Author's Note: A perennial is a plant that comes back every year, like a tulip c:
Perennial
She pushed open the iron gates, her eyes solemnly fixated on the ground. She did not need to raise her head to see where she was going; she had been visiting this place every morning for nearly six months.
The grass was soft and dewy. Moisture slipped into her sandals as she trekked through it. The sun was just on the horizons, casting a faint glow over the land. Misty, donning a large aqua blouse and onyx yoga pants, made her way over to a tombstone marked "Ketchum."
She carefully sat down in front of it, which was a task that seemed to be getting more and more difficult. The redhead forced a small smile; she could feel his presence somehow. He would not want to see her sad or clad in black mourning outfits, and she knew it. So, she smiled for him.
"Morning Ash," she spoke.
The air was still and silent, save for the sound of flapping wings as a bird flew by overhead. Misty sighed.
"I really miss talking to you…hearing the sound of your voice," she whispered. She gazed at the tombstone and then at the bag which she had brought with her. It rested in her lap. She extended an arm over her abdomen and picked it up.
"Here," she said, pulling out a ham and cheese sandwich, "I brought you a snack; I remember they're your favorite." A fond grin graced her lips at the memory. She placed the snack in front of the grave.
"And here are a few daffodils from our garden," she added, tugging the yellow flowers out of the bag and laying them next to the sandwich.
"I remember how we used to get into arguments about which flower to grow beside the morning glories—the daffodils or tulips. We ended up planting them both anyway, but I'm still telling you that the tulips are definitely the better idea!" she brought up with a small giggle. "For one, they're the best flowers ever. Fact. And also, they come back up each spring…" she trailed off.
They came back.
She wished he would too.
Misty had to use every ounce of her determination just to keep from bawling right then and there. A hand swept over her stomach as she gently stroked it, calming herself.
"Well, let's not get into petty spats like we used to when we were kids."
Her eyes seemed drained and lifeless. Her heart felt battered and destroyed. It was almost as though a gaping hole was left in her chest, she was almost empty inside. She swallowed a lump in her throat and averted her eyes to her swollen belly. She often took solace in the life growing inside of her. He was one of the only things that got her thought the day. He kept her from feeling completely vacant.
"I can't believe he'll be here in less than a month," Misty distantly commented. Her eyes were lost in the fabric covering her baby bump. "Then I'll get to stop wearing these lovely maternity clothes, at last." She chuckled lightly.
"I think I'll be naming him Aidan. I know you said that you loved that name around when we first found out about him in the first place. You'll like that…I know he'll love his daddy, too."
She started to stand up, gingerly resting a hand over the base of her protruding stomach.
"I'd better go; May is going to take me to my doctor's appointment."
She allowed herself one last look at the stone that engraved her husband's name into it forever. She had memorized the text on it long ago, though whenever she looked at it that was not what she saw. She could still see the face of her vibrant, happy, loving soul mate smiling at her cheekily. Sometimes, that seemed to hurt her even more.
Misty followed the regular path she took to leave the cemetery. She let her tears fall freely as she walked in silence. The warm droplets cascaded down her cheeks as she suppressed a whimper that was threatening to escape her lips.
Like tulips in the spring, why can't you come back to me?
She paused suddenly. In her path, a yellow flower had appeared before her seemingly out of nowhere. Her pupils minimized in shock, just before she slowly dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
Ash, I need you! We need you! Why…why did you have to go?
All of the bottled-up energy inside her began to drain out through tears falling to the ground. On her right shoulder, the cool feeling of a gentle yet strong hand was present.
A/N: I wanted to try something angsty-ish! ._. Heehe, I hope it turned out okay? ^_^