Flutter - Chapter 3
Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than the others! Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Three ~ Griffin Reighner
Dahlia's funeral was two weeks after her death and Blake's birth. I didn't think I could attend, but I had to see her face just one last time. Maybe it'd be like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty and I just had to kiss her, so she'd wake up.
When I arrived at the funeral with Cody - he was driving because I was way too out of it - I wasn't really surprised that there was about a few hundred people. Everyone loved Dahlia. She was so likable. She had the bubbly personality that people couldn't help, but adore. Even people who claimed to hate her really didn't, because she was always laughing and trying to make people laugh. She was too good, too young to die so young.
I took in a shuddering breath. As soon as I stepped out of the car, Katrina hurled herself into my chest, sobs wracking violently through her body. I put my arms around her, gathering her close. I knew she was hurting, too, like me. She'd gone to school with Dahlia for a long time, ever since kindergarten, except they hadn't actually begun talking until middle school. They'd only become legitimate best girlfriends at the beginning of high school.
"I can't believe she's really gone, Griffin," Katrina cried, lifting her face from my chest and looking at me with the saddest pair of brown eyes. "Why'd God have to take her away?" She whimpered.
Tears brimmed my eyes. Damn, here I was thinking I was done crying. "I don't know," I whispered. "Guess he needed another angel," I said. If Dahlia was here, he'd laugh at my cheesiness, but it was true in this case. Dahlia was an angel, so beautiful and pure.
Katrina smiled through watery eyes. "You'd think she was sleeping if you saw her, Griffin. Maybe you should kiss her awake," she whispered.
I looked away and wiped my eyes. We all walked through the cemetery, through the crowds of people to the front. I bit my life as we neared the casket and a rebellious tear slid down my cheeks. When I looked at her form in the casket, I realized Katrina was right. Dahlia did look like she was sleeping. Her skin was pale, but she still looked as beautiful as ever, decorated with fresh, ruby-red roses. A fresh torrent of tears streamed down my cheeks.
Why Dahlia?
Streams of people kept walking by and dropping roses in her casket, enveloping Dahlia in a blanket of flowers. She looked like a princess, her lush blonde hair fanning around her heart-shaped face. I wished I could look into the endless pools of her blue eyes. Except, now I'd never be able to...
Shaking the depressing thoughts out of my head, I took a seat next to Mr. and Mrs. Shire. Moureen, Dahlia's mom was holding baby Blake in her arms. He was sleeping. He slept most of the time. I felt so connected to him. He was a complete duplicate of Dahlia, with her blonde hair and soft blue eyes. Being close to him made me feel like I was close to Dahlia.
When Moureen realized I was there, she looked up and smiled at me through watery eyes. I knew she saw Dahlia in Blake, too. Everyone did. She leaned over Zeb and gently placed Blake in my arms. I bit my lip as I stared down at him. If Dahlia was alive, she'd be cooing over this baby. She loved kids. I remembered talking to her about families and she'd told me she wanted three boys and one girl after she married. I'd always thought I'd be the one she'd have those children with. I was young, but I already knew I wanted to spend my life with her. I loved her so much.
Every single one of my dreams were crushed to pieces now.
Blake's eyes slowly flickered open and when he looked up at me, he smiled, his pink lips - so much Dahlia's - parting. He was so cute, so innocent and naïve...
Like Dahlia.
My eyes slid shut in pain. My body was trembling slightly. I felt so cold and alone. I held Blake tighter as his little hand reached out and touched my skin. I would never be able to get over this and move on. I'd never be able to feel for someone again because my heart, along with my capability to love had died with Dahlia. I would take Dahlia's place in that car any day. She had so much to live for, doting, loving parents, a little brother, best friends, a future at Harvard where she'd gotten an early acceptance. I was just an orphan boy. Why didn't God take me? Why'd He have to take the good one?
When I reopened my eyes, Blake was staring around the cemetery curiously. People constantly came up to us, offering their condolences. I didn't bother replying. Some on my ex-girlfriends came up to me, asking if I was okay. If I hadn't seen the sincerity on their faces, I would've thought they were just trying to manipulate me while I was most vulnerable.
