visit to the cemetery

visit to the cemetery
Morgan Daniels drove back to Sawa Hotel with a gigantic smile plastered on her face. Breakfast with Maia this morning couldn’t have gone any better. Earlier when she left the hotel, she was scared. Scared that the red-haired wouldn’t be free to go out for a breakfast date.

But that wasn’t where her biggest fear came from. She was worried sick that Maia wouldn’t be pleased about her coming to her place of work.

In the past, she loved when Morgan came to pick her up from school. Of course, she hadn’t specifically said it out loud, but Morgan know she did. She would rush down the steps of the university and fall into her arms. and immediately Starr bickering about lectures and the pile of assignments she had due.

But things have changed.

When Morgan Daniels walked into her office, she had her head buried in a stack of papers that were on her desk. Seeing her looking so formal and in a work, ambience was such a turn-on to her. And when she looked up, Maia's gaze almost had her tripping.

She looked so beautiful.

And when their lips touched, it felt immaculate. Heavenly.

Morgan Daniels realized how much she missed kissing her.

“You good?” a voice interrupted the older woman's thoughts. A frown made its way to her face when she spotted Eleanor sitting on the sofa in the suit. She had a smile plastered on her face, and Morgan Daniels wanted nothing more than to wipe it off her face for interrupting her happy thoughts.

Rolling her eyes, and closing the door of the suit, Morgan gave her a silent hum as a reply and made her way to the sofa.

She let out a loud sigh and leaned her head back. Eleanor's gaze was on her. She was giving an intense stare.

“So?” she questions. With a frown on Morgan's face, she turned to Eleanor.

“So?” she retorted.

“Tell me how it went. Judging by the smile you had on your face when you walked in, I’m guessing it went great. But still, I need all the information” she explained.

“Where’s Lea?” Morgan questioned. She noticed just now how quiet the suit has been. And with Lea around, one ought to be worried when the room is suddenly quiet.

“She’s having an early nap. Now, don’t you change the topic” she warns.

Eleanor and Laiba have one thing in common. There is no escaping them, especially when it has to do with gossip.

“It was alright. She’s decided to give me a chance” Eleanor squealed in excitement.

“Shh!” Morgan shushed her, worried that she might wake Shana up.

“Sorry. I’m just so happy for you” she says and the older woman offered her a smile.

“Thank you”

“I have a date with her this evening” she added

“That’s brilliant. Where are you taking her?” she asks.

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll let her decide”

Morgan frowned again. Since they came in yesterday, not once has Eleanor mentioned anything about Janata. Was she going to spend the entire vacation without reaching out to her?

“How about you? Shouldn't you take your own advice” Morgan questioned. Eleanor's brows crest inwards.

“Me?” she titled her head quizzically.

“You and Janata. What do you intend to do?” Eleanor lets out a sigh and turns her attention back to the large-screen TV.

“Eleanor, you are right when you say I deserve happiness. But you more than anyone deserve happiness too. I feel guilty because you had to leave the person who made you happy to come to help me grieve. Now that I am trying to make things right, I think you should do the same”

Eleanor left Janata so she could be with Morgan and help her through the sudden process of becoming a mom and grieving the loss of her family. All this while, the older woman thought Janata had ended things with her, but recently, she found out it wasn't the case.

Morgan Daniels appreciated everything Eleanor ever did for her and her daughter. She stood by her every step of the way and now it was time for her to find her happiness.

“You don’t understand Mkorgan. I left her, without an explanation. She was vulnerable with me and confided in me about her commitment issues. She trusted me not to leave her and I did. I was a coward and couldn’t end things with her like a decent human and chose the easy way out. Who does that? I don’t think I deserve her”

Her voice broke as she spoke. Eleanor was one of the strongest persons Morgan had ever come to know. In the eight years, she's known her, this was the second time hearing her voice crack with emotion.

The first time when she opened up about her parent's death and her fiancée. And now.

Morgan's heart ached for her best friend. She bite her lips, trying to hold the tears that threatened to fall out. But there is only so much one can keep in until it wears them out and then they finally cave.

Eleanor has been bottling this pain for long now, and she couldn’t hold it in any longer. Reasons why when her sobs filled the room, Morgan Daniels quickly took her in her arms and allowed her to pour out her pains.



“Mummy, where are we going?” Lea fussed and questioned from the backseat. It was currently three p.m. in the afternoon and Lea, Eleanor and Morga were driving to the cemetery.

When Morgan Daniels held her best friend in her arms as she cried, she suddenly had an epiphany. Eleanor had kept things bottled in for a while and now it was eating her up. Morgan Daniels didn’t want that for herself or her daughter. So she decided to come clean to Lea. She was, after all, a smart kid so Morgan hoped she would understand certain things.

“We are going to see someone that is special to mummy and me” Eleanor replies to Lea's question and Morgan couldn't help but smile. She turn to her friend momentarily and offered her a smile in appreciation for her response to Lea.

Morgan Daniels was nervous. She suddenly decided to let her daughter know about it that she barely had the time to practice how she was going to lay everything on her. Thankfully, She had Eleanor by her side. She took Morgan's hand and gave it a small squeeze, mouthing the words ‘I got you’.

They were getting close to the cemetery where Jonah and Laiba rested. And the closer we got, the more nervous Morgan got.

