Love After Goodbye

Chapter Four

(5 Days Later)

The sky was gray on the morning of the funeral. It was not a gray like gentle clouds or the kind that meant rain. This gray felt heavy like the sky itself was sad. Lena stood in front of her bedroom mirror, staring at herself.

For a moment, she did not recognize herself. Her eyes looked pale. The dark circles under them had gotten worse over the past few days. They were carved into her face by nights and endless tears. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders, a bit tangled, like she did not care. Nothing seemed important anymore, not clothes, not food, not sleep, not anything.

Her eyes dropped to the dress she wore. It was funeral black. The word itself felt unreal. Funeral for Ethan. Her fingers shook a bit as she smoothed the fabric over her waist. The movement felt automatic, as if her body was working without her permission. From the living room, someone knocked gently on the apartment door. Lena did not move at first. The knock came again.

“Lena?" Mia’s voice called softly.

Lena forced her feet to move. Each step across the apartment felt slow and heavy. The silence in the room pressed against her ears. Normally, Ethan would have been there by now, leaning against the counter, teasing her for taking so long. The thought hit her like a wave; her chest tightened. She opened the door. Mia stood outside holding a black umbrella. When Mia saw her, her expression softened.

“Oh, my girl…”

Lena tried to smile. The expression fell apart. Mia stepped forward. Wrapped her arms around her. Lena did not cry, not this time. The tears had already. Gone.

"We should go," Mia said

Lena nodded.

The drive to the cemetery was silent. Rain started falling there, tapping lightly against the windshield. It felt somehow. Gray sky, Gray morning, Gray world. When they arrived, rows of umbrellas dotted the cemetery like shadows. People stood in a group near a tent at the top of the hill.

Lena’s stomach twisted. She recognized some of them. Friends, coworkers, neighbors, Ethan’s family. The moment she stepped out of the car, the cold air wrapped around her. Mia stayed close, holding her hands as they walked toward the crowd. Soft murmurs floated through the air. People looked at her; their expressions were sympathetic. Then she saw it, the casket, dark wood. Her legs went weak, and Mia gripped her arm.

“Easy," she whispered.

Lena forced herself to keep moving. Ethan’s mother stood near the front, her face was pale. When she saw Lena, her eyes filled with tears. She opened her arms, and Lena stepped into them. The woman held her tightly.

“He loved you very much, " she whispered.

The words broke something inside Lena. Her breath caught.

“I loved him too, " she murmured.

They stood there clinging to each other. The pastor started speaking. Lena barely heard the words; she sat in the front row beside Mia, staring at the casket as if Ethan might walk up behind her. Say it was all a misunderstanding, the casket did not move. The pastor’s voice drifted through the air.

“…A life taken soon…"

“…kindness and laughter…"

“…cherished memories…"

Each sentence felt like a distant echo.

Lena was thinking about something. Ethan’s voice on the phone.

You know I love you, right?

I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you.

Those were Ethan’s words to her. Her chest tightened, and she pressed her hands together to stop them from shaking. The rain grew heavier, pattering softly against the tent. The pastor invited people to share memories. One of Ethan’s friends stood first.

“He was the kind of guy who made everyone feel like they belonged, " the man said.

Another friend talked about Ethan’s jokes. Someone else mentioned his love for road trips. The stories blurred together. Every word painted a picture of someone alive. Finally, Ethan’s mother stood, her voice trembling.

“My son had a pure heart, " she said.

“He always wanted to help people… to make them laugh… to make the world feel lighter.”

She paused, wiping tears from her cheeks.

“He was so selfless, always putting people first”.

“Most especially, he loved Lena more than anything.”

Lena’s breath caught. Dozens of eyes turned toward her, and the attention felt painful. She stared down at her hands. Her fingers curled tightly together. Then the pastor spoke again.

“Is there anyone who would like to share a memory…"

Silence fell; no one moved. Until Lena slowly stood. Her legs felt weak, her heart pounded. Mia squeezed her hand. Lena walked toward the front; each step felt like crossing a bridge. She stopped beside the casket. For a moment, she could not speak; her throat felt tight. Then she remembered Ethan’s laugh. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. The words finally came.

“Ethan hated being late," she said softly.

A few chuckles rippled through the crowd.

Lena managed to smile.

“Guess what… he was always late."

Soft laughter.

“He used to tell me that life was too short to rush," she continued.

Her voice wobbled.

“I used to argue with him about it.”

The wind rustled through the trees. Lena’s eyes drifted to the casket.

“I never imagined life could actually be this short."

Tears rolled down her cheeks; she did not try to stop them.

“He was my friend," she whispered.

“My favorite person.”

“The one who made everything feel brighter… easier… happier."

Her voice broke.

“I don’t know how to exist in a world where he’s not here.”

“How do I cope without him?"

Silence surrounded her; rain tapped gently against the tent.

“But one thing I know for sure is that he would want us to keep living, " she said, wiping her face.

“To keep laughing, to keep loving people the way he did.”

She took a breath.

“So I’m going to try."

Her gaze rested on the casket.

“Goodbye, Ethan."

“Goodbye, My Love."

The word shattered in the air. Lena stepped back, her legs trembling as she returned to her seat. The rest of the service passed in a blur. Eventually, people began leaving flowers beside the casket, one by one. When it was Lena’s turn, she approached slowly. Her hand hovered over the wood; she placed a single white rose on top, and her fingers lingered there.

“You promised you weren’t going anywhere."

“Why did you leave me?" she whispered.

The wind carried her words away. No answer came.

For the first time since the accident, Lena fully understood something terrible. Ethan wasn’t coming back, not tomorrow, not next week, not ever. A quiet sob escaped her lips; behind her, people continued to leave the cemetery. Lena remained standing there, heartbroken, alone, staring at the place where her future had been buried.