Chapter 4:
Elizabeth's funeral was only a week later. "You can do it." Encouraged Isabelle. But Alaska shook her head, tears falling freely from her eyes. Alaska was meant to speak in front of everyone at her mother's funeral, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"It's alright. You don't have to." Jace said. He seemed to be the only one that could comfort Alaska. She didn't know if it was because he could relate or for some other unknown reason, but it worked.
"No, I want to." Jace and Alec helped her up the steps to the small platform. Alaska stood frozen in front of everyone she's ever known. She didn't see a color besides white in the crowd, besides hair of course.
"Um. Hello." She said awkwardly, blinking away the tears. "When I was little, my mother and I played a game before I went to sleep. The rules were simple. We would take turns saying that we loved each other more than something. For example, she would say, 'I love you more than a soccer ball.' And then it was my turn. It was my task to return the sentiment by saying that I loved her more than something larger than a soccer ball. 'I love you more than the kitchen table.' And so on. We would continue in this vein until the game was over by default with someone saying the magic words, 'Well, I love you more than infinity!' When the game was over, we'd kiss goodnight, and I would sleep.
"What I didn't realize at the time was that my mother was teaching me more then just shapes and sizes and how to use my imagination. The game was about learning to comprehend the magnitude of my mother's feelings for me as much as it was about being together and laughing about the goofy things we came up with—'I love you more than a tennis racket.' 'Well, then I love you more than a gorilla.' And so forth."
Alaska looked for emotion in someone's eyes as she looked over the crowd. Did anyone really care? Were they just here for the food? Then it occurred to her that they were shadowhunters. They were built to be tough and strong. She looked at them one more time before adding what she thought was necessary to the speech.
"She could always comfort me. She always knew what to say. When I asked why all the other girls had had a dad and I didn't she would simply say that my father was brave. That he was a strong man and it didn't it didn't matter that I didn't have him anymore that he lives through me and everything I do.
"I'm here today to say that my mum lives through me as well now. That everything I do will be for her and her memory. And that there is no one else in the world that I love or will ever love as much as I love her. Because I love her more than infinity."
Jace almost clapped. It was a beautiful speech and everyone bowed their heads in respect for Elizabeth, who Alaska knew would watch over her in whatever she did. "That was beautiful." Said Maryse as Alaska walked down the steps.
Tears were slowly cascading down Alaska's face, but she seemed happy. Not because her mother was dead, but because she was at peace. Elizabeth was hopefully at the other end with her husband, waiting for Alaska to join them. At the right time.
"I don't like the idea of being cremated." Said Alaska that day as she watched her mother, wrapped in white cloth being burned. The woman she's looked up to since the moment she was born. The one who kissed the minor injuries she got while playing. The one who she loved more than a kitchen table.
"Why not? You serve the Clave, even in death." Said Alec. Alaska rolled her eyes. "What if I don't want to serve the Clave? What if I do enough while living?"
"Isn't nice to know your body isn't going to waste?" asked Isabelle. Alaska shook her head. "If you were buried you'd help the environment. Besides," said Alaska. "I like the idea of people having a place to come to visit you. To lay flowers."
"Flowers die." Said Jace. Alaska's gaze moved to Jace. "Jews place rocks over gravestones. For that exact reason. They are natural, and eternal. The only thing that can keep them away is if something moves it."
"That would be nice." Said Isabelle. "Look, now you're brainwashing my sister." Said Alec, covering Izzy's ears. Alaska chuckled lightly. "I'm just stating my opinion. Izzy can think what she wants."
"I'm sorry to rush you Alaska. But we have to head back to New York in a couple of hours. You need to pack." Incase you didn't get that, Alaska's going back to New York with the Lightwoods. "Alright." Maryse patted her on the shoulder before walking away. "Such a strong girl." Heard Alaska as Maryse left with her husband.
Alaska had no idea what she was supposed to pack. All of her stuff was destroyed in the fire. The only things that survived are a framed picture of her and her mother and some DVDs.
She also had her mother's stele that was in the pack pocket of her jeans when she died. Alaska uses it as her own now, even through she hasn't had much a chance to. "Leave her alone for a bit." She heard Alec mumble. Isabelle gave her a quick pat on the shoulder, just as her mother had done. Like mother, like daughter.
People used to tell Alaska that all the time. Not anymore. "You all right?" asked a petite woman. She had long brown hair and light blue eyes very similar to Alaska's. She was a family friend of Alaska's. She's known her since she was in diapers. Her mother even longer. "Yeah. I'm fine, Amatis."
"Your mother was a great woman. Brilliant, she was." Alaska nodded. "She was." Amatis smiled. "You remind me of her, you know?" That sentence is what really caught Alaska's attention. "Really?"
"Yeah. You might not think so, but your mum. She was quite a rebel back in her day." Alaska chuckled. A real laugh, she hadn't done that in days. "A real badass, she was. The only soft spot Eli had was your father." A smile arose on Alaska's face.
"And you. Once you came along, of course." Alaska loved to hear stories of when her mum and dad were younger. Amatis was usually the narrator, as her mum didn't want her to know the trouble she had caused as a youngster.
"I just want to know what caused it." She said finally. They stood facing the long river than ran along Alicante. Alaska was kicking rocks with her feet, not bothering to go and get them when she knocked them too far out of range.
"The fire?" Alaska nodded. "Your mom might have been cooking." Alaska shook her head. "My mum's clumsy, but not stupid. She knows how to cook and she knows how to do it properly. It would have never have gotten out of hand."
"I don't know what to tell you, sweetheart." Alaska couldn't help but think that there was someone behind it. Maybe she just wanted someone to blame? Maybe she was right? She had no idea, but she would find out.
"Just promise me one thing, Alaska."
"Yeah?"
"Try to have fun in New York. Leave all your worries here. Alright?" Alaska nodded. She would try, though she was nearly positive she wouldn't succeed.