Title: Where Did We Go Wrong
Author: RainReignRain
Pairing: Otalia
Summary: Present day Springfield.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyright materials referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and non-for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in fictional context, and are not to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's Note: Assuming "One Year Later" meant 2010 it's been four years since we last saw Olivia and Natalia.
It was a clear, cool spring day. The birds weren't chirping and the flowers lacked a little luster. There was a string trio plucking away at an unrecognizable hymn. Former residents of Springfield, some of which hadn't been seen in years, huddled with the current ones around Marah Lewis's casket. Marah had returned to Springfield a mere six months before.
Father Ray was going on about the fragility of life and the importance of keeping her memory alive. Marina Cooper sobbed and across the coffin Lizzie Spaulding rolled her eyes, she wasn't a fan of Marina as of late. Sam Spencer was visibly shaken and dabbed at his eyes often. Shayne Lewis stood at the back of the crowd, observing. Cassie Winslow stood weeping next to a stoic Reva Shayne, she seemed unfazed by the burial. Josh stood parallel to Reva with his eyes closed, his hands clasped in front of him.
"She was a strong and beautiful young woman that will be missed very dearly." Father Ray concluded. Natalia took her bag from Emma, sniffled and pulled another tissue from it. Emma put her arm around her mother's shoulder.
It was customary at Springfield Cemetery to do the burying after the guests have left the premises. Perhaps to avoid any emotional outbursts that the staff were often told horror stories of. After some chatting among the attendees they slowly trickled out of the cemetery and made their way to the farmhouse for a gathering afterwards.
Natalia and Emma walked to their car. Emma tried to get in but Natalia had yet to unlock the car, she walked over to her mother's side. She followed Natalia's vacant gaze to the two people murmuring to each other at the foot of Marah's casket. Olivia took Josh's hand in her own and leaned her head onto his shoulder. He thumbed the flower in his hand before setting it on the wreath in front of him.
"Mom."
"Yeah?"
"Why do you watch her like that?"
"Who?" Natalia asked, as if suddenly joining the present conversation. She turned towards Emma.
"Olivia."
Natalia nudged Emma with her elbow. "I told you to stop calling her that. She's your mother, be respectful."
Emma frowned and dug the toe of her show into the grass. "Why do you still look at Mom like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you're together."
Natalia saw the resentment and pain in Emma's eyes and looked away. It had been getting harder for her to face Emma's questions. She turned back in time to see Josh and Olivia walking towards their car hand in hand. Natalia had a single thought in mind, one she had batted around for nearly a year: how did we get here?
She turned back to the car and unlocked it. "C'mon let's go home."
"I was hoping we could go to the gathering at the farmhouse." Emma said as she plopped into the car.
"Really? Why?" Natalia asked, she didn't know if she had the nerve to visit the farmhouse and be faced with every memory she ever made there. And she hadn't known Marah very well, she didn't think it would be appropriate.
"Dad's gonna be there and I haven't really seen him since Beth got sick."
Natalia hesitated a moment. How was she supposed to say no to her daughters request to see Phillip?
"Okay, we'll go."