Work Text:
It was a dreary Friday afternoon. It had rained earlier that day, so the concrete and grass were damp.This depressing weather makes Aubrey stand out ever so more. Pink hair flowing with the gentle breeze, heading towards the graveyard of the church that stands tall and proud. Aubrey slowly makes her way to the graveyard, carrying a bouquet of Lilies of the Valley with the past words of her close friend Basil in mind.
Aubrey lightly treads on the wet grass, trying to make as little noise as possible to avoid disturbing those around her. Her socks become dampened at the touch of the grass. She keeps walking down the grass till she stops at a grave that stands out. Even after death, on this dreary day she manages to stand above the rest. Despite the lack of sunlight, water from the tree’s above the grave trickled down onto it. It was a beautiful sight.
Aubrey clears the grave of the few leaves that managed to make their way on top of it as she gently sets down the flowers she had bought. She falls on her knees in front of the grave, knowing very well that her pants would get dirtied. She didn’t care, she needed to do this.
Aubrey closes her eyes and begins to speak.
“Hey, Mari! It’s been about a month or two since my last visit, I’m sorry about that. Everything has been so chaotic, yknow?”
She keeps going despite the deafening silence.
“So much has happened, Mari.. Today’s my birthday, first of all. This year I turn 18. It’s a little scary, knowing that I’m going to have to deal with all the responsibilities of being an adult and stuff like that. I honestly wanted to forget about my birthday as a whole, but Sunny would never let me do that.”
She gives a small chuckle.
“Oh! By the way, Sunny and I are dating now. Have been for a while. After… After he said what REALLY happened to you, I thought I would never find it in me to forgive him. Not long after, we’re seeing each other every other day despite the distance between us. Crazy how stuff works, huh?”
“We were planning on moving in together as soon as we had enough money to hold us off. It might take a bit, though. I was never able to go to college, and Sunny is a little behind on his education. He’s really amazing though.. He managed to catch up so fast, next year he will be graduating. I’m really proud of him for coming out of his shell, I’m sure you are too.”
Aubrey gives a small smile.
“I’m truly grateful for him. He’s always there for me when I’m down. He makes days like these worth celebrating. Sometimes he goes a little too all out though. It’s really sweet and cute of him, but I worry how much money he spends on everything.”
“Ah, you’re probably wondering how everyone else is doing. Well, Kel is trying to go pro in basketball. I berate his efforts and make fun of him a lot, but I do truly think if he puts his mind to it, he could get in. Hero is almost done with college! I think he’ll make a great doctor, though it’s a shame that he’s not going to be able to put his cooking skills to use. I think whoever he marries is in for a good time, though. Speaking about marriage, Hero told us he’s actually seeing someone. We haven’t been able to meet her yet, but I’ll make sure she’s deserving of Hero for you! For now though, we’re just glad that he’s able to move on from.. Well you. He seems happier than he has ever been in quite a while. Basil is doing better than ever. Not only has the weight on his shoulders seemingly been lifted, but he’s a lot more open too! He’s still the kind Basil that everyone knows and loves, just more.. Outgoing? I’m not sure what word I could use to describe it.”
Aubrey gives a sad smile.
“Sometimes, I feel really bad about us all moving forward without you… Don’t get me wrong, I love that everyone is handling your death better. Especially Sunny, therapy has been really good for him. That doesn’t mean he’s completely okay.. Every once in a while he’ll say something self degrading or worrying. All the more reason why I have to be there for him. For me, for him, and for you.”
Aubrey’s eyes begin to get wet.
“I-I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over you Mari.. Is that a bad thing? You’ve always been there for me, to support me when I needed it, to be the big sister that I always wanted. You meant everything to me. No birthday feels the same without your happy birthday chants or your cookies. Your big bright smile that could light up anyone's day. Am I selfish for still holding on to you?”
Aubrey feels small tears drip down her face.
She suddenly becomes enveloped by a certain warmth. A familiar scent invades her nostrils. A hand comes up to her face and wipes her tears away.
“Sunny…”
“I knew you would be here. Is everything okay?”
“I-I miss her Sunny. I really miss her. I feel bad for moving on like this. It feels like I’m leaving her behind.”
Sunny’s lips gently collide with the top of her head.
“I’m sorry for taking her away from yo-”
“Don’t. We’ve talked about this, Sunny. If you keep talking like this I’ll seriously get upset.”
“Sorry.. I miss her too. Every single day, I think back on what I did. I get filled with regret and sadness. It never leaves my mind, but I know Mari wouldn’t want to see me upset over it. That doesn’t mean I don’t get upset every once in a while though. Aubrey, you’re only human. Just like Kel, just like Basil, just like Hero, just like me. It’s normal to feel sad every once in a while, especially with this. What matters is at the end of the day you’re able to appreciate the feelings and emotions Mari gave us and accept that she’s gone.”
Aubrey turns around and digs her face into Sunny’s chest. Sunny gently strokes her hair as she lightly sobs into his shirt.
“By no means is it easy to do. It’s hard to look back on those good memories and not feel sad. It might take us forever to get over the fact she’s gone. In that case, we’ll be with each other every step of the way.”
Aubrey looks up at him and gives a smile.
“For someone who doesn’t do a lot of talking, you sure are good at it.”
Sunny’s face becomes a light shade of red.
“Ah, sorry if I said too much..”
“No, you misunderstood. I’m saying you have a way with words, silly.”
Sunny gives off a very faint smile.
“I’m glad I was able to help then.”
Sunny lifts himself up, then provides a hand for Aubrey.
“We should get going, everyone’s waiting on the birthday girl.”
Aubrey accepts his hand. He pulls her up and suddenly gets hugged by the pink-haired girl. She whispers into his ear.
“Thank you so much, Sunny. For everything.”
She gives him a peck on his mouth. Sunny hugs her back. They break apart holding each other's hands while walking away.
“I’m sure Mari was very happy you visited today.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
A raindrop falls off the leaf of a tree. It lands on the flowers that Aubrey left for Mari.
A gentle breeze hits Aubrey and Sunny from behind as if it was following them along. The breeze comes to a halt as they do in front of the entrance to the church. Aubrey gives one last look at the grave of the one she holds so dear to her heart. All the memories of her hit Aubrey at once.
Thank you.. Mari. I’m glad I was able to have known you.