Life may end, but memories last forever
"Would you like a picture with your wife?" The young photographer asked Niles.
"Of course! Come here Babcock," Niles helped a heavily pregnant CC get up of her seat, and positioned her just before him, with her back resting comfortably against his broad chest. He laid his hand over her protuberant stomach, and felt hers cupping his cheek.
"Niles, I thought you knew my kind can't appear in photos," CC teased.
"Oh, that's nonsense! They also said vampires can't go out in the sun, yet here you are!"
The couple laughed lightly and Niles dropped a kiss on her cheek. For a second, they forgot about the world around them, and the two Brightmores just gazed at each other, both wearing twin grins on their faces. The sound of the photographer clearing his throat brought them out of their daydream, and again they posed for the picture.
"Uh… ok… Now, please, smile!" the young man asked them, amused by their odd behaviour.
The loud flash of the camera was heard, and immediately the film sheet rolled out of the camera. Niles payed the young man as he handed them the Polaroid picture, and the couple sat back down on their table.
Niles was awoken by the piercing sound of his alarm clock. As he stretched in bed, his eyes traveled to the photo hanging just in front of his bed, and smiled. Dreaming about her always put him in a good mood.
He still remembered that day the picture was taken like it had happened yesterday. He had taken CC out for lunch to a tiny Italian restaurant he knew, when a young photographer had approached them and took the photo. At the beginning, CC was reluctant of the place, but as soon as she had tasted their pasta, his wife had fallen in love with it. They had begun eating there every Thursday, and after Michael -their youngest child- was born, they would drop by every once in a while.
Over two years had gone by since his beautiful wife had passed away, and life without her was proving to be a challenge. They had been married for 44 wonderful years, and it all had come to an end when Niles woke up one morning and found the lifeless body of his wife lying by his side. Apparently, she had passed away in her sleep, and hadn't suffered one bit. The one who did suffer, however, was Niles... he had always thought he'd die before her, and when the opposite happened, he felt like he had been slapped in the face.
The first months after her death, Niles had been a walking corpse; he had lacked the energy to do even the simplest of activities, and for a long time he couldn't bear to even mention CC's name. With the help of his four kids he slowly got better, and when the first anniversary of her death had gone past, he promised himself he'd try to go on... he knew CC wouldn't have liked him to give up, so he tried to go on just for her. He started spending a lot of time with his children and grandchildren, who were more than glad to keep him company. But no matter how hard he tried, or how many times he visited both his family and her grave, the feeling of loss was always there...
He still couldn't believe how fast life had gone by... but now that she wasn't there, it seemed eternal. They had been enemies for eighteen torturous years before finding each other, and when they finally did, he experienced the most blissful 44 years of his life. They went through so much together... he still remembered the excitement they felt when they had discovered about her first pregnancy after their shotgun wedding, and after Elisabeth was born, they had discovered that the wild and exhilarating adventure called 'parenthood' suited them. The move to Cali, however, hadn't suited them at all; C.C. hated Hollywood since day one, and shortly after their arrival, she talked with Maxwell and resigned her partnership. The small family had returned to New York, where C.C. set up her own company, which soon became a resounding success. Niles became a stay at home dad, but he soon returned to being a butler when the Sheffields decided to go back to New York after the 6th season of their successful sitcom ended. Max didn't return to being a producer, though, he turned into one of C.C.'s most faithful backers, and in return, C.C. managed his stockings and investments.
Life by her side had been, by far, the best adventure he had ever had; it wasn't always easy, they had had their fights and disagreements, but they had learnt to overcome the bumps and lumps in their path. They had four beautiful children, who gave them grandchildren, and Niles even got to know his first great grandkid: a little girl named Chastity (In honour of C.C., of course).
Over the years, their relationship had evolved and grown, gotten stronger... to the point where they needed the other to survive. That's why C.C.'s death had been a bitter pill to swallow, the light in his life had gone out. He still remembered the day of her funeral; he had been the first person to arrive, and the moment he had caught a glimpse of her body, Niles' knees hadn't been able hold him. His wife had been laid in an elegant casket, her head resting comfortably on a pillow, and her hands had been entwined over her stomach. CC had been dressed with a beautiful pale blue dress, and they had taken all her rings from her fingers, except for her wedding band, as he had asked. The pain of losing his wife was unbearable, it hurt to breathe, to eat, to sleep... nothing made sense without her. She had been part of his life for 62 years, and she had been the woman of his life...
He missed her. He needed her. He needed his baby by his side.
