This is a songfic based off of Coldplay's song, "Fix You". XavierJulius, I hope you like it!
When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
Rain slapped against the coal shingles, dripping in to the gutters and whooshing down to the ground. It was a grimy, cold rain, unlike the refreshing downpours in the middle of August. The rain reeked of depression and sadness, casting a solemn mood on all people entering the beautiful church.
While the outside of the church was cold and depressing to all, the interior was an entirely different story. Regal stained glass windows ran the length of the ivory walls while a cherry hardwood floor covered the ground. There were shining pews with leather-bound bibles and colorful songbooks, and on the altar stood a gleaming white casket with gold trimming. Pictures of a beautiful woman were mounted on a plastic table, along with trinkets that held cherished memories.
All of the pictures had the same red-haired, brown-eyed woman. Her skin was like ivory silk, and freckles were sprinkled across her face. She seemed to grow more mature and radiant with each progressing picture.
There was one picture that stood out from the rest. She was hugging a tall brunette man, smiles gracing each of their faces. This woman looked so elated, so full of life when she was with him. It was as if they were meant to be with each other.
The same tall brunette man was standing by the gleaming white casket, a look of extreme sadness on his handsome face. People passed by, offering condolences and sympathetic smiles. He just smiled wearily and murmured a word or two of appreciation.
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
It wasn't long before all of the guests were beckoned to sit in the pews. Some blessed the pews before sitting, others didn't. When it was silent, the priest spoke.
"Thank you all for coming to honor the cherished life of this beautiful woman." He began, and a few sniffles were heard among the crowd. "Iris Vanessa Moore was a warm soul. Her legacy will always be remembered, I assure you."
"She was motherly, kind, positive, and most of all, fiercely loyal. If you hurt any of her friends, you would most certainly be watched." That got a laugh out of a few people in the crowd, and others remained solemn. The priest finished his speech, and soon it was time for family to speak. Her parents went, along with close family members until there was only one person left.
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
It was the brunette man from earlier, and by now he was openly crying. The only sound in the church was the echo of his footsteps and occasional sobs from people in the crowd.
Suddenly, everything was eerily quiet. He had stopped in place, staring over at the beautiful stained glass windows. Glimmers of sunlight streamed in, and he was close to smiling. But then, he remembered where he was.
He stepped up to the podium and positioned the microphone, clearing his throat and looking out in to the black-clothed crowd.
"Iris was a legacy. I remember the years before she got sick, and every day she would call me and ask me, "James, why on Earth aren't you over here?". To this day, I still can't answer her question. Why wasn't I spending time with her?" James' hazel eyes shone with tears. "I finally mustered up the courage two years ago to ask her out on a date. At first, she rejected me."
He made eye contact with Iris's mother, who gave him a thumbs up and a watery smile. "I was heartbroken. My best friends were shocked, because I had put up the image of being a player that went from one girl to the next in a matter of seconds. But that was never me."
"After weeks of trying to prove that I was worth her time, Iris finally got sick of me asking her and said yes." A few people chuckled in the audience, including all three of James' best friends.
"To say the least, we fell in love. We had both realized that no one else could put up with either of us, and just decided to spare others the trouble." He slipped a hand in his pocket and his fingers enclosed around a small object that was cool to the touch. It gleamed in the warm light of the vast church, sending sparkles of light in every direction.
"You know, I was going to propose to her with this very ring. Iris would've loved it. I'll never be able to give it to anyone else but her."
People stared in confusion as James walked over to the casket and lifted the lid to reveal Iris's still body. Some guests gasped, others were speechless. He slipped the ring on her left ring finger, placing a delicate kiss on her palm and taking one last look at his dead fiancée. Tears streamed down his face as he was forced to shut the lid of the casket.
James returned to the podium.
"I know that you're all going to return to your normal lives after this day. You'll go to work, and after a long day, come back and wrangle the kids together so you can get started on the evening chores. But for Iris's family, it doesn't work that way. They won't be able to come home to their beautiful, passionate daughter. They won't get the chance to kiss her goodnight, or remind her to brush her teeth. I just have one request for every guest in this church: be with your loved ones. Don't let time deceive you, because you will never get it back."
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I...
Two Years Later
"Jasmine Leigh, get your little butt back here!" James chased after his two-and-a-half year old daughter, who was currently toddling her way out of the kitchen and in to the dining room. She giggled and started to pet their dog, Luie.
"Jazzy, you're gonna need to improve your strategy." James laughed, picking up his baby girl and carrying her back to the reached up and started to play with his hair. She looked just like Iris, he noticed, with creamy skin and auburn hair. Her eyes were even the same shade of brown.
"Okay, doll. Do you want mashed carrots or creamed spinach?" James made a face at the small containers of baby food. How could something so healthy still manage to sound utterly repulsive?
Jasmine stuck her pink tongue out, making James smile. He loved his daughter more than anything in the world. "C'mon, after you eat we're going to go see mommy!"
James' heart broke when confusion crossed his daughter's face. She didn't remember who her mother was.
"You know what? Let's get dressed, and after we visit mommy we'll get ice cream. Does that sound good to you, Jazzy?" Jasmine clapped her hands and smiled cheekily at her father. A giggle escaped her lips as he tickled her sides.
After giving his daughter a bath that managed to get both of them soaked, James dressed her in a dark pink turtleneck sweater, black leggings, and chocolate Mary Janes. He brushed her red wisps of hair to the side and put her in the playpen while he changed in to a navy and white-checkered shirt, converse, and dark jeans. Finally, they were ready to leave.
The drive to the cemetery was short and surprisingly uneventful. Jasmine was playing with her stuffed puppy while babbling incessantly, and James had turned the radio on a low volume. They had stopped at the florist's to pick up a dozen pink roses, chosen personally by Jasmine.
Thankfully, the cemetery was just across the street, so they didn't have to walk far. Well, at least James didn't have to walk far. Jasmine was perfectly content in his arms.
Iris's headstone was a mix of a light pink and cream color, with her date of birth and death, along with her name etched in to it. James had wished that her family could have put a saying or quote on the headstone, but they insisted on simplicity.
"Here she is." James set Jasmine down, who looked up at him with confusion in her brown eyes. He placed her pudgy palm on the cool stone, then laid his over hers.
They stayed like that for a few moments, and a few tears fell down James' face.
"Mama." Jasmine cooed.
His eyes snapped open; that was her first word. Instead of panicking, a smile graced his face.
"Yes, Jazzy. Mama."
Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down on your face
And I...
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
So, that's the end! It wasn't my best, but I thought it was sad yet sweet at the same time. XavierJulius, I hope you liked it!
-Noelle