The ceremony was an absolutely beautiful one. It wasn't just a fitting farewell for a high-ranking military officer; it was special- a truly unique service that was absolutely perfect in every way for the sort of man that the Colonel was.
It was a great shame that Ms Hughes found herself completely unable to pay attention. She would have found it most comforting, as did all those who did manage to maintain concentration throughout the procedure. Gracia herself spent the entire time fidgeting and looking around in such obvious discomfort that her own small daughter twice asked her whom she was looking for in the large crowd- who else ought to be there that wasn't. It shouldn't have surprised her, given the father, that her daughter was so perceptive, but it always did.
"Your Aunt Riza hasn't turned up yet," she whispered back the second time she was asked this, but she would say no more.
Gracia Hughes was afraid. She knew the sort of woman that Riza was and she knew how very dear the Colonel had been to her, indeed, she was one of an extremely select group of people who knew anything at all about the truth of the two officers' very physical relationship, and that scared her. That Riza wasn't here to see him go… it just wasn't right.
"It's okay, Mommy," Elysia whispered with a little sniffle. "We'll go and visit her after we say goodbye to Uncle Roy. She'll be happy to see us."
It really amazed Gracia Hughes just how quickly her young daughter had matured. She was, in every possible way, her father's daughter and it made her smile to think that some of his character, if only just a little, had been reborn in her- the product of their love.
"Yes, we'll visit afterwards," Gracia agreed, smiling down at her daughter in her little black frock. "After we say goodbye." Consequently, she leaned down to kiss her daughter's forehead and smooth out her fluffy brown hair before looking back up, finally able to watch the beautiful ceremony in peace.
