Chapter 16
Raven gazed at the ocean as she stood on the porch, twirling a cigarette between her fingers, debating whether or not to light it. She wanted the boost it gave her and the reprieve from the cravings giving in would bring, but at the same time she wished to give up the bad habits she had for so long used as a crutch. It was early evening and Yang was preparing dinner, homemade pizza. Winter was relaxing on the couch, watching something on her tablet.
"Tomorrow's the anniversary of Summer's passing." Yang said, seemingly out of nowhere. Raven flinched at the name - Summer - and stopped playing with her cigarette. "I'd like to visit her grave again, maybe bring some flowers to leave there."
"I saw a florist downtown." Winter said. "We could stop in on our way to the ferry." Raven could not help but think of the funerals she had missed. Then the image of Summer tending her garden flashed in her mind. She was so...perfect…
"Maybe we could pick up some cleaning supplies too." Yang suggested. "It probably needs some tending." Raven imagined the headstone, overgrown with vines and detritus. The thought hurt and her hands began to shake. She clenched her fists to stop them, splitting the cigarette she still held.
"Of course." Winter said. "I'll read some articles on headstone maintenance."
The image of the neglected headstone stuck in Raven's mind. It was a physical manifestation of her sins, her crimes. The vines and mud covering it symbols of her neglect, her abandonment of responsibility. She began hyperventilating. She dropped the crushed cigarette and stumbled down the patio stairs to the sand of the beach. She hooked around the side of the house to a little hut and ducked inside. It contained a shower meant to be used to rinse off after swimming in the ocean or getting covered in sand from the beach, but for Raven it was an isolation chamber. She did not want anyone to see her like this, least of all Yang.
Raven reached into her pocket and fumbled around, finally extracting her phone. She brought up the contacts and tapped the first name on the list. "Hello Raven." Glynda answered.
"Glynda…" Raven whimpered.
"Raven?" Glynda said. "Are you alright?"
"N-no I...I can't face it Glynda." Raven struggled.
"Can't face what Raven?" Glynda asked.
"Yang and Winter...tomorrow they're going to visit Summer and Tai." Raven explained. "I didn't go to their funerals, I didn't say my goodbyes, I never visited them. I abandoned them forever. It hurts. It hurts so much. I hurt them so much. And it's too late to ask forgiveness." Raven choked a sob. "I deserve this."
"That's untrue Raven." Glynda said. "You don't deserve this. No one deserves this. It's never too late to ask for forgiveness, otherwise Yang wouldn't have let you in."
"I just want everything to be alright." Raven sobbed. "I want Summer, and Tai. They'd make everything happy again. I miss them so much. I want them back."
"Raven, listen to me." Glynda cut in.
"Glynda?" Raven gasped.
"You have to make peace with this part of you Raven." Glynda declared. "It's holding you back, causing you guilt, pain that can't be soothed."
"How?" Raven asked.
"You need to go to them." Glynda replied. "You need to say your goodbyes and make your apologies, with Yang at your side."
"I...I can't Glynda." Raven cried. "I'm so scared. What if Yang says no?"
"Yang won't deny you this." Raven assured her. "She wants to know that you're making an effort, that you're getting better, atoning. This is a big step for you, and for her. You can do this Raven."
"C-can you come with me?" Raven wept.
"What?" Glynda gasped.
"Please Glynda." Raven begged. "I need you. Please."
"Talk to Yang...talk to Yang and I'll go with you." Glynda sighed. Pyrrha was going to kill her for destroying her schedule, but this was an emergency.
"Promise?" Raven asked.
"Promise." Glynda confirmed.
Yang's return trip to Summer and Taiyang's grave was not as solemn as her last. She rode in the back of Glynda's sedan, chatting with Winter about this and that. Raven, the front passenger, took the role Yang had once held, sitting silent and tense, staring out the window at the sickeningly familiar scenery. By the time the car pulled to a stop in the cemetery, Raven was shaking. Glynda popped open the trunk, allowing Yang and Winter to grab the things they had purchased on the way - a beautiful arrangement of flowers and some cleaning supplies.
