Part 6: Epilogue

Daniel arranged the red roses in front of the stone cross. It was a beautiful summer day, the sun was shining. The cemetery looked peaceful and quiet, a perfect resting place. The flowers smelled so nice and the shade of the trees almost invited him to sped a little longer here.

"Hey, you… I promised I'd come again." He said, touching the delicate white cross with it's solemn inscription. "I guess you're the one making all these trees so pretty around here… Anyway I… uh…Laura… She's getting so big, you should just see her. She's so beautiful, just like her mommy. I'm sure you're looking down on us from up there, aren't you?"

From the distance he heard a female voice call his name.

"Here that? That's the cavalry. A dad's work is never done…" Again the voice interrupted. Danny smiled. "I've got to go but I'll come by again…" he said.

I always do, despite how much I know she hates it.

The third time he was called, Daniel got up, dusting his hands on the sides of his jeans. And smiling as he turned. Walking briskly, he left the shade at the grave and marched to his car. A woman holding a young girl was expecting him there. She was sitting in the back seat with the girl in her arms.

"Why do you keep insisting on coming here, I wonder." She said, scolding him playfully.

As he came near them, she got up, mindful of the bundle in her arms. The beautiful white dress she wore blew gently in the wind. She closed the back seat door. Daniel gave her a kiss on the cheek as he circled the car to get into the driver's seat.

Once they were in the car, the little girl awoke from her sleep. She gave some little protest before her mother let her climb into the back seat where she'd have more space.

"Careful, Laura!" she chided.

"Come on, just let her be. Don't you see she's dead tired?" Daniel asked, attaching his seatbelt.

"'Course she's tired, she should still be sleeping. I don't know why you insisted to bring us along for this morbid escapade. We could have left an hour later and still have reached the sea without any impending traffic." She said.

Daniel looked at her briefly, recalling the feeling he'd had at the grave. "It's just… memories, you know." He replied.

He turned the key in the ignition and the car started. The windows were open so the pleasant summer wind that he'd been so fond of moments before kept blowing as they left the cemetery site.

"They are just memories, right? You don't still… think about her, do you?" She asked uncertainly when he stopped at a red light.

Danny turned to look at her, an unreadable expression on his face. He smiled but there wasn't humour in his eyes.

"I didn't ask you to kill her."

The light turned green.

Driving away, Danny thought about the simplicity of the grave he'd just visited.

Audrey Simms

1975 – 2004

Now she is with Jesus

THE END