The cemetery looked desolate and ominous through the curtain of lightly pattering rain, in the way cemeteries should appear. Maia got out of the car and trudged up to where her parents were waiting, hearing the soft crunching of gravel underfoot. A fresh bunch of flaming orange and dark red dahlias were laid across his grave. Jonathan and Claire Cole stood in front of their deceased son's resting place, staring at their son's tomb stone. The epitaph read

"Beloved son, brother, fighter and protector. May he rest in peace."

Maia stared at the words blankly .She squeezed her eyes tight and held herself together trying to get rid of the unwanted memories.

She was sitting calmly on the edge of the peer her leg dangling off the edge as the swishing movement made concentric ripples in the cold lake water. She let the sun warm her shoulders and closed her eyes, only vaguely aware of the approaching footsteps. She felt a warm breath in her ear and then she was gasping and treading water. She looked up to see Daniel's smiling face surrounded by a background of flawlessly blue sky. He turned to wink at some giggling girls on the beach in skimpy bikinis and then turned back to her to grin wickedly.

"How's the water?"

"Asshole," Maia murmured. It was one of his less nasty ploys, though she was never a comfortable swimmer and could feel the cold seeping into her through her t-shirt which was now plastered to her. Almost childishly she said, "Fuck you, Daniel."

"What time?" he asked with a grin.

She glowered at him and sniffed, turning to swim to the shore feeling resentment and humiliated.

Her flashback ended and Maia came back to the present.

"You're late," Jonathan said without looking at her. She was broken from her reverie and shook her head to clear her mind.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"You went to get coffee?" Claire asked outraged.

"I lost track of time," she said, trying to mask her exasperation.

They stared absently at the crypt for a few minutes, each in their own world.

"I can't believe you were out getting coffee," Claire exclaimed again.

Maia let out an irritated sigh and walked over to a garbage can and dumped her coffee in one fluid movement.

"Happy?"

"Well, now you just wasted it," Jonathan mumbled.

Maia clenched her fists though said nothing. She was used to her own failure in her parent's eyes. She could do no right and did not bother to extend herself when the point was futile. She stared at the ground and let the silence engulf her. She tried to grieve, tired to be solemn, though she only thought of that lost coffee and Jordan. She couldn't help but think about him. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and walked away from her grieving parents.

Other families walked by them all with grim looks of sorrow imprinted upon their faces. The soft pattering of the rain was an underlying beat for their sad whispers. The overall effect was eerie to say the least. The living and dead were here, separated by a thin line that could easily break at any moment. Maia shuddered.

"Should we get going? I'm soaked," Jonathan murmured turning away from Daniel's grave.

Claire did not respond and stood transfixed. He walked over to her and gathered her in an awkward, one-armed hug. She was sobbing and tried to say something though it was nearly indistinguishable and could vaguely be translated to "I miss him" repeated over and over again. After a while, she pulled away, reassuring her husband that she was alright. Jonathan drew up to his full height and ran a hand through his hair which was graying at the temples, exhaling heavily.

Claire turned to Maia who was pushing the gravel into piles with her feet.

"Maia, we're going to go to a dinner party tomorrow night, you should come."

Maia stared at her blankly.

"The Collin's will be there," she continued nervously, "and I know that Aaron was really looking forward to seeing you so. . ."

Realization struck Maia like a blow. Her parents wanted things to return back to normal, and for that to happen Maia, had to take the place that Daniel left behind. Maia had to be their golden child, happy, care-free, charming and innocent. They criticized her because she wasn't what they wanted, and in a way, they'd always resent her for that.

Maia felt rebellious. She didn't want to be the plan-b in her parents' lives, and she sure as hell didn't want to be living in Daniel's shadow.

"I'll think about it," she replied curtly.

"It'd just be a nice gesture if you came," her mother said and turned away.

Maia watched her parents walk arm and arm, wondering if she could ever fill the void in her parents' hearts.