Namine` gently smelled the white rose, and set it down carefully, as if made of glass, on the grave in front of her.
"What are you doing?" asked a voice behind her.
"Laying roses down on graves," she answered calmly. She moved onto the next grave stone.
"Do you even know them?" Riku asked, confused that she would lay roses on grave of other people, when she should be mourning her mother.
"No. But it doesn't make any difference. Someone knows them, and it's sad that they're gone," Namine` stated. Riku looked at her, eyebrows raised.
"What about your mother?"
"I'll lay a rose on her grave, too. Only it will be red. Riku, if I died, would you like it if only my family was sad about it?" Namine` asked, turning around to face her silver-haired friend.
"No…I guess not. I'd be kind of mad if everyone just went on with their lives," Riku admitted.
"Well, that's how the people who knew these people in the graves feel. There're so many deaths, but it seems like nobody pays any mind to them…Would you like to join me?" Namine` asked suddenly, her cerulean eyes lighting up with hope.
"Uh, sure. What do I do?"
"You lay a white rose on the grave in front of you. I think I have enough for the two of us. Just don't pick up the red one. That's for my mom," Namine` said, handing him half of the roses she had in her basket.
Riku and Namine` worked all day long, until it was almost early dusk. While they were working, they talked about a number of things. School, books, music, everything.
"So Sora really likes Kairi?" Namine` asked.
"Yeah. Way too much. He practically drools over her," Riku joked.
"Huh. Well, Kairi won't stop talking about him. I keep telling her to tell him she likes him, but she says she's too shy."
"Kairi? Shy? I don't believe it!" Riku exclaimed, laughing with Namine`.
"Yeah…That is pretty unbelievable…Oof!" Namine` said, falling into an open grave.
"Namine`! Are you okay?!" Riku exclaimed, panicked.
"I'm fine. Just help me up!" she called, grabbing Riku's hand and pulling herself up.
"Jeez, you think they would fill in the hole after the coffin is in there…" Riku muttered. He looked down, saw their hands were still intertwined, and tried not to show his blush.
"How many more graves can we do before the sun sets?" Namine` asked, not noticing that she and Riku were holding hands.
"Only one. I came here for a reason, you know," Riku said.
"And what reason is that?" Namine` asked, curious.
"I wanted to watch the sunset with you. I was going to ask you."
"Oh…Sure!" Namine` answered enthusiastically, turning scarlet.
"So, whose grave should we do next? As I said, there's only time for one."
"Well, I still have the red rose…" Namine`'s voice trailed off. She turned to the grave in front of her, and saw her mother's name engraved into the familiar grey stone.
"You're sad about her," Riku stated. Namine` nodded. Riku noticed a tear gliding down her ivory cheek.
"Don't cry," he comforted, wiping the tear away. Namine` turned to him, and gave him a weak smile.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?" Riku asked.
"For being you," Namine` answered, hugging him. He tensed, but after a moment he put his arms around her fragile form. They stood there a while, neither having the will to let go. When twilight was almost over, they parted, and Namine` smiled at him again.
"We missed the sunset…" she said, although she didn't seem to be too upset about it.
"There's always tomorrow…" Riku pointed out. He put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"And the day after, and the day after that, and the day after that…" Namine` turned her head so she could kiss him.
********
…After the young couple had gone home, Emily sat on her grave and sighed.
"What is it, Em?" her sister asked, floating over to sit next to her.
"I hate being dead. I wish I could have someone like that…" Emily whined.
"Oh, don't fuss. There are a lot of ghosts here around your age. You'll find someone," Jo-Ann said.
"Are ghosts even able to love?" Emily asked, doubtful.
"Of course! We still feel emotions, you know!"
"Yeah, yeah, I kn-Whoa! Who is that?!" Emily exclaimed, almost falling off her grave.
"Him? That's Gabriel. He died in 1943, age seventeen. His house caught on fire."
"…"
"Good luck getting him. He's in love with some girl named Elizabeth. She killed herself after he died. He's searching for her," Jo-Ann informed Emily.
"…Crud…"