Heaving a melancholic sigh, Niles got out of bed, and made his way downstairs, Edgar (who was a little pug Niles had adopted shortly after CC's demise) followed him closely. He cooked himself breakfast, put it on a tray, and headed for the stairs; after CC died, Niles usually had breakfast in bed, he just couldn't bear sitting by himself in the kitchen. But that morning, just before he climbed the first step, he turned around and walked back to the kitchen. Niles quickly set the table for two, just like he had done every morning when CC was alive, looked for the paper and sat down. As he nibbled on his food, he put Edgar on his lap and absentmindedly petted his little head.
The butler stared at her empty place, and could almost see her sitting there, in her oversized pyjamas, with her hair tousled and a big cup of coffee in her hand. She would tuck her loose golden locks behind her ears before taking a bite of her breakfast, and afterwards she would always exclaim 'Niles, this is good!' with a wide smile on her face. He remembered all the lazy Sunday mornings when she'd stay in her pyjamas for longer than usual, or the times when she'd stay in them the whole day long. He remembered how they'd joke about their unkempt appearance, throwing quips and barbs at each other as if there was no tomorrow.
As memories from her flooded his mind, something inside him told him everything would be alright, and he flashed a longing smile at the empty chair. How fun life had been by her side, he thought, how precious and fulfilling. Niles sighed loudly, and fed Edgar a bit of the remains of his breakfast before taking his plate to the sink.
Around midday, both Edgar and Niles stepped out of the mansion, and headed to the park. It was a sunny autumn day in New York; there was a chill in the air, and the golden rays of the sun bathed the city with its golden light. The trees were naked, their scarlet, brown and yellow leaves adorned the dull, grey sidewalk with an autumnal hue. Edgar entertained himself by running against the piles of fallen leaves, spilling them all over the place. Niles chuckled as he watched the little dog fooling around, for it reminded him of when Michael was little. Their son would run into every pile of leaves he came across with, gather a fair amount of them in his little hands and throw them into the air. He'd jump, giggling like mad, and try to catch the falling leaves with his hands. Many times Niles or CC had tried to help him, but he would insist on doing it by himself, so the couple had just stared at their son with utter parental endearment as he played.
The dry leaves crunched under Niles' feet as he strolled down the street. Occasionally one would fall past him, and slowly swayed to the floor, adding itself to the sea of fiery colors that covered the sidewalk like a big blanket. The smell of cinnamon lingered in the air, and Niles lowered his scarf a bit to take in the delicious scent. Just as he spotted the entrance to the park, a small sign caught his attention, and instantly the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. Just across the street, there was the little Italian restaurant he had been thinking about a few hours before, so he crossed the road, and sat on one of the outside tables, with Edgar on his lap.
"Hello sir, my name is Maureen, and I'll be your waitress today," a young girl spoke cheerfully, while handing him the menu "When you are ready to order, just call me!"
"Actually, I already know what I want," Niles replied with a gentle smile. "I'd like a Spaghetti alla carbonara, and a bottle of Chardonnay, please," he waited until the girl had finished writing down his order and handed the menu back.
"Very well sir! I'll bring you your wine and some bread in a minute!" Maureen said, and disappeared into the restaurant.
Niles took out his phone, and distracted himself with different games as he waited for his lunch. Edgar, who was wearing a cute orange sweater, had curled up into a ball and fallen asleep on his owner's lap. True to her word, in no time the waitress came back with his drink, and gracefully poured it into his cup. Niles thanked her with a short nod, and sipped a bit of wine. He observed the passer byers, and noticed how immersed in their own world each person was. He saw a bunch of teenagers, all with headphones on and using their phones, business men and women hurriedly walking through the streets and even a young couple strolling, hand in hand. He gave a half smile at the lovers, remembering his own strolls with his late wife.
"Niles Brightmore? Is that you?" a loud, throaty voice startled the former butler out of his reverie. Niles turned his head to find an elderly Italian man standing before him, and his face lit up. The man was the owner of the restaurant, and was an old acquaintance of both Niles and CC.
"Francisco, good to see you old man! How have you been?" Niles stood up and gave the man a tight hug, waking Edgar in the process. "It's been years since I last saw you!"
"I'm doing fantastic, this little place keeps on giving!" he chuckled, "How have you been? And where is that charming wife of yours?"
Niles gave the old man a saddened smile, "I'm doing well, thank you, and… uh... CC died a little over two years ago," Niles spoke in a quiet voice.
Francisco seemed shocked for a second, but immediately recovered, pulled his friend into another tight hug, and patted his back, "I am sorry, Niles, I didn't know."
"It's all right Francisco, no need to apologize."
The two men pulled away when Maureen brought Niles' order, so the butler sat back down, while Francisco shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"I hope the food is of your liking, my friend. I'll go back to the kitchen," Francisco shook Niles' hand lively. "I am truly sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, Francisco," Niles said sincerely.
