Tomorrow is another day.
These were Scarlett's last thoughts before she ascended the stairs to go to sleep. She wanted to handle all the funeral preparations for Melly tomorrow because she was sure no one else would be in a condition to do that. Once again, everyone would be looking up to her.
She woke up the next day and was not feeling better than the previous day. She made sure to visit The Wilkes house to discuss the preparations for the funeral and send a telegram to bring Wade and Ella to Atlanta. She did not eat anything and retreated to bed. However, she could not sleep for a long time, and she had to take the help of her old friend, the brandy decanter.
She was a woman who lost everyone she loved, No not everyone; she still had two children whom she loved dearly. Wade and Ella would be arriving in a week.
She spent the next week without any emotions, like a puppet on a show that was being dragged around and controlled by another. She was busy with funeral preparations. She only did what she was supposed to do for Melly's sake.
It was a sad picture she saw in the mirror every day.
Emotionless eyes.
Pale skin.
What she saw was a broken woman.
She felt she had seen this face before, many times but could not remember where. She did not know that she looked exactly like her mother did.
On the day of Melly's funeral, eight days after she died, it rained heavily, which suited Scarlett's mood. She did not weep in front of anyone at the cemetery. She did not want to show her grief to them. Her job was done once Melly was lowered to the ground.
When she heard the coffin hit the ground, she felt numb. She remembered the words of Grandma Fontaine.
"Just remember, Scarlett, as long as you do not hear that sound, folks are not actually dead to you. But once you hear it...Well, it is the most dreadfully final sound in the world."
She did not acknowledge anyone and just left to go home on foot. She did not even think much before climbing the stairs to her bedroom, pouring brandy into a glass, and swallowing it quickly. She felt numb before closing her eyes and drifting off to the land of nod.