Work Text:
When a Door is Closed, the Other will be Opened
A woman with light colored hair is standing in her husband’s funeral, Emilia is her name. She is not focus at all now. Her eyes are staring at the room meanwhile it looks so empty. She is still in shock, obviously. The whole room is making so many noises from talking to crying, but she can’t hear it at all. Even the hand she is using to hold her son’s hand feels numb. All she can see in her head is him, her husband, her beloved Leon. Her body is standing in his funeral, yet her mind can only replay the memories she had with him. It was sweet, it was nice, yet it has to end like the leaves falling down in the autumn after the summer had passed.
***
“It’s going to be alright, I promise you Emilia.” Leon says. He is laying down in the hospital’s bed and looking so weak, even his hold on Emilia’s hands feels so weak. It seems that his illness had completely taking over him.
“I… I don’t know, Leon. I’m scared. Don’t leave me alone, Albert still need you too.” Emilia is looking at her husband’s eyes now. She doesn’t want to lose him but yet she knows that the chance of his survival is slim.
“Sssh… it’s really fine, Emilia. Don’t give me that look, okay? I will survive this and we all can be happy together again, probably then we can give Albert a little brother or sister?” Leon chuckles softly. One of his hand then tickles his wife’s stomach playfully. Emilia yelps then laugh softly.
“We can think about it later, Leon… Just make sure you will recover soon. I miss you…” Emilia smiles at him. Leon then gives her a nod before he moves closer to her and give his wife a gentle kiss.
“Of course… I will my dear. Wait for me to come home again, okay?” Leon smiles widely. He doesn’t want to die too, he wants to keep seeing his wife’s smile.
“Promise me?” Emilia says softly before she hugs him close. She doesn’t want to let him go.
“I promise…” Leon mumbles to her ear. Emilia smiles as she is burying her face on his chest. It feels warm and she wants to feel his warmth and heartbeat forever. Though she knows that it’s impossible. But she still can wish that a miracle can happen for him, can’t she?
***
“A broken promise, huh?” Emilia says it in her heart. She is remembering the last moment she had with him. It’s hard to let go of the truth that her beloved husband is gone now. She is afraid to face the reality without him. She is afraid that she can’t raise her son well. But all of her thoughts get interrupted by a light tap on her shoulder. She snaps back to reality and looking at the person who tapped at her shoulder.
“Be strong, Emilia… I’m glad that it’s you who take care of him in his last moment. I can’t believe that I will surpass him.” The woman who tapped her shoulder says. Emilia recognize her, it’s Alice and she is Leon’s mother.
“I…” Emilia take a deep breath. She can’t say anything, her mouth feels so hard to be opened.
“You don’t have to say anything. Thank you for supporting him until his last moment. I don’t know how much thank you I can tell you, I’m just really grateful.” Alice says as she smiles at her daughter in law. Her smile seems so sad, Emilia knows that it must be harder for her to let go of him. She has to be strong. But Emilia still can’t say anything.
“Mom?” Albert, her son, says when he realized that her mother is not talking to his grandmother despite that she is there and listening to her. The little boy knows that his mother is troubled. He tries to tug her hand but Emilia still not saying anything.
“It’s okay Al, come with me. Your mother needs a little time alone.” Alice says then she takes her grandson’s son and walk away. Emilia is in need for some space now.
But Emilia ended up not getting a space again. Suddenly she feels a warm hug wrapping around her. But the hug feels comfortable though she needs some space. Probably she is in need for some hug.
“Are you okay?” A voice asks. Emilia recognize the voice, it’s Mei and she is Leon’s half and only sister. Emilia nods to her now, but she is not looking at her. Emilia’s eyes are still looking somewhere else with her empty eyes.
“I know it’s hard for you, that’s why let me know if you need help.” Mei smiles. She can’t do anything for her sister in law but at least she can hear what troubles her. Emilia shakes her head though.
“Oh right, Lucia… I mean your sister is here. She says sorry for coming late, she will be here anytime soon. I got to go anyway. Cheer up, okay?” Mei says for the last time. She gives Emilia a smile before she goes. Emilia looking at her smile and smile back at her. None of their smiles look happy, Emilia thinks to herself.
Emilia stares blankly again until her sister come and give her a hug. Her sister doesn’t seem to have any intention of letting her go and that’s fine for Emilia. After all, in the beginning they only had each other, it’s a blessing for Emilia to still having her sister beside her. And at last the funeral ends. Emilia doesn’t know what lies on front of her after this.
***
It’s been three days after Leon’s funeral. But Emilia hadn’t talk much though gradually she starts doing her daily life again, like eating and taking bath. Her face looks so pale because she hadn’t really gotten enough sleep. Luckily that her sister, Lucia, and her sister’s husband is accompanying her in a while. She feels a little bit relieved that she doesn’t have to be alone in a while and she doesn’t have to deal with loneliness. It’s also a miracle that she hadn’t cry again after the funeral ended.
Now Emilia is walking to the kitchen slowly. She needs something to drink after all. And when she is in the kitchen, apparently her sister and her son is there too eating some snacks together. They both smile at her and Emilia is smiling back at them.
“Mom, let’s have some pastry uncle Mathias made.” Albert chirps happily. Emilia shakes her head slowly.
