Epilogue
The sun barely peeked out between the thick heavy gray clouds, and with the distant rumble of thunder there was the promise of rain. It seemed appropriate. This wasn't the day that the sun should shine. It should be dark and gloomy on a day like this. Samuel turned away from the window and walked over to his mirror, his shaking fingers fumbling with his tie again, fumbling on the silk and he growled in his frustration before jerking the tie off from around his collar.
The last few days had been hard on all of them, he'd never seen his parents so broken before. He'd never seen his dad even cry before. But he had when they'd received the phone call from the New York Police Department telling them that Elizabeth and… and Akemi were dead. Samuel hadn't even known Elizabeth was pregnant, and from the stunned looks on his parents' faces, they hadn't either. Why hadn't Elizabeth called them? Why hadn't she come home when she'd discovered that Graham wasn't the man she'd married.
It was true that Elizabeth had had a big fight with their father when she told them she wanted to move to the city to become a fashion designer. Her father hadn't wanted her to go, he'd wanted her to stay nearby. But Elizabeth had always been very strongly willed, going after her dreams, despite the misgivings of others. She'd done it for as long as Samuel could remember during their childhood and teenage years. And had only gotten more stubborn and headstrong as she slipped into her adult years. Elizabeth hadn't been in the city very long when she called to announce her engagement to Graham. She was so excited, her voice so bubbly and enthusiastic. She couldn't wait for them to meet him.
Samuel hadn't liked him. There was something shifty about him, something that rubbed him the wrong way despite Graham being very polite and seeming friendly enough. Samuel hadn't know what it was at first but his misgivings had grown as the wedding had gotten closer and closer. Graham had insisted on getting married in the city. Samuel and his parents had driven into the city for the ceremony, had watched as the couple had exchanged vows and then driven away, Elizabeth beaming and waving out the window, her eyes shining with excitement as they disappeared.
But after the wedding something had changed in his sister. She hadn't returned his phone calls, and when she had she'd claimed to have never gotten the messages. She could never talk long and though she promised to come home to visit she never did. Samuel had gone to her place in the city to visit her a couple times but no one had ever seemed to be home. Samuel had seen that his parents too were worried about Elizabeth and had tried reaching her themselves, but like his attempts they had rarely been successful in reaching her.
Elizabeth had become withdrawn and Graham never seemed to take much effort to try and arrange family gatherings, in fact he appeared not to be interested in having them be a part of his or Elizabeth's life at all.
And over the last seven and a half months Elizabeth had seemed to disappear completely off the map, much to Samuel's concern. He had planned on making a trip to the city again soon, to try and find her – or find out what had happened to her, but with some unexpected complications that had turned up at work it had put his trip on hold. He wished he'd given the project to someone else, that he'd searched his sister out. Because if he had, she might still be alive.
When the New York Police Department had called the family had been sitting down to dinner after a long hard day of working the cattle. The herd was smaller so it was easier to maintain with just Samuel and his father but it always made for a long day and they were always exhausted by the time they came in for dinner. Samuel's mother had already had dinner made and waiting for them. After quickly saying grace and asking to watch over their family, including Elizabeth, the family had started in on the roasted chicken and garlic potatoes. But not five minutes later the phone had rung.
Samuel's father had been full of laughter, recalling the story of one calf that had really given Samuel a run for his money earlier and it was only with years of practice that Samuel had finally been able to corral the calf so it could be vaccinated and branded. Samuel had watched as the laughter had drained from his father's face, along with most of the color as the person on the other end of the line had spoken.
After his father had hung up the phone the night had been a blur, as had the days following that. The news had been devastating. Impossible to believe and yet unmistakably true. A few days later the story had made headlines, even in their small city, Elizabeth was well known here and Graham had been a big business man in New York. The coroner had told the reporters that Elizabeth had died of blunt trauma and a crushed windpipe and after a DNA test had indeed proved that Graham was the father of the baby her cause of death had been a broken neck. Samuel hadn't been interested in reading what the police had reported upon their findings to the apartment Elizabeth had been staying in. Nor of the trial that had been set up for Graham on whether or not he'd get the death penalty for two accounts of first degree murder. As far as Samuel was concerned Graham getting the chair was the easy way out for him. Too good for him.
He heard the creak of the loose floorboard outside his room, and his door squeaked a little as his father pushed the door open, bringing with him the smell of hay and leather. "Sammy? You ready?"
Samuel didn't even flinch at the hated nickname. He gripped the edge of the dresser, his knuckles white, glaring down at the stained wood.
"Sammy," his father's heavy shoes made the floorboards groan as he walked on them, making his way to his son. He turned Samuel towards him and grabbed his tie. Samuel felt the gentle tug of the tie being knotted and straightened at his collar.
"It's not fair," Samuel whispered.
"No, i-it isn't fair, Sammy," His father's voice cracked and Samuel felt his father's arms wrap around him in a tight hug. He allowed himself to be crushed to his father's chest in a firm embrace as several tears spilled down his cheeks. He could feel his father's muscles trembling through his jacket and hear the rasps of his father's sobs as they caught in his chest. Samuel felt tears of his own fall into his father's jacket as they shared this moment of grief together.
The coffins sat side by side, the flowers on top of them both failed to give them a cheery appearance but they were at least saved from the drizzling rain by the canopy that had been set up over them. The chairs were quickly filled, and all that was left was standing room behind them, black umbrellas keeping most of the funeral goers somewhat dry as the rain continued to pour down on them.
