So, a lot of you might hate me for this chapter, so I'll just apologize in advance. I debated a lot about doing this, and eventually decided to because I feel like it'll just help Noelle grow even more. Life is full of ups and downs, and we have to keep going, we just have to. (If you want to feel the emotions, I highly reccomend listening to the music.)
Also, I decided that if Mikey and Noelle had a song, it would be Remember Me This Way, which is the theme song from the Casper movie. It's a very sweet song that is mostly about friendship because in the long run, that is what Mikey and Noelle are; best friends.
Chapter 28: Strength to Move On
After the ball dropped, people still partied in the streets to roaring music while nearby neighbors blasted off fireworks, and confetti endlessly fluttered from the sky. The atmosphere had been boisterous and exciting, making it a celebration that nobody wanted to end. Even Master Splinter had seemed to enjoy the display, as he sat in his spot on the roof with a smile on his face as colors from fireworks and building monitors lit up his eyes.
Eventually though, all nights must come to an end, and it was around one in the morning that the amiable rat decided that it was time to return back to the sewers where he and his family belonged. Mikey, of course, didn't want to leave the music and night life behind, but when he saw Noelle yawn, he decided that maybe he would put aside his partying attitude and follow everybody else. He carried Noelle back to the lair on his back so she didn't have to walk in her wooden shoes, and held Ice Cream Kitty's cooler in his hands. Donnie carried April for the same purpose, though he seemed to be more than thrilled to do it, especially since he had been the one to receive her kiss that night, and not Casey.
By the time the group arrived back to their underground home, Kohaku Uta Gassen was over, but thanks to Donnie checking online he was able to discover that the White Team had won that year. Since it was New Years, Splinter declared that the mochi could be eaten, which they all did in the living room with the TV off, though Mikey made sure to put Ice Cream Kitty back in his freezer before he joined everybody else. The cat gave the turtle a loving lick on his finger and purred before Mikey lovingly patted the dairy feline's head and shut the door.
"So I admit it, Times Square on New Years Eve is pretty cool, " Leo stated as he bit into his mochi on the couch. He hummed in contentment at the flavorful taste.
Raph shrugged from his spot on the bean bag. "Yeah, it was alright."
"Alright? It was so sweet, yo!" Mikey exclaimed with a grin as he scampered out of the kitchen and seated himself next to Noelle on the ground. He grabbed two mochis, one for each of them, and handed her a piece, to which she smiled graciously. "We are totally going back again next year!"
"I've gotta agree with Mikey," April admitted as she chewed on the rice cake. "Just watching it on TV won't be the same anymore."
"Y-yeah, it won't," Donnie agreed with a faint smile and pink cheeks. It had been his and his family's first New Year's Eve with other people, and the fact that he had been able to celebrate it with April just made things even better.
The group talked for about another half hour before Noelle yawned and April suggested that the two of them get ready for bed. April would be staying over that night since her dad was out of town on business, but she had already texted him a "Happy New Years" and planned on seeing him the next day when he got back. Noelle would also visit her family the following day, as there was a lot of catching up to do and she wanted to prove to them that she was safe. Noelle and Mikey shared a hug before she and followed April back to her bedroom, and closed the door.
"So, you and Mikey are just adorable," April declared with a smirk as she assisted in helping the blonde out of her kimono. "It's seriously really cute."
Noelle blushed and shyly smiled. "Um, well, he makes me really happy. He's my best friend, and I don't know what I would do without him. He's so sweet."
"Yeah, Mikey's a really good person," the redhead conceded, pulling off the last of Noelle's clothing and turning around so the blonde could help her. "It's nice that he's found a great girl like you to be with."
"Thank you, that's really sweet of you to say," Noelle sincerely thanked, taken back by the honesty of her friend's words. She was extremely flattered that she was being viewed in such a positive light, and was very glad for it. She definitely wanted to be a good match for Mikey, and she wanted to make him just as happy as he made her. "I love being with him. He always makes me laugh and has gone out of his way so many times when he didn't have to just to put a smile on my face. I will never forget everything he has done for me."
