In the two days leading up to the funeral, I did little but cry, occasionally finding comfort in Lilac or Otho. It was a grey day when I saw my beloved lowered into the ground; grey, cold, and miserably dismal.
That evening Otho arrived at the door. Remembering the night only a few days ago, I struggled to contain my tears. Without speaking, he took my hand, and led me outside. He seemed to struggle for the right words.
"The night Mungo…" his voice trailed off.
"Yes?"
"Well, that night, he was coming here. He had something for you, an early wedding gift of sorts."
He handed me a box, plainly wrapped, and with a slight smile, he turned and left. I took the box to my room, where I carefully opened this lost relic of my beloved. First I came to an envelope, the letter inside read:
My Dearest and most Beloved Lia,I am counting the days until I will have the pleasure of calling you my wife. I love you more than mere words can express, and my love for you is endless. Here is a gift meant to express my love for you. This gift, like my love, can stand by itself, but will also grow with time, until it blossoms like a flower in springtime.
With all the love I possess,
Mungo Bolger.
I set the letter aside, with tears streaming down my face. I reached for the box, opened it, and stared at its contents, puzzled. Inside the box, there were twelve silver spoons. "How strange!" I thought to myself. I took out each spoon individually and looked at it, wondering about the meaning of this unusual gift. As I lifted out the last spoon, I looked for a note, anything to explain the spoons, but there was nothing. I reread the letter "This gift, like my love, can stand by itself, but will also grow with time, until it blossoms like a flower in springtime." I puzzled over this for a moment before it came to me. Silverware! It was the start of a set of silverware! I recalled the fact that Mungo had a deep dislike for unpractical gifts, so this would be just like him. In spite of myself I laughed, I laughed long and hard until the tears streamed down my cheeks, and I couldn't stop. The tears of laughter soon turned to real tears, and I wept bitterly. I wept for my lost love, I wept for my wedding that would never come, and selfishly, I wept for myself.