Yang and Winter walked the path to the grave, Glynda and Raven a few steps behind. "Huh?" Yang gasped as she spotted the stone. The last time she had visited the headstone had been filthy and overgrown with vines, but now it was clean and shiny, as perfect as the sad day she had first laid eyes upon it. Yang dropped the cleaning supplies and rushed forward, pulling up a few steps short. She covered her mouth with her hand as tears began to stream down her face.
Summer Rose
Loving wife and mother, taken from us too soon.
Taiyang Xiao-Long
Loving husband and father, dedicated to those he loved.
Ruby Rose
Loving daughter and sister, a light forever shining against the darkness.
Yang dropped to her knees sobbing. She ran her hand over the freshly carved letters. Here was Ruby's place, finally. Winter walked up and laid a hand on Yang's shoulder. Yang looked up at her, tears in her eyes, before turning and hugging her around the waist. Yang tried to say something but her sobs made it unintelligible. She pulled back and smiled, drawing a hand across her face to wipe away the tears. Winter crouched down to kiss her.
"I love you." Yang finally managed.
"And I love you." Winter said before walking away to give Yang some privacy. Glynda and Raven looked on, Raven's eyes redder than usual and her face stained by tears. "You should go to her." Winter said to Raven.
"Won't I be intruding?" Raven asked.
"No, she's in a good mood." Winter replied. "Now's the time."
Raven looked to Glynda. Glynda smiled at her and placed a hand on her back. Raven's doubts melted away. She took a deep breath and slowly strode forward until she drew even with Yang. Yang noticed Raven but did not look away from the stone. "I never gave her a burial." She sighed. "Couldn't afford it. It always hurt to think about...God I miss her so much."
Raven knelt beside her daughter, hands folded in her lap. As she stared at the names engraved on the stone emotions flooded her - love, guilt, sorrow, fear and many more. They were the emotions she had tried to escape, the ones she now embraced.
"I...I wish I could have met her." Raven said. "If I had just...If I had forced myself to stop...running...to face it...I could have at least said goodbye. I'm sorry...so sorry." Raven curled in on herself, arms wrapped around her stomach, head bowed, and sobbed. "I'm sorry Summer, Tai, forgive me. I never meant for this to happen. I just wanted you to be happy, and I fucked it up, and and I'm sorry. I didn't want this...to…" Raven trailed off as her sobbing intensified, choking off her ability to speak. She gasped as a strong arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her close. Yang put her head on Raven's shoulder, and the mother uncurled into her daughter's embrace. "I'm sorry Yang. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'm so…"
"I know Raven, I know." Yang said, stroking her mother's hair. "But you're back now. We can make this right."
"Thank you." Raven wept. The pair knelt side-by-side for a time, mourning their lost family, Yang consoling Raven, Raven consoling Yang. Winter and Glynda watched from a distance, both smiling. Winter sniffled, drawing Glynda's gaze. Glynda looked over but Winter was just lost in thought, happy thought judging by the look in her eyes.
Winter treated the group to dinner before Glynda dropped Winter, Yang and Raven off at the house. "Thanks Glynda." Raven said. "For everything." Glynda waved and Raven waved back before ducking into the house. Yang and Winter said their farewells and by the time they got inside, Raven was snoring on the couch, having fallen asleep as soon as she flopped down.
"She even snores like you." Winter giggled.
"I don't snore!" Yang said with a defiant whisper. "Do I?"
"Not most of the time." Winter admitted. "But you have your moments."
"You should hear a recording of your snoring." Yang teased. "You don't do it often but when you get going...like sawing wood."
"I'm well aware of that particular failing." Winter said. "Weiss complained about it often."
"Well, I think it's time to do some snoring." Yang yawned. "I'm exhausted."
"I wouldn't mind going to bed early." Winter said. "That trip is exhausting, and not just physically."
