I don't know the name of Melissa's second brother... so I made it up. Read and review.
Ben's eyes were swimming with tears at the sight of Melissa. His wife, his best friend. His honey, his sweetheart, his girl. He couldn't imagine life without her- they had their moments, but they were a couple. The kind of couple that would order in takeaway and sit around on a Friday night, watching scary movies and eating junk food. The kind of couple that would argue over who got the toy in the cereal box, what kind of soft drinks they bought for dinner. It didn't matter what kind of couple they were- they loved each other and were destined to be together forever. And one wrong move had ended it all. Seconds- he had been assured that his girl hadn't suffered- but still, he couldn't have possibly fathomed how it felt until now. They were meant to have a baby... a little Bannon Rafter baby running around their house. He had thought he was going to lose her once- and the pain he felt in his heart was unbearable. Never did he think he'd feel that way again... he was broken.
Julie couldn't imagine the grief her eldest son, her little boy, was feeling, as they stonily walked through the empty hospital. She had been with his father for almost three decades, and hated spending long periods of time apart. In her opinion, love was for eternity- and love was shattered. Melissa was her daughter- they had welcomed her into the family long before Ben popped the question. Their wedding day had been magical- a long shot from her younger son's wedding. While she had loved seeing her baby boy at the alter, it was the aftermath she hadn't enjoyed. Nathan and Sammy aside, she couldn't believe it. It was almost as if she had lost a child...
Dave frantically blinked back tears, as he tried to hold it together for his son. Melissa was his daughter, and he had loved her just as much as he loved his own children. Biologically, he fathered four children. Emotionally, he fathered eight. Melissa was just one of his kids- he could joke around with her as much as he wanted, but when the time came, he was serious. There was nothing more he enjoyed than a family dinner- and with not only Sammy, but Mel too, gone from their family, he doubted it would ever be the same again...
Rachel was actually sobbing, as Jake gently urged her down the hall. Melissa was the sister she had never had growing up, and in the time they knew each other, they- and Sammy too- had become inseparable. Best friends until the end, they had vowed, when Melissa was officially welcomed into the family. And, following Ruby's birth, the two had doubted life would ever be the same again, with Sammy gone. They had moved on, however, and although they missed Sammy terribly, they had worked out how to raise Ruby right without her. Without Mel by her side, Rachel didn't know what to do. They were sisters- not biologically, but emotionally they were...
Nathan's heart was pounding, as the officer's words repeated over and over and over in his head. The night had been normal, until that fateful knock on the door. Without that, the night would have been like any other- Ben and Melissa gallivanting off on some romantic adventure or another, Carbo and Retta loving it up in the lounge room, and Nathan just lucky to be alive. How lucky he was to be alive...
Ruby, at a tender ten months, had no idea the drama that went on in her family, on a daily basis. She hadn't had the chance to get to know her 'sister'- given time, they would have been best friends. It was almost as if she knew who Melissa was- she would calm down the moment she was placed into the nurse's arms. But, there was no chance of that happening again. There would be no more cuddles, no more dancing to big brother Ben's crazy singing. There was always one drama or the other going on in the little girl's crazy family- but this one took the cake, by far...
Sammy, even though she was no longer considered a Rafter, loved her family more than anything. And, out of all of them, she was closest with Melissa. They had gone through a lot together- the three of them, Rachel, Mel and herself. She had melted into tears the moment she received Jake's text message- Melissa was strong, she was stronger than Sammy ever was. Things like that just weren't supposed to happen. Not like that...
Jake hadn't always been close with Melissa, but as the family bonded, he did form a relationship. In a way, they were still the outsiders in the big, dysfunctional family- but they loved each other all the same. She was the sister he had never had- when it came to it, Jake would protect Melissa with his whole heart. When he entered the Rafter family, first as Dave's tradie and then as Rachel's boyfriend, he promised that no matter what, he'd be there for them. And, when it mattered, he was. He just wished it had been in a different circumstance...
Ted had always treasured his only granddaughter, his princess. But, suddenly, the ratio of granddaughters to grandsons seemed a little uneven. Melissa was the princess he'd never had, when the boys and Rachel were little. Rachel was blonde and girly, but Melissa was the type who didn't mind to get dirty. She was the rough and tumble tomboy, moving in with his grandson and best mate. His grandkids weren't supposed to die before he did...
Chel hadn't known Melissa nearly as long as the other Rafters' had, but she already loved her. She was her granddaughter. She had been there for the highs and lows of the Rafters' crazy lives, and was loved by all. You got the Rafters', you got the extras- it was a lesson Chel had learned quite quickly. The calm, level headed young woman had a crazy spark, letting loose when no one else was home. Either way, the young woman's life shouldn't have ended. Chel had been sick for twenty three years, and was still there. Melissa, however? Perfectly healthy. Life had a sick sense of humour, if it thought taking Melissa before Chel was going to be alright...
Pat, upon hearing the news, had cried. His little angel, the little girl he had tucked into bed so many nights- the princess who called him 'Daddy'- was gone. There was no chance of seeing her beautiful face again, no chance of brushing back her brunette curls and kissing her forehead. What he regretted most, however, was the stony way he had treated his only little girl, for years. If she hadn't left Perth, she would never had been happy. He had been upset because he had never truly mended their relationship. Now, there was no chance of it...
Linda had sobbed, at her sweet little girl leaving her forever. In her mind, she would be the one saying goodbye to Melissa before her daughter said goodbye to her. She was so strong, her Melissa. She was supposed to grow old with Ben, mothering their children and looking after her own family. Although they didn't have the greatest relationship, Mel trusted her enough to tell her that they were trying for a child. She had promised that her first granddaughter would wear her wedding dress, the one she had pushed aside on her big day. Now she had no chance of having a little Melissa clone, Melissa's own little girl...
Dermott couldn't believe it. He and Melissa hadn't exactly been the closest growing up- hell, they fought like cat and dog- but she was his baby sister, and he had protected and loved her. He was supposed to be there to protect her from everything. The one job he had been given on the earth, and he had failed. He liked Ben, and knew that there was no way his little sister was getting hurt by marrying him, but there was no way she was supposed to die before he was. There was no way the little girl he had protected so fiercely as a child was supposed to die before him. It just wasn't right...
Joseph hadn't been close with his little sister- but he hadn't expected that. They were just normal siblings- they loved each other, but fought. Nothing out of the ordinary. When he moved to London, he lost almost all contact he had with Melissa. But, the message he got from his brother shocked him no end. Melissa was a toughie, always wanting to do what he and Dermott were doing. She had survived everything life threw at her- but even she couldn't survive this. It just wasn't fair...
Carbo was trying to stay strong, supporting Rachel, but inside he was crumbling. Melissa was his best friend- the one he could go to whenever he needed her, no matter what time it was. They fought like siblings, and loved each other like family. He could still see her face, looking on in confusion, as he welcomed Loretta into their lives. While Mel had been Ben's wife, he had loved her just as much. They had all loved her- they were all a family. There was no way he could imagine walking down the stairs in the morning and finding Ben and Nathan sitting there, monotonously eating cereal. She was their girl, the one they had loved. Life was harsh...
The family stood around the grave, each speaking their favourite memories of their beloved girl. She was loved by all. Time healed all wounds, and they knew that, but it was still a harsh reality, showing how quickly things could happen. Melissa's life ended instantly, not feeling any pain. And while they hurt, they knew that with time, their wounds would close.
"I love you, Melissa", Ben whispered, silent tears running down his face. "You weren't just my girl".