"That's because you mean a lot to him," April responded as she stepped out of her kimono. "People do things to show they care. I admit he came to me a couple of times and I gave him ideas, but he really wanted to do what he could to make you happy, and I think he did a good job."
"Yes, he did." Noelle stepped back and went over to the dresser, where she knelt down and pulled out a pair of light blue pajamas to put on. "Thank you for doing that."
"Anytime. I'm glad you two finally got together. I was cheering you on the entire time!" April enthusiastically confessed as she also stepped over to her sleepover backpack and grabbed a pair of orange shorts and a yellow tank top. "You mean a lot to him."
Noelle pulled her shorts up and slid the shirt over her head before she neatly folded the kimono and placed it in the corner. "Just like you do to Donnie?"
April was silent as she considered Noelle's words, and for a moment Noelle was worried that perhaps she had embarrassed her friend or butted into something that wasn't her business. It was as she pulled her thick hair out of its bun that the red head finally spoke.
"Yeah, that's a fair assumption. Donnie and I are best friends just like you and Mikey, and I'm glad I was able to kiss him tonight." Her freckled face turned red, but she was grinning, and Noelle returned the smile.
When the two of them were at last in their pajamas and had climbed into bed, they lay on the mattress facing each other. April reached a hand forward and extended her fingers towards Noelle. "Let's make this year even better than before, okay? You're an awesome friend. I'm so glad I met you."
Noelle looked at the stretched hand for a moment before she smiled and slid her hand into April's, their fingers curling over each other. "I'm glad I met you too." They simpered at each other for a few seconds before their eyes heavily closed, and they both fell asleep.
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The next morning after breakfast, Noelle stood in her room with her eyes focused on a blank canvas on the easel in front of her. Breakfast had been delicious as usual, and definitely pretty loud. Casey had also slept over, claiming the den's couch as his own that night. He and Raph had been one of the last to wake up that morning, grumbling out of their sleep irritably by Mikey banging a spatula against one of the pans to announce that breakfast was ready. The pancakes had been delicious, the coffee energy-giving, and the dish washing had given some alone time to Mikey and Noelle, who mainly talked about New Years resolutions and how Mikey was going to come up with at least ten that he would meet.
When Noelle was finally able to be alone in her room with her paint and easel, she slid her earphones in and closed her eyes, trying to allow her mind to wander so she could bring another painting to life. The one of Mikey had been set off to the side, and would be put in his room later that day. Noelle smiled with her eyes shut, pleased that he had loved the picture so much. Of course, she'd secretly hoped that he would, but to see how overjoyed he was with it really made her happy. Just thinking about his smile made her cheeks warm, and suddenly she knew what she wanted to paint.
She dipped her brush in a glob of dark blue paint and swiped it across the canvas, mixing little specks of white in to lighten the color as she painted horizontally downward along the board, blending the colors in together. She then went to work on using other colors to bring life to the image. She swiped the bristles of her brush around, altering her strokes to match her rhythm and bring light to smaller details. The music engulfed her as she allowed it to control her movements and bring fluidity to her hand, her body settled into a state of artistic bliss.
When she felt satisfied with her creation, she stepped back, tilted her head at an angle, and smiled as she gazed upon it. It was a picture of her and Mikey dancing among the night sky, a dress made of stars swirling across her body as Mikey twirled her around and laughed. They just looked so content and happy that her heart raced as she studied the picture. She trailed her fingertips across it, allowing them to linger over Mikey's face for a moment before she pulled them back and laid them over her heart.
She loved it. She really did, and she was going to keep it with her for courage and to show herself how meeting Mikey changed her life forever.
Noelle removed the earbuds out of her ears and turned the music off, basking in the silence of her room as she shared a moment with the painting and tried to imagine what dancing across the sky would be like. She remembered flying on the glider with Mikey, and how the wind had felt in her hair. She could imagine it stroking her face now, and her body would be weightless as her and Mikey twirled around the sky, just the two of the them with the stars twinkling in the atmosphere and on her dress. She felt like a little girl thinking of her fairy tales, except this one was real. She had found happiness with somebody, and for some reason he really liked her too.
