Hey guys! Chapter 12 is up and I hope you like it. :)
Emma had been watching Faith more as the days went on. She had been more distracted lately than she'd been in a while. It was recess and she moved over to where Faith was sitting and sat down next to her. "Hey," she greeted.
"Hey," Faith returned with a small smile.
"I was wondering if I could walk you walk home today?" she asked.
"Sure but I need to make a couple of stops along the way," she told her.
"Sure thing," she agreed.
Emma followed Faith as she lead her to a flower shop. "Hey Mr. Karp," Faith said as she entered the store.
"Hey Faith," he acknowledged. "The usual today?"
"Yep," she concurred. "$5.25 right?"
"You know it," he said. He pulled out two flowers and Faith handed him the cash.
"What kinds are those?" Emma asked.
"Belle's favorite, a calla lily, and my favorite, a snowbell," she told her.
"Cool," she said.
"Anything for the young lady today?" he asked.
"Not for me today, thank you," she apologized.
"Alright then. Have a good day," he bade farewell.
"You too. Bye," Faith said as she and Emma exited the store.
"So where are we going next?" Emma asked.
"To see Belle."
The graveyard wasn't creepy like most. There weren't any birds cawing or lightning flashing from a distance. It was sort of peaceful. Like you knew that wherever they ended up that they were okay. The tombstones were all lined up in their rows while pretty flowers decorated the entire area. It was small and surrounded by trees on three sides.
Faith held Emma's hand as they walked to Belle's grave. Her tombstone was small and a solid grey color. The engravings wrote out, Belle Joy French . Beloved sister, daughter and cherished friend. "Home is not a place. It's the people you call your family. And I'm not about to let them down."
Emma gave Faith's hand a small squeeze to provide comfort in someway. She looked up and returned the squeeze as she looked back at the grave. It was supposed to be a peaceful trip for Faith. The expression on her face however said otherwise. She looked angry and like she wanted to punch something. "What'cha thinkin' about?" she asked gently as she squatted down to her height.
"This is all wrong," she told her. "It's not supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be here. She was supposed to walk me to school this morning. She was supposed to hold my hand when we went to go get ice cream. She should be giving me a hug when she first sees me. She's supposed to tell me that she loves me every night before I go to bed."
Faith had been trying to hold the tears back for as long as she could but she couldn't do it any longer. She put her arms around Emma's neck and cried. Emma pulled her closer and wrapped her arms around her. She held her slowly rubbing her back letting Faith know that she was there for her.
"The worst part is," Faith started. "I know she can't. I will never be loved like that again. She's gone. And she can't come back. But I need her. I need her to tell me she loves me and it's gonna be okay. That I'm not alone. Like she promised I would never be." She sniffled.
Emma just held her and tried to console her. She knew that the bond between Faith and Belle was strong but this was almost amazing. Emma didn't say much to her. She occasionally whispered that she was okay or that she was safe. She wasn't going to try to make it better because this wasn't the time for that. It was a time to grieve. To let the weight of her emotions off her shoulders and be able to stand tall again.
After a little while Faith's crying subsided and she slowly slipped out of the embrace but still held Emma's hand. "Belle used to sing to me before I fell asleep at night. Sometimes it was one thing or another but her favorite song to sing was As Long as I Have You. I always loved hearing that song. I think it made Belle feel safe too," she told her.
"Why do think that is?" Emma asked.
"Belle didn't tell me much about when she grew up," she started, "other than the good memories. I knew though that she didn't tell me the bad ones. My mother and father were not the greatest people in the world. I'm pretty sure that Belle felt alone a lot. That's why she was always with me. She wanted to make sure that I would never be, like she was."
"Do you still remember the words?" Emma asked.
"Of course I do," she smiled.
"Could you sing it to me?" she asked.
Faith nodded and began to sing. The little nine year old had the voice of an angel. It was soft and gentle, full and rich, strong and beautiful. Emma felt as if the words she was singing had taken her to another planet. One where all of our worries were left behind. Where you could forget about them and never have to come back. It was breathtaking. When Faith had finished, she turned to look up at Emma. She smiled back and gave her hand a small squeeze. They both knew that it was time to go. They turned silently away and headed back. They didn't need words to know how the other was feeling. They both knew in their hearts that neither of them was alone.
Let me know what you think. Don't forget to R&R please :)
