Scarlett

Epilogue

Margaret jolted awake in the middle of the night, coming back to the real world as realisation flooded over her. She placed a soft step out of her bed, a little wobbly at first but soon with a firm grip. She entered the living room, placing her teary eyes on the exact same spot near the door where she last saw her daughter smile. "My little Scarlett", she thought. The pale walls of the living room - with tinges of yellow and grey - look even more pale now. The walls of the living room seemed to miss Scarlett's presence. She glanced at the photo frame beside the candlestick placed over the old mahogany cupboard. It was an old photo frame with the photograph of the family.  She remembered Scarlett's gentle and comforting hug with her assuring smile. Will we ever be as happy again? she wondered. It had been exactly a year since she had left them forever. Their pleasant memories flashed together at a go as she walked towards the door that enclosed a room where Scarlett once stayed. Pushing it open, her eyes took in all the furnitures inside. They were kept just as they were supposed to be, just as her little girl liked them to be. Her lavender floral printed bed cover still had her perfume. The fresh smell and bundle of happiness was something that she had already began to miss. Through the window, she glanced at the park, remembering the innumerable days when they spent their time there for family picnics and evening walks. It was Scarlett's favourite part of the city.  She walked towards  the room of her son and peeked through the door. The little boy gently clutched onto a photograph of his sister as he slept. He still missed her and asked about her everyday. He did not know the truth, perhaps he never will or maybe until he was old enough to accept and understand. She sighed at the melancholic sight ahead of her.

That very night, Henry climbed on to his bed with a glass of gin and his favourite photograph album. He had not slept. He could not sleep. Memories of his daughter almost haunted him. He had found another excuse to indulge into alcohol. It faded away his memories, at least temporarily. It made him forget about the past. It made him forget that he was once married to a woman and had an innocent little daughter. It made him forget about his daughter. Some habits never change, he thought to himself and took a sip from his glass in dejection. He stared at the front door that was shut but unlocked. He never locked the door in hope to have his daughter visit him once again. He knew that it would never happen until he began to drink, and that made him forget everything. 

On the same night, Mark sat by the window of his hotel room. He watched the stars that had emerged in the night sky. The stars reminded him of his Scar. He missed her terribly, every minute of every day. He thought about her and the way she smiled when she saw him. He remembered every little detail about her- the glimmer in her eyes when she was excited, the redness of her cheeks when she blushed and the way she looked at him after they shared a long and passionate kiss. "See you on the other side, Scar." He whispered with a smile. It was her face that he imagined every time he performed on stage. He knew that his love watched him from above and was proud of him. He smiled at his favourite star in the dark sky and listened to songs by Enrique Iglesias endlessly. 

Scarlett had left her home, her family and her loved ones but the shine of her eyes, her blissful smile, her energy and optimism still remained in the depths of the hearts of the people she loved.