I looked down at Blake again and just stared at him blankly for a few minutes. He felt like family. I had no blood family, since my parents didn't have siblings and my grandparents wanted nothing to do with me. I didn't know where they were or if they were even alive. Dahlia had been the closest thing to family I've ever had, other than Anya, who was my mother's best friend.
"Hey," I heard someone say and looked up to see David with red eyes looking down, staring at Blake.
I felt a sharp pang in my chest. David had no idea how lucky he was. He had Dahlia, he had gotten to hold her and kiss her before she'd gotten into that crash...
"Hey," I echoed. I heard how lifeless and dull my voice sounded.
David sat down beside me. That seat was reserved for Katrina, but she and Cody had probably just wandered off for a bit. Katrina was ultra-sensitive and emotional. Cody was probably comforting her right now.
"That's Dah -" He stopped, cleared his throat and tried again. "That's her brother, right?" He asked in a hoarse voice.
I nodded. "Meet Blake," I mumbled, quietly.
David stared at the baby who was nodding off again in my arms for a few seconds before looking at me. His eyes were moist. "Dahlia... Dahlia loved you, you know?" He croaked.
I nodded again.
"That night... she met me to tell me we weren't meant for each other. While we were together, I'd always thought she felt something for you, but I dismissed it." He cleared his throat again. "When she broke up with me, I just knew. She loves you. I know you love her, too," David said, looking away towards her casket, but his eyes were blank, like he was in another world altogether.
Nodding the third time, I finally voiced my thoughts, "Yeah, I do." My eyes closed. "So much."
"I'm sorry, Griffin," David said, rubbing at his eyes before standing up. Some people who had come up to me and apologized did that because it was just the right thing to do. I knew David meant it though.
I forced a smile on my face. It felt strained and it probably looked strained, too. "She's in a better place, now," I said softly, but I wished she was in my arms instead.
********************************************
Author's Note:
Song of the Week:
Runaway Love - Ludacris ft. Mary J. Blige.
It's a really old song, but I love it nonetheless. The video made me cry. It's too sad and so so true.
Comment, vote and tell your friends!
Dahlia's funeral was two weeks after her death and Blake's birth. I didn't think I could attend, but I had to see her face just one last time. Maybe it'd be like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty and I just had to kiss her, so she'd wake up.
When I arrived at the funeral with Cody - he was driving because I was way too out of it - I wasn't really surprised that there was about a few hundred people. Everyone loved Dahlia. She was so likable. She had the bubbly personality that people couldn't help, but adore. Even people who claimed to hate her really didn't, because she was always laughing and trying to make people laugh. She was too good, too young to die so young.
I took in a shuddering breath. As soon as I stepped out of the car, Katrina hurled herself into my chest, sobs wracking violently through her body. I put my arms around her, gathering her close. I knew she was hurting, too, like me. She'd gone to school with Dahlia for a long time, ever since kindergarten, except they hadn't actually begun talking until middle school. They'd only become legitimate best girlfriends at the beginning of high school.
"I can't believe she's really gone, Griffin," Katrina cried, lifting her face from my chest and looking at me with the saddest pair of brown eyes. "Why'd God have to take her away?" She whimpered.
Tears brimmed my eyes. Damn, here I was thinking I was done crying. "I don't know," I whispered. "Guess he needed another angel," I said. If Dahlia was here, he'd laugh at my cheesiness, but it was true in this case. Dahlia was an angel, so beautiful and pure.
Katrina smiled through watery eyes. "You'd think she was sleeping if you saw her, Griffin. Maybe you should kiss her awake," she whispered.
I looked away and wiped my eyes. We all walked through the cemetery, through the crowds of people to the front. I bit my life as we neared the casket and a rebellious tear slid down my cheeks. When I looked at her form in the casket, I realized Katrina was right. Dahlia did look like she was sleeping. Her skin was pale, but she still looked as beautiful as ever, decorated with fresh, ruby-red roses. A fresh torrent of tears streamed down my cheeks.
Why Dahlia?
