Elysia sits watching a blue bird singing on a nearby tree. She looks down at her watch, of course he's late, he always is, but then she's never minded really. She looks over her shoulder at the grave she's leaning on, "Dad, I guess it's going to be just you and me for a while. So how are things?" The only reply is from the blue bird singing. She leans back and smiles, "Good, I'm glad to hear it." Her smile fades, "Dad…I miss you…and Mom…" Her heart aches at the thought it's been a few years now that her mother's been gone it still hurts.
An older man with short deep black hair slowly walks down a path towards her, Elysia stands, brushes herself off and smiles at him. He hugs her and stares at the grave over her shoulder, "Sorry I'm late." He kisses her on the forehead, "I lost track of time."
Elysia watches the older man, "It's fine, Roy. I'm just glad you're here." She takes him by the hand and she guides him back to her father's grave, "Look Dad, Roy's here."
Roy can feel his throat tighten and he slowly squeezes her hand, "Maes…" He looks back at the young woman next to him, "I know he would be proud of you. Both of them would be so proud."
She rests her head on his shoulder, "Thank you Roy, but it's…been so long" She inhales slowly trying to find the words, but Roy seems to know exactly what's she wants to say.
He reaches out and gently touches his old friend's grave, "He was a great man. He was a loving man and loved you and your mother to death. In fact…he would drive me insane with all the pictures of you." He smiles thinking back at those countless times he almost killed him and burned all those freaking pictures.
She laughs, "I've seen all of them, but…I can't find any good ones of him."
Maes looks down at her, "He loved being behind the camera and it looks like he wasn't alone." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a worn photo and hands it to her, it had taken him all morning to find it, "I thought you might like this."
Her face lights up as she looks at it, a soft brown picture of two men, one a raven haired young man and the other a young man grinning wildly with shining glasses. She touches her father's face softly, trying to hold back tears. "Thank you Roy, I really mean it."
He nods, "I see a lot of both your parents in you. And…" He turns and looks up at the crystal blue sky, "I see a lot of Maes in Aaron."
Tears start rolling down her cheek as she thinks about her small sweet boy at home, "Over the years I've seen you as a second father and I thank you for all your support and love. And I was hoping…" She wipes away the tears, "Would you be Aaron's godfather?"
Roy runs a hand though his now hair, he never expected this and all he can do is smile, "Of course I will." He hugs her again; it's true he's always seen her as a daughter to him even before Maes' death. It surprises him that it seems like just yesterday she was a small six year old holding her mother's hand and now she's beautiful young woman.
She takes his hand again and squeezes it, "Thank you Roy." She looks back at her father's grave, "I think Dad would agree."
Roy squeezes her hand back as he touches his grave, "I know he would, Good-Bye Maes." They turn and start back down the path.
Elysia stops and quickly returns to the grave and places a picture of her holding a black haired little boy wearing glasses smiling wildly into the camera. "I love you Dad and I hope I'll see you again someday." She kisses the grave before running after Roy. As they leave the blue bird flies down from its tree and lands on Maes' grave. It looks down at the picture below and starts to sing its happy little song.
