The final good bye

The funeral smelled like wilted lilies and rain-soaked regrets. She stood alone—barely ten years old—clutching a single white flower, the last she had. Her fingers trembled as she knelt beside the freshly closed grave. The weight of silence pressed hard against her chest. “I love you, Mom,” she whispered. Her voice cracked like glass. Then, she dropped the flower. It fell slowly, almost floating—then landed, soft as a sigh, on the casket. The tears came in quiet rivers, pouring down her cheeks as she stared at the earth that had swallowed her whole world. No one came to hold her. No arms wrapped around her tiny frame. No voice told her it would be okay. Just the cold. Just the sound of wind sweeping through the cemetery trees. Then— “I guess if she had stayed away from my dad... she wouldn’t be in that coffin.” Elisa turned around sharply, her chest heaving. A boy stood there, just a few feet behind her. His dark eyes were hard, filled with a sharp pain that didn’t match his age. He looked like he didn’t want to be here either. Like grief had also clawed into his ribs and settled there. “What did you say?” she hissed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. He shrugged, but there was bitterness in his voice. “Your mom should’ve listened. My mum warned her. But she kept seeing my dad, no matter what anyone said.” Elisa’s face crumpled. “Don’t talk about her like that,” she snapped. “You didn’t know her. You don’t know anything!” “I know enough,” he shot back. “She destroyed my family.” She lunged at him, shoving him hard. He stumbled but didn’t fall. “How dare you!” she screamed, tears blurring her vision. “She was my mother!” The commotion drew glances, whispers from mourners in the distance, but no one stepped in. No one stopped them. And still—no one comforted her. She collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, while the boy stood there frozen, uncertain whether to walk away or say more. Elisa buried her face in her hands, trembling as memories flooded her—the soft hum of her mother’s voice while brushing her hair, their secret late-night giggles under the covers, the scent of warm cocoa on rainy evenings. The world felt hollow now. And in that hollow, stood only silence... and a boy who reminded her of everything she lost.