Streams of people kept walking by and dropping roses in her casket, enveloping Dahlia in a blanket of flowers. She looked like a princess, her lush blonde hair fanning around her heart-shaped face. I wished I could look into the endless pools of her blue eyes. Except, now I'd never be able to...
Shaking the depressing thoughts out of my head, I took a seat next to Mr. and Mrs. Shire. Moureen, Dahlia's mom was holding baby Blake in her arms. He was sleeping. He slept most of the time. I felt so connected to him. He was a complete duplicate of Dahlia, with her blonde hair and soft blue eyes. Being close to him made me feel like I was close to Dahlia.
When Moureen realized I was there, she looked up and smiled at me through watery eyes. I knew she saw Dahlia in Blake, too. Everyone did. She leaned over Zeb and gently placed Blake in my arms. I bit my lip as I stared down at him. If Dahlia was alive, she'd be cooing over this baby. She loved kids. I remembered talking to her about families and she'd told me she wanted three boys and one girl after she married. I'd always thought I'd be the one she'd have those children with. I was young, but I already knew I wanted to spend my life with her. I loved her so much.
Every single one of my dreams were crushed to pieces now.
Blake's eyes slowly flickered open and when he looked up at me, he smiled, his pink lips - so much Dahlia's - parting. He was so cute, so innocent and naïve...
Like Dahlia.
My eyes slid shut in pain. My body was trembling slightly. I felt so cold and alone. I held Blake tighter as his little hand reached out and touched my skin. I would never be able to get over this and move on. I'd never be able to feel for someone again because my heart, along with my capability to love had died with Dahlia. I would take Dahlia's place in that car any day. She had so much to live for, doting, loving parents, a little brother, best friends, a future at Harvard where she'd gotten an early acceptance. I was just an orphan boy. Why didn't God take me? Why'd He have to take the good one?
When I reopened my eyes, Blake was staring around the cemetery curiously. People constantly came up to us, offering their condolences. I didn't bother replying. Some on my ex-girlfriends came up to me, asking if I was okay. If I hadn't seen the sincerity on their faces, I would've thought they were just trying to manipulate me while I was most vulnerable.
I looked down at Blake again and just stared at him blankly for a few minutes. He felt like family. I had no blood family, since my parents didn't have siblings and my grandparents wanted nothing to do with me. I didn't know where they were or if they were even alive. Dahlia had been the closest thing to family I've ever had, other than Anya, who was my mother's best friend.
"Hey," I heard someone say and looked up to see David with red eyes looking down, staring at Blake.
I felt a sharp pang in my chest. David had no idea how lucky he was. He had Dahlia, he had gotten to hold her and kiss her before she'd gotten into that crash...
"Hey," I echoed. I heard how lifeless and dull my voice sounded.
David sat down beside me. That seat was reserved for Katrina, but she and Cody had probably just wandered off for a bit. Katrina was ultra-sensitive and emotional. Cody was probably comforting her right now.
"That's Dah -" He stopped, cleared his throat and tried again. "That's her brother, right?" He asked in a hoarse voice.
I nodded. "Meet Blake," I mumbled, quietly.
David stared at the baby who was nodding off again in my arms for a few seconds before looking at me. His eyes were moist. "Dahlia... Dahlia loved you, you know?" He croaked.
I nodded again.
"That night... she met me to tell me we weren't meant for each other. While we were together, I'd always thought she felt something for you, but I dismissed it." He cleared his throat again. "When she broke up with me, I just knew. She loves you. I know you love her, too," David said, looking away towards her casket, but his eyes were blank, like he was in another world altogether.
Nodding the third time, I finally voiced my thoughts, "Yeah, I do." My eyes closed. "So much."
"I'm sorry, Griffin," David said, rubbing at his eyes before standing up. Some people who had come up to me and apologized did that because it was just the right thing to do. I knew David meant it though.
I forced a smile on my face. It felt strained and it probably looked strained, too. "She's in a better place, now," I said softly, but I wished she was in my arms instead.
********************************************
Author's Note:
Song of the Week:
Runaway Love - Ludacris ft. Mary J. Blige.
It's a really old song, but I love it nonetheless. The video made me cry. It's too sad and so so true.
Comment, vote and tell your friends!
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