Sweet Summer Love

Epilogue

Epilogue

I could feel the sun beat down on one side of my face as I made my way to Jeremy’s grave. It had been a year since the accident and leaving for Washington in just a couple of days I had to make one last good-bye. My throat tightened and heartbeat increased when I finally approached it. I sat down in front of it, smiling weakly as if he was really watching me.

“Hey,” I started shakily, this was only the second time I had visited his grave since the funeral. I tried to avoid coming to the cemetery because that meant facing the fact that he was dead. “So, I know I haven’t been coming to visit you, which I know looks bad” I continued, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you Jeremy because I do, I really do,” I said biting the inside of my cheek. I could feel someone’s stare and looked up, there was an elderly women watching me. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a small smile. She was standing a couple of feet away next to a large grave. When she did that I knew that she was in the exact position I was and smiled back. She looked away and I averted my eyes back to Jeremy’s grave and took a deep breath.

“I’m leaving soon for college; I’m going up to the University of Washington to study medicine,” I said, swallowing hard, “because ever since the accident I decided that I’ve got to do something in the medical field. I need to find a way to help people who suffer through the same condition as you did. No one, and I mean no one, should have to lose someone the same way I lost you.” Tears were already rolling down my face and dropping onto my lap.

“I wish I could see you right now, I’m missing you like crazy. I still can’t believe I’m alive, I’d much rather be up there with you. I really wish we spent senior year together. There was a pep rally in your name and we raised thousands of dollars for cardiomyopathy research. It was amazing, it really was. So many people helped and everybody seemed to be connected to you in one way or another. You were really loved.”

That’s when I really started to lose it, hiccups were forming and my nose was slowly plugging up. This was much harder than I expected and I wasn’t sure if I could even go on.

“Casey?” My head snapped up and to my surprise Justin was walking right towards me.

“Jus-“ I didn’t get finish because he was already at my side pulling me against him.

“Oh Casey, it’s okay,” he muttered quietly making me cry harder. I felt bad knowing that I was ruining his shirt with my snot and tears, but he didn’t seem to care as he brushed my hair with his hand, gently shushing me. We stayed like that until my tears died down and I could breathe through my nose again.

“So you finally came,” Justin said turning his head to look at me.

“Yeah,” I replied wiping my face with my sleeves.

“It’s always the hardest the first time.”

“I can tell,” I said smiling weakly, “did you know I would be here?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, “I came over to your house and your dad told me you were over here,” he paused and studied me, “It does get better, Casey. Even if it may not seem that way right now, it does.” I stared at Justin, he had really changed. The childish guy he once was now replaced with a more mature man.

“I know.”

“Life sucks sometimes.”

“It does,” I agreed.

“Well I should probably pay my respects,” Justin said, glancing at me.

“Oh,” I said beginning to get up, “you’d you like me to leave?”