To Love Again
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the poems in this chapter. All rightful poems belong to their respected owners.
To Love Again
Chapter 2
Elena let out a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. Today would be one of the worst days of her life. Today she and her children would be saying goodbye to her husband and their father. She would never again hear his laughter as his kids ran to him for a hug after he would get home from work. Now all she heard was the sound of her kids crying when she told them that daddy would never be coming home.
Elena wiped away the tear that had been forming as she put on her last earring and examined herself in the mirror making sure that she didn't look as horrible as she felt. She wore a plain black dress with the fabric covering her shoulders and her gray heels. Her long brown hair was in a side pony tail and she wore simple earrings that she knew her husband had loved.
She took a deep breath and composed herself as she collected Alexandra and Kendrick from their rooms so they could drive to the funeral home together. Elena walked through the huge crowd as person after person consoled her and her kids about their loss. Elena didn't know how much more of them she could take until the preacher announced the start of the service and she went to go sit in front with her parents and her kids.
It really was a beautiful service. It was everything Stefan would have expected it would be with stories of his life that filled the entire church with laughter. It was during one of these speeches that Elena saw someone that she didn't recognize. His hair was jet black and his eyes were the perfect shade of blue-green that she had ever seen. She thought she knew everyone in Stefan's life, but she had never once seen this man in her entire life.
"Hello everyone. Most of you might not know me, but I was Stefan Salvatore's older brother Damon."
Elena sat there as shock poured through her. In all their years of dating and marriage Stefan had never once mentioned having a brother, but now that she thought of it Stefan never really mentioned anyone in his family all that much. She turned her attention back to Damon and listened to the words he was saying.
"Stefan and I had never been on the best of terms when we were growing up and we never really talked, but the day I found out my brother had died I was torn to pieces. I always thought he would outlive me. That he would grow old and happy with a million kids and his beautiful wife by his side, but god had other plans for him and I came here today to say that yes I do miss my brother deeply, but I am proud of what he accomplished in his life in such a short time. Not only did he successfully run his own company, but he had two beautiful kids and a gorgeous wife who will keep his memory living on forever. So let us not grieve the life that Stefan has lost, but celebrate the one that he did have. I'll be seeing you on the other side my brother." He said touching Stefan's hand.
Elena let her tears fall as Damon stepped off the podium. Now it was turn and she wasn't sure if she was ready to say goodbye, but instead of her own speech she had found a poem that had summed up her feeling about the loss of Stefan perfectly.
"Hello everyone and thank you for coming on this extremely difficult day for me and my little family. I was never really a person who expressed themselves through the use of my words which my husband Stefan knew pretty well. Instead I used poetry to describe my feelings and today I have chosen two poems that are very dear and special to my heart. One of them is the first poem I ever read to Stefan when I wanted to describe my feelings to him and the other is one about death."
She cleared her throat as the audience looked at her.
"This first poem was one I recited on mine and Stefan's first official date." She said with the tears flowing. "The red rose whispers of passion and the white rose breathes of love. O the red rose is a falcon and the white rose is a dove. But I send you a cream white rosebud with a flush on its petal tips. For the love that is purest and sweetest has a kiss of desire on its lips."
She finished the poem smiling through her tears as she remembered how she had handed Stefan both a white and red rose and he exchanged it for their first ever kiss. She folded back up the piece of paper and brought out the other one she had chosen. The one that had broke her heart to print out.
"Do not stand by my grave and weep. I am not there ;I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sun on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the mornings hush I am the swift uplifting rush. Of quiet birds in circled flight I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there. I did not die."
The tears flowed heavily now as she stood there in silence and placed a gentle kiss on Stefan's lips as she sat back down in her seat as her children embraced her while her heart shattered into a million pieces.
After the funeral had finished, Elena found herself back at her house where multiple people offered her their condolences yet again and told her that her poems were beautiful. Elena had only nodded before she could take it no longer. She missed her husband and she needed to get out of that house for a while and just be alone.
Elena grabbed her black coat and walked out on the long narrow stretch of road where she dialed the number that she knew by heart.
"This is Stefan Salvatore speaking. I'm sorry that I missed your call, but try to call back later and I'll try to answer as soon as possible."
The message machine clicked off as Elena looked up to the sky and saw a shooting star. She smiled at it in awe. It was the first thing that had made her truly smile since she had gone back home.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
Elena jerked back as she looked at the ground below her. Damon laid there looking up at the nighttime sky and Elena mentally slapped herself for not noticing him before. So much for being alone.
"You scared me." She said breathless.
"Sorry that wasn't my intention."
Damon got up and wiped the dirt off of his black suit and extended his hand.
"You must be Elena. I'm Damon Stefan's brother."
"He didn't tell me he had a brother."
"Well Stefan's not one to brag."
Elena scoffed. Damn he was cocky for a person whose brother had just died.
"I'm sorry that was rude of me. That's just my natural response when people tell me that they haven't heard about me."
Elena shook her head and smiled. Now it was her turn to fire back after all she did deserve a little fun after the day she had been having.
"Not to be rude or anything Damon but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere."
"You're one to talk. You're out here all by yourself."
"I was in the middle of listening to something and I wanted some privacy."
"I see. Well do you care to join me in some star gazing I'm pretty sure it will take your mind off things for a while."
Elena shrugged and laid flat down on the ground after all what did she have to lose by just enjoying the stars for a little bit. Even Damon's presence didn't bother her that much. As a matter of fact it was comforting to not have someone talk about how sorry they were for her loss.
"I liked your poems that you dedicated to my brother. They were very nice. I'm guessing they were The white rose by John Boyle o'Reilly and Do Not Stand By My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye."
"How did you know?"
"I appreciate all kinds of poetry. I am a writer after all. "
"Okay Mr. Damon Salvatore. Recite me a poem right now from memory and no cheating."
He laughed.
"Wow that was beautiful. Who was it by?"
"It's by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. It's called 'The Invitation'"
"You want to know something crazy."
"I don't see why not since we're two crazy people lying out in the middle of the road."
"That poem has cheered me up more than anyone's condolences today. I really appreciate it."
She turned her head to Damon and he smiled at her.
"Well I'm glad it can take a little bit of your pain away even if it's not much."
She sighed and looked up at the stars for a while. The night had taken an unexpected turn. She sighed and got up dusting off the dirt from her dirt and jacket.
"I should probably go. It was nice meeting you Damon."
"Great meeting you too Elena."
She smiled as she went back to her reality.