Chapter 13: The Graveyard

Gabe brought me back to his house. There was nothing left of mine to go back to. There I recovered. I quit my job at the diner and Gabe forced me to sign up for college. It was hard to start back up. It was hard not to see Nana and Max every day. And it was especially hard getting used to the fact that I no longer had anyone to take care of, I was the one now being taken care of.

But like Gabe always says, "It's your turn now."

But I feel lazy and useless, especially since classes haven't started yet. In return to sending me to school I made the boys fire the maid and now my days are filled with cleaning a mansion. But Gabe does a good job with taking me out. He never allows me to stay in the house longer than two days straight and if he can't take me out, he reminds me that I can take myself out with the new car he bought me.

"Why have you done all of this for me?" I ask, lying next to him.

He smiles, "You saved my life and now I can say with all the honesty in the world that I was saved by an angel."

Of course that makes me blush, "Is that the only reason? Because I saved you?"

He looks at me a little offended, "Of course not… It just so happens that I fell in love with her," And he leans in to kiss me, caressing my face with his rough calloused hand and touching me with his soft lips.

But today was one of those days. He called me to let me know that he was going to work late tonight, "I'm sorry, we just got three cars they are expecting to be ready in two days."

"It's okay," I tell him, "I have an idea of what to do."

I sit in front of Max and Nana. Gabe had bought beautifully carved stones for both of them and they tower over most, but they aren't monuments. I lay flowers down for Nana and I leave a long letter for Max. I know he would rolls his eyes and complain if I got him flowers, "I'm a boy, Remy, why would you get me flowers?" Tears fall when I think of him.

"I signed up for college, Gabe is going to pay. I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now but I have a year to think about it," I tell them, "He's really a great guy. I know you guys saw it before me and would probably say "Told you so" but he's taken care of me really well."

I allow the silence to respond.

"I had the house torn down and they're building another house there. Gabe and I worked to get the two streets named after you guys…" I take this time to talk to them since my last visit was short and full of tears, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I'm sorry that I put you in this situation…"

I look down at my hands, allowing the tears to drop into my palm.

"I think I know what I want to do…" I begin to break the news I know they won't like, "I think I'm going to do medicine runs for people…"

"What are you thinking?! Are you out of your mind?!" I know my Nana would say.

Max would scowl at me, "I don't like you going out there…"

"I don't like you going out for me, let alone some strangers!" Nana would add.

"I know, I know. But I can change many lives; I can help a lot of people by doing this! I think I could do it easily," I make an effort to smile, "It won't be so bad. I could go to training, get really cool weapons."

"You're out of your mind," Nana would shake her head.

"Then I will get the training and go with you!" Max insists.

"I thought you would think it was cool Max, I'm gunna be kinda like a hero," I joke.

Both Nana and Max would look at me and I know exactly what they would say, "You're already a hero…"

I break down, leaning down with my head in my palms, "How am I going to do this? How can I keep pretending everything is okay without you guys?!"

"You have Gabe now," Nana would try to console me.

Max would wrap his arms around me, "It's okay, Rem… We're okay."

I look back up to their graves, "I love you guys…"

Silence answers me again.

"I love you guys so much…"

I got home before Gabe did and I cleaned myself up. My face was stained with dust and tears and my eyes are red. I put makeup on after washing my face in an attempt to cover up the evidence of my visit but when Gabe walks through the door, my efforts are useless. He drops everything and pulls me into his arms where I cry again.

"You can keep beating yourself up about it, there was nothing that you could have done…" He comforts me.

I nod, "I know, but I just miss them so much…"

"It'll take time," He runs his hand over my hair.

xxxxxxx

I decide to tell Gabe of my idea. I take him out to the back porch after dinner. We sit down on a swing and look up at the stars for a moment, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

He looks at me, "Okay?"

"I've been thinking over the past few weeks, I have a lot of time to do that while cleaning-"

"And?" He smirks, nervously.

"And I've been thinking about doing medicine runs for people," I say quickly.

He just stares at me for a moment, "Seriously?"

I nod.

"Why would you want to do that?!"

"To help people, can you imagine if I had someone to do it for me?"

"Then I wouldn't have met you," He says.

I laugh to try and lighten the atmosphere, "I plan on taking a few classes in fighting and training with weapons, of course."

He thinks for a moment.

He thinks for a long moment.

"It would help a lot of people…" I add.

He nods, "I understand, I just can't believe how selfless you are, even still."

I shrug.

"Okay, well this is my stipulation, if you do this, I do this," He says with a little regret in his voice, "I don't want you to do this, but if this is what you want to do then… I shouldn't stop you."

I smile, "Thank you, but I can't let you go."

"Then I can't let you go," He says.

I know we could both argue about it all night, "Okay, how about we rock paper scissor it?"

He grins and holds out his fist.

"If you win you can come, if I win I go alone," I restate the terms.

"I got it," He rolls his eyes.

"Rock, paper, scissors shoot!" I stop at scissors.

He stops at rock, "I guess we are now partners," He grins.