"Tell me about it." Yang sighed.
Winter and Yang got changed into their nightclothes and got into bed. Unlike Raven they did not immediately fall asleep. Winter tried, but noticed Yang staring at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought. "Yang." Winter said. Yang slowly turned her head to face Winter. "What's on your mind?"
"Oh...I was just thinking about Ruby." Yang said. "Wherever she is, I'm sure she appreciates what you did for her. And if she was still around...I'm sure she'd love you for all you've done for me."
"And Weiss would love you for the same reason." Winter said. "She was always encouraging me to go out and meet someone who would make me happy, but I was too wrapped up in my work and…"
"You know, you've never even shown me a picture of Weiss." Yang cut in.
"I know." Winter sighed. "It's just...painful to look at old pictures of her. I know it's not fair, you've shown me so much of Ruby…"
"I don't mind." Yang shrugged. "You will when you're ready."
"I think...I think I'm ready now." Winter said. She reached over and pulled her phone off the dock on the nightstand. She tapped and swiped for a few seconds, then handed it to Yang. The picture on the screen showed a short, skinny girl with her hair in a long white ponytail. She was smiling, her blue eyes shining, the picture snapped at the very moment she released a snowball heading toward whoever was holding the camera. "Weiss at her happiest."
"She's beautiful." Yang said. "I never would have imagined you getting into a snowball fight."
"She encouraged me to cut loose." Winter said. "It was nice, though I didn't appreciate the surprise attacks."
"Do you mind if I look at some other pictures too?" Yang asked.
"Go ahead." Winter replied. "They all tell stories." Indeed they did. As Yang flicked her finger across the screen, revealing each new photo, Winter launched into a tale about her sister and their relationship. "If only I took more pictures." Winter sighed as Yang reached the final one.
"I wish I had more pictures of Ruby too." Yang said. She grabbed her own phone off her nightstand and began showing photos to Winter. The first was a group photo. Ruby was in the center, surrounded by others about her age. "This is one of the pictures she sent me when she was away at university. That's her group of friends." She quickly swiped through more photos, though none featured Ruby, except in small glimpses at the edge of the screen. "She stopped taking selfies after that, one of her artsy phases I guess. She only had that one year but...at least she had fun."
With a few more swipes came another picture of Ruby. This time she was in the center of the frame, smiling weakly at the camera, large bags in both her hands. Her skin was pale there were dark circles under her eyes. "Is that…" Winter started.
"That's the day I picked her up at the ferry." Yang explained. "She was so exhausted. I figured it was from the schoolwork and the trip, but I guess she was already sick. There wasn't much happy time left after that...but we had some fun." Yang swiped through a few more photos of Ruby and herself, all smiling and happy. Then came one with Ruby in a hospital bed and Yang quickly clicked her phone off and set it aside. "You get the idea. No sense showing the rest. It would be like you showing me pictures of your sister's accident."
"I...I'm sorry...I…" Winter struggled.
"Don't worry about it." Yang sighed. "There were still some good times in there. For all the suffering she went through, at the end she still had a smile on her face. It might have been fake, a show to make me feel better, but it still meant the world to me. If she's watching us now...I'm sure she's still smiling."
"Maybe she's friends with Weiss, wherever they are." Winter suggested wistfully.
"Friends with benefits I hope." Yang laughed.
The next group meeting was fairly uneventful. Yang mentioned Winter's generosity and Winter showed some pictures of Weiss to the others, but that was about it before the group broke down for the freeform portion. True to form, Nora rushed to Sun to discuss video games, but this time Pyrrha tried to keep up. She had taken to watching Nora when she played, but still mostly lacked an understanding of what she was seeing. Yang was tempted to join the conversation but Winter headed for Blake and Velvet, and Yang followed.
"Blake, Velvet." Winter said. "Do you have a moment?"
"Sure." Blake shrugged. "What's up?"
"I'd like to meet with the two of you in private." Winter replied. "I have a business proposition for you."
