Celestial Love (Anthony Rizzo)

.49. Moving On

Celeste

It's been a rough few days since the new year. I had gotten ahold of the woman who's husband and daughter died in the crash and offered to help her with anything she needed. Anthony donated to help pay for the funeral and burial and I have just been trying to help her mentally. Going through something similar helped me understand what they're going through and I know how much it means to get some answers even if they suck. James was already locked up awaiting his prison sentence which I'm sure won't be as bad as it should simply because of who he is but there is no getting out of this one. For once he has to see the reciprocations of his actions and I hope he changes. For the sake of everyone.

Today was the day of the burial and it was a bitterly cold morning in Chicago. No one wanted to be out here, especially not for a burial. But the fact of the matter is that Hank Washington and little Iris Washington are now stars in our skies, up there with my father. Out of reach but never forgotten. Giving us light when we need it the most.

I sit near the back of all the chairs letting the Washington family be closer. Let them get the closure they need in order to move on without them.

I see their little five year old sitting off to the side by herself not really sure what was going on. She had a boot on her foot and a bright pink cast on her arm. The impact was all on the drivers side where the dad and the baby was but she didn't leave that car without some pretty serious injuries herself. I watch as she sat there with some roses in her hands and a little black dress going down past her knees. She had no idea about how much her life is about to change. How much harder it's about to be.

In a silent decision I leave Anthony and go sit next to the girl. She looks up at me with big green eyes and my feel my heart break. What I would do to give this girl the world that was just taken from her.

"Hi miss Callie" she starts and I give her a sad smile.

"Hello there Grace. I really like you hair like this" I admit as I pull a curl and let it bounce back in her face making her giggle.

"Mom says that my hair is uncontrollable, but I like it this way" she admits.

"I think it is really cute" I agree. 

I watch as her smile falls from her face, her eyes move to where her dad and sister was being buried. I'm sure she understands what is happening but not the depth of it.

"I'm not going to see my dad or my sister again, am I" she asks me.

I let out a long sigh as I shake my head. "I'm afraid not. In this life too many have to learn of a life without a mother, a brother, a sister, a father. And undeniably that life without them in it isn't as much fun as it was with them. No more airplane trips with dad or playing dolls with sister. When they leave us they take a lot of things with them. But a lot of it stays, like their love for you and the fact that you are a very strong little girl" I tell her.

"Did you lose your dad" she questions.

"I did. But I wasn't lucky enough to be old enough to have memories of him. All I had was my mother who told me all the stories. She helped me keep his memory alive and you can do that for your dad" I assure her.

"How" she wonders.

"What's your favorite memory of him" I ask her.

"When we go to the zoo! He always picked me up so I can see the big cats" she cheers.

"So whenever you go to the zoo and see the cats then you'll remeber that your dad was always here to lift you up so you can see what you wanted to see. And every time you're down his memory will be there to lift you up and you will be able to see all you want to see" I assure her.

"Do you like cats too" she asks and I smile.

"I do. But my favorite animal is a panda" I tell her.

"I like pandas too" she perks up.

"Really" I ask.

"Yeah. Maybe we can go to the zoo sometime" she smiles.

That sounded like a grand idea.

I talk for her a little while longer before I noticed her mom was looking for her. So I send her her way and return to Anthony. He wraps his arm around me as I rest my head on his shoulder.

"You're gonna be such a good momma" he tells me and I smile.

"I sure hope so" I nod.

"You handled all of this so well. I don't even know what to do or say and you... you're like Wonder Woman. I'm not shocked by the kindness and compassion you've showed these past few days but I'm not any less amazed" he tells me.

"These people don't deserve this. And there isn't a thing in this world I can do to change the fate of their lives. No matter what Grace is going to have to go on with the rest of her life missing big pieces of her because a moraless man lost everyone and decided the answer was to get drunk then behind the wheel. It's not fair to this family to have to go through this, I know, I went through it too. I'm just doing anything I can to help these people. What I would have want people to do for me" I explain.

The funeral ends and I give the Washington's my best and assure them if they needed anything that they can call me. James' hearings were set to happen next week. They didn't give him a choice to set bond so I know he has to at least process this. I myself just went through a legal hearing with him so I'm not going to be in the courthouse unless Grace and her mom wanted me there. For now we are going to have to reflect and figure out how to move on.

Anthony decided we needed some ice cream and I couldn't argue with that. So we go and get some ice cream and enjoy the cool treat on this cool day.

"So how is school going" he wonders trying to get my mind off things.

"It's going well. If all goes to plan I can have my degree by august and can start working in my field" I admit.

"That's awesome. I'm still waiting for you to come and make up my place" he teases.

"I would love to" I smile. "Maybe we can finally get some pictures of us and hang them up" I admit.

"Nothing would make me happier" he smirks.