No one noticed the figure hanging back by the trees, his hands shoved in his trench coat, the strange hat he wore, or how he was careful to hid his face. He didn't join the mourners. Didn't move as they prayed asking the Lord to lift these souls into his arms and protect them forever. He watched quietly and listened.
Even now I remember all the empty spaces you filled with love.
Even now every corner of the world we shared is still filled with love.
Even now not a day goes by when I don't ache for you.
Through my tears I still hear your laughter. Even now.
"And as we say good bye to our daughter, our friend, and sister we know that we will one day see her again. That death is part of our maker's great plan. But death is not the end of all. The love she had for those who were fortunate enough to share her life with her will live on. And through that love she too will live on."
The dark figure hidden in the shadows of the trees shifted, frowning. He watched as the preacher ended the ceremony and three figures stood up, shook hands with the preacher and stood next to the two coffins. The woman dabbed at her face with a Kleenex. She had Elizabeth's hair, the shape of their faces and mouths had been the same. The older man kept one arm wrapped around the woman, accepting the handshakes and hugs the other mourners offered him. He seemed to be keeping it together better than the woman was, though from the slight tremble in his shoulders, he was just putting on a show for others. The boy, no older than his mid twenties wasn't as stoic, his eyes were puffy, his nose pink from the times he'd had to wipe it. Even now he dabbed almost constantly at his eyes. His hair was darker like his fathers, but he was tall and slim, not widely built like his father. He took shook hands and accepted the hugs from these people, nodding his thanks when they told him how sorry they were for his loss.
The dark figure by the trees looked away from the small family that was now missing two of its members. The two white caskets sat side by side, the smaller of the two sitting in front of the bigger one. A few people deposited more flowers on the caskets as they passed. Someone even put a little teddy bear on the smaller casket.
The dark figure watched as the last of the mourners walked away. The three remaining family members lingered for several minutes, saying their goodbyes before they turned and slowly left the graveyard as well, climbing into a rusty pick up and driving away. Still the figure waited, wanting to make sure everyone was gone before he walked forward.
After almost ten minutes the figure finally emerged from the trees and walked over to where the caskets sat side by side. If he was aware he was being watched, he didn't show it.
Stars still shine when they're gone, hearts that break still beat on.
Letting go's the hardest thing to do, 'cause all those feelings start
And time can't change my heart, it all leads back to you
Raphael slowly pulled his hands from his trench coat pockets, touching the bigger of the two coffins, his tears hidden beneath the brim of his hat. He bowed his head forward, closing his eyes and a couple more tears squeezed out from underneath his eyelids. He knew it had been risky coming here today, but he hadn't wanted to miss this – he couldn't miss Elizabeth's funeral. Reaching into his trench coat's inside pocket he withdrew two single red roses. He lay one on each casket, apart from the other flowers, the red roses standing out brilliantly against the white coffins.
Even now you are in my dreams and in my dreams you always will be
Even now you're the one true thing that brings my heart back home here to me
When I'm scared I can close my eyes you are there ever young
And somehow I can always find you even now.
The rose on Elizabeth's casket started to slip, Raph caught it before it could fall to the ground, rearranging it so it would stay where it was. Then without saying a word he turned and headed out of the cemetery. Ignoring the eyes that watched him from the shadows.
From all the memories kept inside
To all the dreams we knew the rush of you
Will always be a part of me.
Leonardo watched his brother walk away from the two caskets, his head once again tucked low inside his trench coat, and his hands shoved into the pockets. Leo watched as his brother hopped over the distant fence and disappeared. His own brown eyes strayed back to the two caskets. And at the two roses his brother had deposited on them. They rocked a little in the fierce wind, threatening to blow away - snatched away just as Elizabeth and Akemi had been.
"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth," he said quietly. A tear of his own wetting his mask.
As he watched something seemed to shimmer near the caskets for the briefest of moments. With a gust of wind the rain began to pour down harder. Leo blinked, the shimmer was gone. But as he turned away he could've sworn he heard the slightest sound of a familiar laugh, and the scent of jasmine and strawberries on the wind.
Even now you are in my dreams and in my dreams you always will be
Even now you're the one true thing that brings my heart back home here to me
Even now in my darkest night still you shine silver light
So I fall through forever and with you even now.
A/N: I know that this isn't a happy ending for this story, and usually I aim for happy endings. But the reason I wrote this story the way I did was because like Elizabeth so many people are in abusive situations and not all of them are able to get out in time. I wrote this story for those women. And at the time I started this story I too was trapped in a marriage that was turning scary but I was able to get out before it was too late. I knew from the get go that this would always be the epilogue, that it would end with Elizabeth and her daughter's funeral. But that didn't make it any easier to write once I got here. I really had a hard time doing what I did at the end of this story. And even considered writing an alternate ending to the story. I'd be willing to do that if I have enough people interested in me doing it. If not. We will leave it here and say goodbye until next time. I am taking a break from writing for a while - if I get enough people interested in an alternate ending I will be taking a break after I write that. I'm really struggling with so many things right now that writing is very hard for me most days. So I think taking a break will do me some good. I am not giving up on our favorite green boys. And I'll be back after I get some things sorted out. In the meantime thanks again for sticking with me, for supporting this story, and for those who take the time to review it. Have a great weekend guys.