She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She carefully set aside her paint and brush before she reached into her pocket and answered it, surprised to see her Uncle's name flashing up at her. Curious as to what he was calling her about, she immediately answered and pushed the phone up to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Noelle? Hunny, it's me, Nick." His voice sounded shaky, and Noelle suddenly knew that something was wrong. "It's your grandma. She's not doing so good."
Noelle felt a cold dread curl up inside her chest, and several rocks dropped inside her stomach. Her mouth opened and shut, unsure if she could even speak. Chills ran up her spine and tears filled her eyes. She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp and try to catch her breath.
"Sweetheart, are you still there?"
She took a deep breath and hastily wiped away a fallen tear. "I'm here," she managed to reply in an unwavering voice. "Where is she?"
"She's at home. She doesn't want to leave her art room. She refuses to, and I can't just take that from her. I can't. This isn't right; Savannah should be here."
"I know, I know." Noelle felt a deep strength emerge from within herself as she attempted to console her uncle while keeping herself intact. Her legs shook, but her voice did not. "I am on my way."
"Please...hurry."
The line went dead with a click, and Noelle wasted no time in readying herself to leave. She quickly stuck her phone into her pocket, grabbed her coat, and bolted out of the room after turning the light off, not even bothering to put her paint away. There were more important things to worry about, and she had to move as fast as possible.
She ran down the hallway and up the stairs to Mikey's room, where she knocked feverishly. He flung open the door, and when he saw the look on her face he immediately stepped forward and grabbed her hands. "Noelle? What's wrong?"
"It's grandma. Uncle Nick just called and she-she's not doing good. I'm going to the house to see her."
Nothing else needed to be said. He pulled her by the hand down the stairs and rushed over to the dojo, where Splinter and Leo were meditating.
"Noelle's grandma is really sick. I'm running her over to the house. I don't think it's going to be good, guys."
No questions were asked. They both nodded their heads and Mikey sprinted back to Noelle where he lifted her onto his back and wasted no time in speeding off into the sewers. She held onto him tightly, trying not to cry as he took her closer and closer to her grandma. He didn't say a word to her except for "hang on", as if he knew she would have a hard time speaking, or that her mind was racing a thousand miles in different directions. She wasn't sure she could respond if he even talked to her, and was just beyond grateful that he seemed to understand that.
They arrived at the street soon, so she climbed off, still wordless as he climbed up to push the cover off and help her onto the street. She took his hands, and he didn't let go, not even when her feet were on the surface. He just nodded and walked her across the street, seemingly uncaring if anybody saw him. Noelle was more important to him than the reactions of a random human being, and he wasn't going to let it stop him from being at her side.
Fortunately, no cars turned down the street, nor were there any humans out. When they went to the front door and he still didn't let go of her hand, she turned to glance at him in confusion. "Mikey?"
"I'm with you in this all the way. I don't care what they think. You need me," was all he said as he gripped her hand. "It's okay."
She wanted to kiss him and thank him, to crumble on the ground and cry in gratitude that he was sacrificing his very existence just to support her and her grandmother. It was almost too much, so she just gripped his hand and brought his knuckles to her lips, forgetting the timid attitude she'd always had, and kissed his skin, his grip on her fingers increasing after her mouth pressed against his skin. She appreciated his support so much, and she wanted him to know that.
When the door opened, it was by her aunt, whose eyes were clouded with tears. "Noelle. I-..." Her mouth moved wordlessly as she took in the appearance of Mikey, her eyes widened in fear and hand clenched over the doorknob until her knuckles were white. "The-that's..."
"My best friend," Noelle stated, her voice kind and gentle. She felt Mikey's fingers squeeze over her own, whatever timid nature that usually resided in her disappearing within an instant. "Grandma has already met him. He and his brothers helped me out when I was so lost, and he is coming with me to see grandma."
