got up and walked towards the lake barely aware of what she was doing. She was once more haunted by the boy's lively laugh, his sweet smile, and his kind words.

Her final step brought her into the very lake she had her first and final kiss in and as she let the weight of her jeans and her husbands old jumper drag her to the bottom of the lake she could have sworn she felt his laughter and his cries surround her.

She opened her eyes very slightly and the smallest of smiles broke out on her face- her first smile after months barely visible, but still there adorning her soft features.
She should have been feeling cold and miserable and unable to breathe but somehow his warmth surrounded her. In her mind she was once more dancing barefoot on the soft green grass with him under the white glow of the moonlight; dancing with his ghost perhaps. At the bottom of that lake she felt her lovers touch, she saw her soulmate staring back at her, his emerald eyes locking with hers and his soft hand engulfing hers and there she stayed; finally at peace, finally with him.

Adelaide Aurelia Flores and Aiden Jae Flores.
At long last together, one last time, for all of eternity.
They were too young to let the world break them, yet here they lie, once more next to each other; in a cruel twist of fate, where it all began.