The Italian gave a half smile and began walking back to his restaurant, but suddenly stopped. He turned to Niles once again, and said "Your meal is on the house, Niles," the Englishman was about to protest, but Francisco rose a silencing hand, "Please, it's a gift. In her honor."
"Ok, Francisco, thank you very much," Niles' voice quivered.
The two men shared a knowing smile, and eventually Francisco returned to the kitchen, leaving a pensive Niles behind.
After he had finished her meal, he gave Francisco one last farewell, and headed to the cemetery. He had taken to visiting her grave every two weeks, and always brought new flowers with him. He always took lilies, her favorites.
Once he had crossed the tall entrance to the graveyard, the butler walked silently to her grave, with the bouquet of lilies in his hand. When he reached her resting place, he solemnly put the fresh flowers down, and sighed. The tall marble marking read:
'Chastity Claire Brightmore. Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend'
Those pathetic words didn't do justice to what CC had been to them, and especially to him.
Unbeknownst to Niles, CC's spirit stood next to him. The blonde looked exactly as she had when she had married Niles; her hair was short and blonde, and her ice blue eyes seemed to shimmer. The only difference was that she now looked wiser, as though death had given her a knowledge the living don't possess. CC had visited him many times since she had died, even if he couldn't see her... There were moments, however, when Niles would catch glimpses of her for a fraction of a second: he'd see a flash of her blue eyes on the mirror, a diffuse shadow in the middle of the night, or he'd simply perceive her essence floating in the air, enveloping him. She was there, of course, following him around wherever he went. CC had found that, no matter how many wonders there were in heaven, nothing entertained her more than following her husband around. She liked accompanying him, it soothed the longing for him a little.
Many times Niles would put on music, mostly old tunes from when they were young, and lay on their bed, remembering sweet times with his wife. She would lay next to him, and pretended he could see her and hold her as he had done when she was alive. She'd stay with him until he fell asleep, and whispered softly to his ear; her words repelled his nightmares, and helped him plunge into a deep sleep, filled with pleasant dreams. Of course there were days when he'd cry his eyes out, and CC would sit by his side and whisper tender memories from their life together, all of which ended up popping up in his mind and calmed him down.
Sometimes CC visited her children too, and relished on being able to observe her kids without them noticing her. In some way, it reminded her of when they were babies, and she'd spend hours just staring at them. Truth was, CC adored observing her loved ones enjoying their lives... It was strange,however, being an invisible observer of the unfolding of her relatives' lives… She was there, yet she wasn't. She was in the air around the living, she was the oxygen they breathed, but her presence was ignored by them.
CC knew she shouldn't visit Earth so frequently, after all she was dead, and she was supposed to move on… but she couldn't help it, she missed her family so very much. Life was a perpetual yesterday for CC; she had become a memory, something of the past, a shadow… hanging around her family made her feel, in some way, less… gone.
There were days, however, when she would stay in heaven, exploring the different places in paradise. She'd go out for a walk with her sister, spend time with her father or Niles' parents, she'd play poker with Yetta, go out for lunch with Sylvia or she'd make bets with Noel… But if she really needed her peace and quiet, she retired to her personal haven, her very own little patch of heaven. CC had learnt that everybody had a haven in heaven, it was a quiet room that could only be accessed by its owner. In her haven CC had everything she wanted or needed, and there was an added sense of tranquility and wellbeing floating in the room. But heaven often felt dull and empty, for she had quickly discovered there was no heaven without him.
CC always accompanied him when he visited her grave, and even if she knew she couldn't speak to him, she could make him feel better. She remembered this one moment in their life where they had made love. The two had both been sick, and felt awful. Fran and Max had offered to take their four kids off of their hands for the night, so the two had been alone. Niles, being the protective husband he was, had tried to take care of CC even though he could barely talk and his throat hurt like hell. He had been rubbing this cream on her chest to soothe her sore chest, when she pulled Niles into her embrace and kissed him passionately. They made slow sweet love, and took care of each other, trying to make one another feel better. It was one of her favorite memories, and so she whispered in his ear.
"Remember the love we made that time we were sick?"
Niles couldn't actually hear her voice, but the moment did come to his head, and he smiled quietly to himself.
"I love you, Mr Brightmore," CC whispered again, enveloping him in her ethereal hug.
Niles felt a calm, warm sense wash over him. He was at peace with his wife's death, even though he still missed her terribly. CC gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Niles felt a cold rush of wind hit the side of his face. As much as he loved his family and his life, he couldn't wait to be with CC in heaven.
"And I love you, Mrs Brightmore."
AN: So, here you go! I hope you liked it :) Thanks for reading and I appreciate reviews!
There is a quote from 'The Lovely Bones' , I added it (and it's in italics) to the story because I absolutely adored both the book and the quote in itself! I recommend everyone to read it!