Melanie stepped to the side, her eyes not once leaving Mikey as she watched her niece enter into her house with a humanoid turtle, unsure of what she could even possibly say. She simply stood there with the door open, lips still parted like a dying fish before she managed to close the door.
Ella sat in the living room with her face pressed into her hands, Nick sitting beside her with an arm wrapped around her shaking form. They both lifted their heads when Mikey and Noelle walked into the living room, mixed expressions crossing their faces at the sight of a standing turtle inside their home. Just in case they would overreact, Noelle protectively stood in front of Mikey and held their hands out together to show that he meant no harm, and that he was her friend.
Nick rubbed the back of his head while Ella's mouth dropped open before spreading out into a smile. "Wow! Grandma was telling the truth!"
"I've gotta admit...I thought for sure my mother had lost her mind," Nick admitted as he and his daughter stood up. He stepped forward and extended a hand out. "I'm Nick, Noelle's Uncle. What is your name?"
Mikey seemed rather surprised but pleased at the calm reaction Noelle's family was exhibiting toward him. He let go of Noelle's hand and took her uncle's in a firm handshake, a large grin spread on his face. "Mikey! Nice to meet you, dude!"
"I'm Ella!" Noelle's cousin enthusiastically exclaimed, her sadness temporarily forgotten as she practically bounced on her feet to meet the strange creature. To her pleasure, Mikey held out his hand for her to slap her palm against, a chuckle escaping from both of them, causing Noelle to smile and her heart to melt. She was so relieved that her family was being so accepting of Mikey, and was certain they would welcome the rest of her new family too.
"Mikey and his family are the ones who rescued me and are helping me find mom," Noelle explained. "They saved my life. It's important their existence be kept a secret though, because other people are after them and many humans wouldn't be so understanding of their appearance."
"We won't say a word." Melanie was the one who spoke this time, as she had finally left the door to join her family. "It's the least we can do after you've taken such good care of Noelle."
Noelle blushed as Mikey wrapped an arm around her waist and gave a thumbs up. "Of course! She's my girl, after all! And besides, she's our family too! We'd do anything for her!"
"I can see that," Nick replied with a smile before his eyes turned sad and he turned his head towards the back room, the atmosphere suddenly becoming morose as the real reason for Noelle's visit was made clear. "She's in her room if you would like to go see her. Just...be prepared, okay?"
Noelle didn't ask what he meant by that, only nodded her head as her stomach felt upset again and her heart grew sad. Mikey took her hand, and they slowly walked to the back room, her family member's eyes watching the both of them as they ambled down the hallway before they came to the doorway and hesitantly walked through.
The sight was heartbreaking.
[Buffy the Vampire Slayer-Remembering Jenny]
Sandra lay in a bed, her head tilted toward the windows and skin pale. There was a far off look in her eyes, as if she was caught in a day dream, and maybe she was, and Noelle found herself not wanting to interrupt that if it was bringing her grandmother peace. She wanted to know what had caused this; when had her grandma who had seemed so strong and healthy gotten sick? She felt a knot climb up in her throat, but she swallowed to try and keep it down as she attempted to fight back the tears that flooded her eyes. She needed to be strong now, not cry and make things worse.
The floor creaked beneath her feet, and Sandra's head slowly turned over to see that her granddaughter had walked in. She smiled when she saw Noelle and Mikey together, and held out her hand for the blonde to take. "I'm so happy you two found each other again."
Noelle took the older woman's hand and tried not to cry as cold fingers wrapped around her own. "Thank you grandma. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to see you sooner."
"I'm just glad...that you're okay hunny." Sandra smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes crinkling up.
The window in the room suddenly slid up, and in climbed Donnie, Raph, and Leo. They had somber looks on their faces as they took in the situation, and stood in the back to show their support but to give Noelle and her grandma some privacy. Noelle smile gratefully at them, and they nodded their heads back mutely.
"Mikey's brothers are here, grandma," Noelle told Sandra in a gentle voice as she rubbed the woman's fingers, as if willing some warmth to come back. "They're here to see you."
