Going home was not very fun, and having to deal with going to court and study for finals at the same time was even worse. But the threatening email she had never ended up reading was evidence enough to throw him in jail for a very long time. But once that was over, and she had a few days till graduation, everything was doing better.
Reya and Wonka, despite the fact that they had to go to court together to testify against Tyler, hadn't really had the time to be around each other for very long, which was hard for Reya. Being pulled away from the man she had fallen in love with was like going through withdrawl. Then, one evening, two days away from graduation, Reya had managed to meet up with him, and as usual, it was on accident. She had grabbed her brownie batter ice cream, and was walking around a familiar sad sight, visiting someone she'd neglected for a while. Kneeling down slowly, she sat in front of a tombstone and stared at it. "Hi, Dad," she said softly. "I miss you a lot. I bet you saw what happened the other day at the school. I won first place at the talent show. The trophy's sitting at home. Mom was proud." She took a bite of ice cream. "I really missed you these last few days. Someone tried to kill me, and you weren't there. Remember that time you said you were my number one fan and my number one defender? I really wish you had been there to scare the monsters away." She looked down at the ground as her eyes flooded with tears. "I'm so sorry," she said softly. "I didn't want this to happen at all. I'm trying to be strong for Mom and Lindsay, but it's hard. It's very hard"
"That's such a heavy burden," said a soft voice. She looked up and saw Wonka standing behind her. He watched her with sad eyes and sat down next to her.
"I never realized how much he meant to me until I lost him," she said softly, tears falling down her face. "I mean, I should be over it by now, but it's so hard"
"No," he said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder. "No one's expecting anything from you, Reya. Feeling pain shows that you're still human"
"If I could take back that one moment... go back and undo it... I swear I would. People always tell you lies are bad and hurtful, but they never said anything about them killing people. I didn't mean to kill him. But I can't take it back. I just killed my mother's husband, and my sister's hero. I have no reason to be feeling bad for myself"
"Stop it," he scolded. "Stop it right this minute! You know that's not true, and so do I. You didn't kill anyone, it was an accident. I'm sure even he understands that. You need to let yourself heal, Reya. Stop being so hard on yourself. Letting this damage you inside is just as bad as cutting yourself again." She was wiping tears from her face and he sighed. "Oh, Reya. If there was any way I could take the pain away, you know I would. I love you to death, my dear. I don't want you to hurt. I want to see you smile again." He pulled her into his hands and cradled her as she wept. "It's alright," he said softly to her in a calming tone. "Crying is a major part of healing." She continued to cry, and he held her in his arms, knowing he would do it for as long as she needed.
"I miss him so much," she cried, and he nodded. "I want him back so bad"
"I know what you're going through," he said softly. "There are times when I'd do anything to have my mother back. It hurts so bad that I can barely get out of bed. But pain can't last forever. It may not seem like it now, but one day you'll wake up and everything will seem okay. You won't be over it, goodness no! But you'll be able to live with it. I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you have that day." He kissed her fore head and held her close. There was silence for a minute, and then he heard her voice, soft and weak.
"And even in the darkness/ There is still a light/ That shines on me/ Shine until tomorrow/ Let it be"
He smiled, remembering when he had sung that to her in the hospital and kissed her head. "Well, there's no use sitting in such a depressing place. Let's go for a walk, shall we?" She nodded and stood up with him. He put his arm around her waist and she put her arm around his, both of them not worried about being seen together like this.