Chapter 85 Saying goodbyes
CHAPTER 85
Saying good-byes
Two weeks had passed. Two long, quiet weeks that felt heavier than time itself. The days had blended into each other, each one marked by silence, careful movements, and a kind of stillness that never truly lifted. Ruby had changed not in a way that could be easily explained, but in a way that could be felt. She spoke little, smiled even less. But she tried and Leo saw every step she took and every effort she made.
The cemetery was calm that morning. The air was cool, carrying a soft stillness that wrapped around everything like a quiet embrace. The sun had not fully risen yet, leaving the sky painted in pale shades of blue and gold.
Ruby stood in front of the grave. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the flowers, her eyes fixed on the name engraved in stone, Anderson Cole. It still didn’t feel real even after two weeks, after everything.
Leo stood from a distance. He watched her carefully, his presence steady, silent, and protective. Ruby inhaled slowly before stepping forward. Her movements were gentle, almost hesitant, as she bent slightly and placed the flowers down on the grave. Her fingers lingered on them for a moment longer than necessary, as though she wasn’t ready to let go. Her lips parted slightly but no words came at first.
“Hi, Dad…” she whispered softly. Her voice was fragile barely above a breath.
“I didn’t think I’d be here like this,” she continued quietly. “Not so soon…”
Her fingers curled slightly against the edge of the grave as her eyes filled with tears.
“I had so many things I wanted to tell you,” she said. “So many things I thought we had time for.”
Her voice trembled now. “But I guess… time doesn’t always wait.” A tear slipped down her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there… I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye.”
Her breathing became uneven, the emotions she had been holding back slowly rising to the surface.
“I thought you’d always be there,” she admitted, her voice breaking. “I thought… I had more time with you.” Another tear followed.
Leo shifted slightly beside her, his jaw tightening as he watched her struggle through every word.
“I don’t know how to do this without you,” she continued. “I don’t know how to just… move on.”
Her shoulders shook slightly now.
“But I’m trying,” she added softly. “I really am trying.” She paused, swallowing hard as she steadied herself.
“And I’m not alone,” she said after a moment.
Her eyes flickered slightly toward Leo before returning to the grave.
“He’s here,” she added quietly. “He’s been here… the whole time.”
Leo’s chest tightened slightly at those words.
“I think you would have liked him,” Ruby continued softly. “He’s different. In a good way.”
A faint, almost invisible smile touched her lips but it didn’t last.
“I just wish you could have seen it,” she said. Her voice cracked completely this time. “I wish you were still here…”
That was it the moment her strength gave in. Her body trembled as the tears came more freely now, her hand pressing lightly against the cold surface of the grave as though trying to hold onto something that was no longer there.
Leo didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward instantly, wrapping his arms around her from behind before gently pulling her into him. “I’ve got you,” he said softly.
Ruby didn’t resist. She turned into him completely, burying her face against his chest as the sobs came harder, deeper, uncontrollable.
Leo held her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other wrapped securely around her waist.
He didn’t speak much. “It’s okay,” he murmured quietly. “Let it out.”
She clung to him, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly as if he was the only thing keeping her grounded.
Minutes passed but eventually her cries softened her breathing and slowed the weight of it all settled into something quiet.
Leo didn’t let go immediately; he waited until she pulled back slightly on her own.
Her eyes were red, her face was tear stained but there was something else now.
Leo lifted a hand gently, brushing away the tears from her cheeks. “You did good,” he said softly.
Ruby shook her head slightly. “I don’t feel like it,” she admitted.
“You don’t have to,” Leo replied. “You just have to keep going.”
She looked at him for a moment and for the first time in days there was something in her eyes. She nodded faintly.
Leo gave her a small, reassuring look before taking her hand.
“Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s walk.”
They left the grave behind slowly. The path through the cemetery was quiet, lined with trees that swayed gently with the early morning breeze. The world was waking up, but here it still felt peaceful.
Ruby walked beside Leo, her hand in his. She didn’t say much and she didn’t pull away either and that alone meant something. The sky began to shift slowly, the sun rising higher, casting soft golden light across everything around them.
“It’s beautiful,” Ruby said quietly after a while.
Leo glanced at her. “It is.”
She looked ahead, her gaze softer now.
“He used to like mornings like this,” she said. “Said it felt like a fresh start.”
Leo nodded slightly. “He was right.”
Ruby exhaled slowly. “Maybe,” she said.
“At times I did wish, I never left, he was coming for me, even after I rejected him he came backkkk…she couldn't finish the words when Leo took her into his arms.
“It's okay Ruby.”
By the time they returned to the car, the sun had fully risen. The day had begun.
He opened the door for her, helping her in before walking around to the driver’s side. As he got in, he glanced at her briefly.
“You alright?” he asked softly.
Ruby nodded faintly. “I will be,” she said.
He simply nodded.“That’s enough.”
The drive home was quiet again.
Leo reached for her hand once more, holding it gently as he drove and as the car moved forward, leaving the cemetery behind. It didn’t feel like they were leaving something unfinished. It felt like they were carrying it with them. Learning to live with it together.