"Oh, that's so nice." Sandra still smiled, but she didn't turn her head to greet the others. "They're such good people. I'm glad you...have such wonderful friends."
There was silence for a moment before Sandra took a deep breath and gazed up into Noelle's face. "I want you to remember something...your mommy and dad love you. I love you. And I want you...to never...stop believing in the magic...of art. The world is full of wonder...always look for the beauty in what you see. Can you promise...me that?"
Sandra's voice was so weak that Noelle couldn't help the tears that slid down her face. "I promise grandma. I love you too."
And then Sandra was staring at her, her eyes blank and mouth slightly parted open. She wasn't blinking, and there wasn't any sound coming from her mouth. A chill ran up Noelle's spine as her eyes widened in realization and horror. "Grandma?" She squeezed Sandra's wrist, praying for some sort of beat against her fingertips, but there was nothing.
Her grandma was gone.
[+]
[Click-The Hospital Scene]
Noelle slowly lowered Sandra's hand, the world around her fading away into nothingness except for the old woman who stared blankly at her on the bed. It was as if time literally stopped, and for a moment she thought her heart would cease to stop beating as well. Her stomach twisted and turned as her breath caught in her throat, and the room around her seemed to shrink as she felt all eyes fall on her. Her skin grew hot and her insides felt cold. It was like she had stepped into a nightmare; the corners of her vision were turning black.
Slowly she began to step away, her eyes not once leaving the dull blue ones that just focused ahead, and suddenly, she needed to get away because she was about to scream.
Mikey stepped forward, his eyes filled with tears at the depressing sight. "Noelle?"
She bolted. She ran through the house and out the front door without a word, ignoring her name being called by her family as she ran right onto the sidewalk and down the street. Mikey was about to go after her when he felt Leo grab his arm.
"Mikey, you can't! People will see you!"
"I don't care! She needs me!" the youngest turtle snapped as he shrugged his older brother off and dashed out of the house after her.
Noelle turned the corner, wheezing and gasping for breath as she sprinted into the neighborhood park. She stumbled and kept going until she managed to reach the jungle gym, where she fell onto her face and cried out. She shook and crawled so she was beneath the slide and out of view, still on her hands and knees as she gazed down at the ground and felt the tears dropping out of her eyes. Her body violently shook as her heart literally felt like it was breaking. She thought she was dying as the knot returned in her throat, preventing her from breathing.
"No," she whispered, "no no no no no..."
Strong arms suddenly wrapped around her, and then she was crying out and trying to scream as her face was pressed against a sturdy surface, her body trembling as she felt herself trying to escape and get away, otherwise she was going to suffocate.
"Noelle! It's me! I'm here! Shhh...I've got you."
"I...breathe. I c-can't breathe!" Panic took over her as she fought for breath.
"Shhhh..take a deep breath. It's okay babygirl. Shhh." Mikey placed his hand over her heart and began rocking her back and forth as he kissed her forehead. "You're safe. I'm got you."
Noelle took several deep shaky breaths until she could breathe normally again, but tears were falling down her face. "Grandma is gone. She's all gone."
"She's in a better place, watching you now." Mikey continued rocking her, his heart breaking for the distressed girl in his arms. "She loved you so much, and she is so proud of you."
Noelle fell apart. She cried hysterically like someone whose heart had been ripped in half, her shoulders shaking and face buried against Mikey's plastron.
"It's alright baby. Let it all out," he soothed as his own tears fell, completely heartbroken over her pain. So they sat beneath the slide, unnoticed by anybody who was enjoying their New Years day, and completely oblivious to the mournful cries of a despairing girl.
[+]
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April stayed over again that night, completely saddened by her friend's loss and willing to do anything she could to comfort Noelle. Donnie had called her as soon as he and his brothers had offered their condolences and left the family to grieve in private before returning to the lair. Mikey and Noelle had returned about an hour later, the blonde's eyes red and puffy. She'd silently gone to her bedroom, bursting into tears once more as soon as April had entered.