"Hey, maybe I should join." Yang cut in. "I have a different sort of proposition for you."
"How's Sunday night?" Velvet asked, ignoring Yang. "We're both free."
"That's perfect." Winter agreed. "I'll stop by your apartment around seven."
"Can I come too?" Yang asked.
"It's basically going to be a business meeting so…" Winter started.
"Boring!" Yang cut her off. "I'll go do something fun." Yang split off and approached the trio discussing video games. "Hey guys!" She cheered, putting her arms around Nora and Pyrrha, slipping between them. She planted a kiss on Nora's cheek which somehow made Pyrrha blush instead. "How about we all go to Nora's house Sunday for some good, old fashioned couch co-op?"
"I'm down." Sun said.
"Sweet!" Nora exclaimed. "This'll be awesome!"
"I think it's a lovely idea." Pyrrha added. "Can I play too?"
"Of course." Yang said. "Hear that Winter? Some of us are going to have fun Sunday night!"
"Keep this up and none of your nights will be very fun." Winter threatened.
"You can't resist my charms." Yang challenged.
"Maybe not, but Raven's pretty charming too." Winter taunted.
"Oh for the...fine, I'll behave." Yang sighed. "Damn sexy, flirty mom."
"So what's this about Winter?" Blake asked.
"I'm quite curious as well." Velvet added.
Winter took a sip of coffee. She had brought some for the trio, along with a box of donuts, classic business meeting etiquette. "As I've said to everyone, I'm making some major changes in my life." Winter explained. "One of those changes is leaving my old job. I have plenty of my own money, but I'm not sure it's enough. Even if it was, I don't think I could spend the rest of my life doing nothing."
"You could always do Yang." Blake deadpanned.
"Don't encourage me." Winter said.
"I don't see what this has to do with us." Velvet noted. "And why the two of us and not anyone else?"
"I plan to start a business." Winter said. "There are parts to play for almost everyone, but my plan hinges on the two of you and your unique skills."
"You mean my photography?" Velvet asked. "I hope that's what you mean. But I'm not…"
"I've seen your work." Winter cut her off. "I contacted some of your past employers to get a sample. You're incredible. The work you did with Coco was breathtaking."
"I think that was more Coco than me but…" Velvet sighed.
"Nonsense." Winter encouraged. "You're a professional-level photographer and it's about time you make a living from your passion."
"Well, if you think so." Velvet said.
"I do." Winter confirmed.
"What about me?" Blake asked. "Somehow I don't think being a librarian will tie in."
"You never know, but you're correct, that's not what I had in mind." Winter answered. "What interests me is your work with makeup. Every time I see you and Velvet your makeup is perfect. The work you did with Pyrrha was exceptional as well. Not only are you skilled in application, you seem to have a natural feel for what's needed."
"I'm not formally trained or anything." Blake admitted.
"That's surprising." Winter said. "Do you mind my asking where you learned?"
"Well, when I was in high school, and before...the unfortunate situation I fell into in college, I was really into musical theater." Blake explained.
"Musical theater?" Winter gasped. "Really?"
"Yeah, I was a theater nerd." Blake sighed. "Laugh away." Winter and Velvet just shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not the most expressive, so acting probably was never in the cards, but I figured I could do behind the scenes work. I was in the midst of a goth phase…"
"Shocking." Velvet laughed.
"...and I was already pretty good with my makeup." Blake continued. "I figured I could do that."
"Whatever the reasoning, you're the perfect person to fill the position." Winter declared. "The same goes for you Velvet. And if you'd like to take classes in your respective fields to polish your skills, I'll be happy to pay for them."
"What exactly would we be doing?" Velvet asked.
"It's not porn is it?" Blake asked.
"God no." Winter gasped, shaking her head.
"I don't mind if it is." Blake said. "Even if Velvet isn't exactly up for that sort of thing."
"With Yang involved we could make a fortune…" Velvet suggested.
"It's not porn!" Winter shouted.