“Are we there yet?” Lea asked again.

“Yes, baby” Morgan answered and turned off the ignition.

Both girls stepped out of the car. Morgan opened the door for Lea to step out. She took her tiny hands in hers and led her towards the quiet and arranged graveyard.

“Mummy, I thought were we going to see your friends,” Lea murmured, looking up at her mom with confusion and fear in her eyes.

“Yes, baby. My friends are resting here” Morgan replied, looking momentarily at Eleanor who nodded, silently encouraging her.

They passed a bunch of symmetrically arranged graves, with Lea clutching tightly to the hem of Morgan's dress. She was scared, but she refused to allow that fear consume her. She wasn’t going to back out now.

After walking for a while, they finally made it to the place where Laiba and Jonah were resting. Morgan took the bouquet she had bought and placed it on their grave. Mrs Fawkham decided that they will be cremated and buried together. Laiba and Jonah wanted it that way.

Eleanor placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze before walking away. Now, it was just Morgan and Lea standing before that had the tomb that had the names ‘Laiba and Jonah, forever in our hearts scribbled on it.

She stooped to Lea’s level and took her in a hug.

“Mummy, are you okay?” Lea inquired, her voice filled with concern.

“Yes baby, mummy is just sad” the older woman explained, fighting back tears that threatened to spill.

“But you want to cry” she states, her small hands on Morgan's cheeks making her chuckle.

“Yes, baby. I want you to listen to me very carefully okay?” she took her tiny hands from her cheeks and laced them with hers.

Lea nodded before Morgan continued. “Mummy’s friends are resting here-" Morgan was about to speak up with her seven-year-old interrupted her.

“You already said that,” she says.

“I know. Mummy’s friend helped me have you” Morgan ignored her remarks and continued, making the little one furrow her brows. She didn’t know how to do this. She didn’t know the words to say.

Morgan couldn’t just tell her daughter that she wasn’t her biological daughter and that ‘mummy’s friends’ resting here were her real parents.

She couldn’t do that.

“What mummy is trying to say is that the people sleeping here gave your life, but they were so tired after that so they went to rest. You were quite a little scoundrel” Eleanor joked, poking Lea’s nose and making her giggle.

Morgan smiled at her, thanking Eleanor for coming to her aid.

“Did you know you’re special? You have two mummies and a daddy” Eleanor added and Lea furrowed her brows, wondering what her Aunt Eli meant by that.

“You’re other mummy and daddy didn’t want to fight with your Mummy Morgan. So they’re in heaven watching over you. Do you know where heaven is?" Lea shook her head.

“It’s a very beautiful place where there’s everything you want,” Eleanor explained.

“Even chocolate cake?” Lea's face lit up as she asked, making both Eleanor and Morgan chuckle.

“Yes baby,” she says with a smile. “And that’s where you other mummy and daddy are” Eleanor finalised.

“Okay. Can I talk to them?”

“Yes of course you can. You just have to close your eyes really tight and talk to them” Eleanor demonstrated by closing her eyes.

“That's awesome. I'm gonna talk to them every night" she gushed.

Tears were rolling down Morgan Daniels's cheeks as she took into the scene before her. Eleanor was God’s sent. She couldn’t have explained things better.

“How about you run back to the car, your favourite snack is in my bag,” before Eleanor could complete her statement, Lea had already taken off.

“Come here,” Eleanor spread out her arms to Morgan. The older woman sobbed in her friend's arms, letting everything out. This day has been filled with pain and tears. First, Eleanor. Now her.

But they had each other.

“I miss them,” Morgan sobbed in the crook of Eleanor's neck.

“I know you do. I miss them too. But they’re in a better place and you are doing an amazing job with their daughter”

The airy silence from the cemetery crept in between them. Morgan's sobs as well as the breeze that swept through the hair could be heard. It wasn't long until she was pulling away from Eleanor.

“Thank you. I didn’t know what to tell her” Morgan spoke once she had parted from the hug, wiping the corners of her eyes.

“Any time. When you looked at me, I knew I had to step in” Eleanor replied, offering her a smile. Morgan Daniels returned her smile, sniffling a breath.

“Okay. I’m going back to the car" Eleanor informed, but she didn't leave until Morgan nodded and she patted her shoulders.

Now that she was alone, Morgan took a seat on the edge of Laiba and Jonah’s grave.

“Hey, you two, what’s up” she spoke casually, taking in a deep breath before continuing.

“I apologize for not coming earlier. Six years is a long time not to visit. The pain was too much to bear and I let it consume me. I also want to apologize for not talking to her about you. I wasn’t trying to rob the little memory she has of you both, I just didn’t know how to explain things to her. But I promise to constantly talk about you two to her. I didn’t get the chance to thank you guys for trusting me with your daughter. She completes me. She has become my whole world. She has your personality Laiba. Well, not personality per se, she has your temper” she corrected, letting out a chuckle. Lea may have taken her mom’s hair but she was the spitting image of Jonah. Her eyes, her smile. But her temper, that she took from her mom.

“Oh! Guess what Laiba, I’m trying to make things right with Maia. If you were here, you would’ve smacked my ass for not doing it sooner. Well, I am now”

Morgan paused for a while.

“I miss you guys so much. Everyday”

She spoke one last time, placing a kiss on their grave before walking away.

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