The cheer that Mikey usually possessed was absent as he paced around the den, not even distracted by the cheesy humor of Super Robo Mecha Force Five that played on the TV as background noise. Leo sat on the couch, but he wasn't really watching the show, his eyes having a far off look in them. All of the boys were affected in some way, as they'd watched another human being die. Splinter understood the shock of that, and so he'd cancelled training for the rest of the day to let his boys process their thoughts and emotions of what they'd witnessed. Death wasn't an easy thing to deal with, and the fact that one of their own had lost somebody so close and personal was taking a toll on all of them. Even he felt dismal about Noelle's loss, and wished that he could offer comforting words to her, but he understood that she would only seek him out when she was ready. Until then, she needed her space.
April brought Noelle her food and water the rest of the day, doing whatever she could to make her grieving friend feel better. The redhead would occasionally bump into Mikey in the kitchen, where he sat silently at the table across from Donnie or Raph, and she would update them on how the blonde was feeling.
"She's tired and sad," April would say. "Hopefully she gets a lot of sleep tonight. She's going to need it."
"Can you please just tell her I'm here if she needs me?" Mikey asked, his eyes widened and sad. "I wish I could help her."
"She knows," April replied as she patted the worried terrapin's shoulder with a small smile, and then she returned to the bedroom.
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The day of the funeral finally arrived, and both Casey and April showed up. Noelle sat silently in the front row in her black dress, her hair pulled up into a braided bun and eyes cast down while her hands lay folded in her lap. She was pale and had the look of somebody who had lost their soul, like an empty shell that had been forced into a sitting position.
Casey had done his best to look presentable, even going so far as to borrow a tie from April's dad and comb his hair back. April wore black pants and a white blouse, her hair hanging over her shoulders as she strolled through the room to find her friend. When she saw the blonde slumped over in a defeated stance, she hurriedly walked over and kneeled in front of her.
"Noelle? Are you okay?" She kept her voice soft and gentle. Casey's eyes saddened when he saw how mournful his friend was. He wanted to say something, but was unsure of what. He wasn't exactly the best at comforting, and worried he would say the wrong thing.
Noelle lifted her head, and a tear slid down her cheek. "I can't stop crying," she shakily answered. "I'm trying to stop and I can't. I want to be strong but it's so hard and I just really wish Mikey and the others could be here too." She covered her face with her hands and lowered her head. "I wish grandma was here."
"I know you do." April took the seat next to her and rubbed her back. "But you are so strong, and she is so proud of you. We all are. I am, Casey is, and so is Mikey and Master Splinter and everybody else. We all care about you so much, and I want you to know that you are not alone. You will never ever be alone, okay? We love you."
"That's right, Blondie." Feeling guilty as just standing there and watching, Casey took the other seat beside here and gently nudged Noelle in the shoulder. "Besides, Casey Jones always has his friends' back. You know that."
Noelle rubbed her eyes and nodded, a small smile on her face. "I know. Thank you both. This is just so hard. She was somebody I looked up to, and now she's gone." More tears slid down her cheek as she looked at the lifeless figure in the casket, the body looking unfamiliar to her. Her grandma had been happy and full of life and passion; this...body was pale and rigid and didn't even have a paintbrush. It wasn't right.
"April? Is that you hunny?" Melanie walked over in her black dress, her dark brown hair curled and held back by a clip. Ella stood beside her in a deep violet dress, her eyes sad, but she seemed happy to see April.
"Hello. I am so sorry for your loss." April stood up and the two girls embraced. Noelle also stood up and placed hand on Casey's shoulder. "Aunt Melanie, this is my friend Casey Jones. He's also been very helpful to me. He is the only other human friend who knows about the turtles."
"Nice to meet you Casey," Melanie greeted as she pulled apart from April and extended a handed. Casey shook it and nodded politely. "The funeral is going to start in a few minutes. Will you both be at the burial as well?"
April nodded. "Of course."
"Will the turtles be there too?" Ella asked. She had been completely taken back by the fact that there were talking turtles, and was hoping to see them again.
Noelle bit her lower lip. "I think it might be too dangerous for them to be out in public like that. I don't think so."