“No thank you Al, I’m fine.” Emilia mumbles. She then takes her glass and fills it with water. But she ends up not drinking it at all, she only stares at her glass. Lucia frowns at her sister when she ends up stopping and staring blankly at the glass. She has been doing that for the last three days and Lucia is concerned about it.
“Em, are you okay?” Lucia asks. She gets up to see what her sister is doing.
“Ah… I’m—” Emilia snaps from her daydream. She ended up letting go of the glass and now the glass is broken. She stares at the broken glass as her sister is approaching her.
“Mom are you okay?” Albert seems concerned with it as well. He gets down from his seat to approaches his mother.
“Al, stop there. Call uncle Mathias instead, don’t get too close to the glass shards.” Lucia warns her nephew. Albert nods at her after that and go. She walks slowly to get Emilia and helping her to walk away from the glass shards that might hurt her. Lucia helps her to walk to the living room and makes Emilia sits comfortably there.
“Are you okay? It’s okay Em you can tell me.” Lucia says while she is holding her sister’s chin gently before she pulls her into a hug.
“I don’t know… I’m—I’m sorry…” Emilia says softly. Lucia then gives her a gentle rub on her back to comfort her.
“It’s fine… just cry it out, you hadn’t done that in a while. I know it’s hard for you Em, I can’t imagine it as well if I am in your position and losing Mathias while I have to take care of my son and daughter alone.” Lucia mumbles softly. She hates seeing her sister getting hurt like this without knowing what she should do to help.
“I don’t know, Luce… I don’t know how I should feel. He is supposed to be strong… he had been strong all these time, even having a courage to move back here to England with her mother where things goes wrong when he is still young…” Emilia starts to sobs softly. She is now hugging her sister tightly and hiding her face on her chest.
“Let it out, I’m listening.” Lucia hugs her sister tightly. She only wants to make her sister feel better.
“He always helped me with stuffs too, especially raising Al… I don’t know if I can do it alone. I’m scared, sister… I’m afraid that I can’t do this alone.” Emilia sobs even harder. She can feel her sister is now trying to soothe her by gently caressing her head.
“You’re not alone. I’m here… you are welcomed in my house again. Please move to Copenhagen with me, there is still plenty of room at house. Mathias would love that too.” Lucia smiles softly. She gives her sister a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
“But I have gone here in London for so long… I don’t think I should come back. I feel like I can’t leave this house too…” Emilia shakes her head. Her sobbing is getting softer, but her tears are still running down to her cheeks.
“Move back when you’re ready then. Al will be lonely here and I think Greta and William will love to have Al at home. I’m not pushing you but… I don’t want you to be alone.” Lucia smiles softly at her sister. Emilia rethinks her decision after that.
“Maybe I should think about that.” Emilia nods.
“Good. I know you’re strong, Em. You can get through this though probably you are going to take a really long time to get over it. We have done this after mother passed away, remember? You can do this again. Though death separates us with people we love, they are still there in your heart. I believe that Leon is still there too. Also, when a door gets closed down, another one will be opened for you. This is not the end of the world. Be strong, my sister. For yourself, for Al, and for me.” Lucia smiles softly before she tightened her hug.
“You’re right, sister…” Emilia mumbles. She pushes her sister a bit to loosen the hug and now she is looking at her with her teary eyes.
“You know what? Leon is so lucky to have you and you are so lucky to have him too. Now relax and cry your heart out until you can walk again.” Lucia’s fingers wipe down her sister’s tears from her cheek. She is giving her a gentle smile. Emilia nods at her.
“Thank you, sister. I don’t know what happen if you’re not around.” Emilia wipes her own tears using her hand. Lucia smiles after that.
“No need to say that. I know what you need, for example… hey Mat can you get us some tissues?” Lucy says slowly before she shouts to her husband.
“Yes dear, in a sec.” Mathias shouts back at his wife. He prepares some tissue for them once he is done cleaning up the broken glasses.
“Oh Luce, you don’t have to do it that far.” Emilia forces a smile. Lucia giggles softly at her.
“It’s fine, he is just helping.” Lucia says jokingly. And not long after that Mathias walks to them with not only the tissues they need but also a few cups of hot chocolate and the pastries he made. Albert is following his uncle from behind with a smile.
“I heard mommy’s crying so I ask uncle Mathias to make some hot choco that mom likes.” Albert grins at his mother. He the run at her and hug Emilia tightly.
“Oh Al, you don’t have to…” Emilia smiles at her son.
“He is such a good boy, you raise him right.” Lucia says with a smile before she gives her nephew a head pat.
“Now let’s enjoy this hot chocolate and pastries. And hey Em, I know you’re a strong girl so smile again okay?” Mathias grins. He hands two cups of hot chocolate for Emilia and Albert after that.
“Thank you, I guess.” Emilia nods.
“That’s my sister, in law I mean but never mind you are still my little sister!” Mathias chuckles. He sits down beside his wife and hands her a cup of hot chocolate.
“Oh shut up, Mat. She’ll get annoyed.” Lucia says jokingly.
“It’s okay, sister… thank you to both of you, it’s really a great help.” Emilia smiles softly.
They enjoy their evening with a cup of hot chocolate. Emilia might lose her husband, but she still has her family and her own son to support her. She will never be alone, those who had left her behind will still be there in her heart. And when a door is closed, another one will be opened so Emilia can walk in to her new life and new possibility she never knew about. All she needs to do is to be brave.
Fin.