"Oh, okay." She seemed disappointed but understood.
Nick walked over from talking to a group of his coworkers and held out his hand from April to shake, which she did. "Thank you for coming and supporting us," he sincerely thanked. "This means a lot to us. It really does."
"Well Noelle is our family, and we'd do anything for her." April took Noelle's hand and squeezed it. "She means a lot to us."
Nick smiled. "I'm glad she's made such wonderful friends."
At that point, a middle-aged woman walked in and announced that the funeral would be starting. Casey and April took their seats in the second row while Noelle and her family remained in the front. Noelle bit her lower lip again and tried not to cry as the priest came up to the podium and spoke about being free and not being in pain any longer. He spoke of healing and Sandra's love for art, bringing memories to Noelle's mind as the words just flowed through her mind.
And then her moment arrived.
"Does anybody have anything to say?" the priest asked.
Noelle stood up and walked up to the podium. The only one who knew she was planning to speak was April, so when she looked around the room and saw surprised faces, she wasn't shocked. That was one of the reasons she had been in her room all day when her grandma died; she'd asked April for help in writing the speech. She'd decided to prove to her family that she had the strength to keep moving, even with her heart broken. The April, Casey, Splinter, and the turtles, especially Mikey, had given her the courage to speak her heart, and that was what she was going to do.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and swallowed the dryness away in her throat. "My name is Noelle, and I am Sandra's oldest granddaughter. I wish I had something wise and empowering to say, but the truth is that I don't. Up until this year, I've battled depression and bouts of anxiety, and my grandma was the one who helped rescue me during my neediest times when I felt like life had no hope for me at all." She looked up and saw her aunt and cousin looking surprised, and her uncle nodded with a sad smile. "My grandma was a painter, and a beautiful and gifted one at that. Her paintings always seemed to come to life and were full of so much spirit and hope. I wanted to be able to feel that too, so I asked her to teach me. I went up to her when I was very little and I said 'teach me grandma, teach me,' and she looked so happy and proud, and so she stopped what she was doing, handed me a paintbrush, and began teaching me." Noelle wiped away tears that slid out of her eyes. "It is because of her that I was able to escape my depression when it became unbearable, and with enough practice I was able to free my mind and creativity. I could feel alive again. She gave me freedom, and now she-she's gone." She sobbed and hastily wiped away the tear drops that fell down her cheeks. "I love you so much grandma. You were a beautiful woman who I loved so much. I'll miss our daily visits. You made me so happy. Thank you so, so much. I love you."
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The group stood before the freshly dug grave as the casket was slowly lowered in. Noelle stood in front, April's arm wrapped around her and Casey squeezing her arm. As the casket lowered deeper and deeper into the ground, Noelle felt her heart breaking, but at the same time, it was strengthening. She could survive this; she wasn't alone.
When the cover was sealed over the casket, the family began to walk away, leaving the grave yard men to finish the burial. Noelle took a deep breath and whispered goodbye. She had to keep going for her grandma's sake, and she had to prove to herself and her family that she was going to keep fighting.
When she turned around, her hands flew to her mouth to cover a sob. Four figures wearing and face masks stood at the back of the group, and she realized that to other people they might look shady, but she recognized them right away. She ran to the shortest one who stood in the middle and flung her arms around him, tears falling down her face as his arms encircled her back. The tallest figure put his hands on her shoulders, while the other two figures patted her on the back. She wanted to sink to the ground in happiness in relief because her other family had shown up.
Mikey lifted his head up and met the eyes of Nick, who nodded his head in approval. Mikey nodded his head back and buried his face in Noelle's shoulder as she sobbed against his neck. "Thank you so much," she whispered.
"We love you," Mikey replied as he rubbed her back and kissed the side of her head. When she pulled away from him and rubbed her eyes, he smiled at her through his mask. "Let's go home." She nodded, and together, all of them walked out of the cemetery and towards the nearest manhole cover so they could go back home. It was hard for Noelle to move forward, but she knew she wouldn't have to do it alone, and that gave her strength.
