hexes for exes

chapter twenty-five, you used to sing for me

THE SIXTH OF August was a date imprinted in Livia's head. She didn't think she'd ever be able to forget it.

Every year before, they'd gone together in a large group. This year, they were all split up. To avoid conflict, to avoid exclusion, they'd all silently agreed to travel in their own households.

Livia with Pamela. The twins with Aurelius (Victoire was too young to remember much about Melody), Brie and Lila. Sarah with her brother, Brian. She wasn't sure what time the others were all going at, she didn't particularly care. The tradition was in the morning, and she stuck to it.

Since Livia's car was still being fixed, they ended up having to call a taxi.

Melody's grave was a forty minute drive away from Briarville, at the place where she spent most of her life, Gillingford. Livia had never visited while Melody was still alive. It was only afterwards, when she was long gone, that she had a chance to visit.

She understood why Melody would have loved the town. It was quaint and peaceful, eerily silent in the morning as they arrived. They got off at the familiar gates, slowly making their way in.

Everyone was there.

Sarah was putting flowers in a vase while Brian softly cried behind her, Amphion and Zeth were quietly talking, while Aurelius stared off into the distance. Brie and Lila stood silently to the side.

Brie glanced over when Livia and Pamela approached, a small smile on her face. "You're here."

Livia nodded in reply. She glanced at Zeth, and then back at Brie. The two were doing an excellent job of ignoring each other, of denying each other's presence. Perhaps that was the best way around this for now.

It reminded her of how the summer started, though. Eventually there would be an explosion, and they'd have to clean up that mess. Whether the wounds healed cleanly or rotted was a bridge they'd cross when they got to it.

Livia didn't think there was much she could do about it. Until Zeth got over his crush, until Brie was able to deal with the idea of all of this, to recover from her own broken heart, any help she offered would be pointless.

Usually, the spirits were a bit higher than this. Of course it was a sad affair, being here. No one could be truly happy. But they'd all gather around, mourn, and head to a nearby restaurant for food and some reminiscing over the old times with Melody. Livia doubted there'd be any of that this year, considering the current state of relationships between them. Too many strings tangled up, such a mess that the only way out was to cut the threads altogether.

But none of them were willing to do that yet. There were still too many hard feelings left unsolved.

So they all stood there, mourning.

Truth was, they all got over Melody a long time ago. Melody Martinez was a topic rarely brought up, though when it did it was carefully savoured and often ended with tears. They missed her. Of course they did. But she died so long ago that sometimes, Livia even forgot her voice.

Melody had been diagnosed with cancer the year they were twelve. Leukaemia. At twelve, they hadn't realised how severe that would be. They were all told during the summer, and that summer had been about Melody. About making sure she was happy, cheering her up.

The summer they were thirteen, Melody was deteriorating but still alright. Her hair had been shaved for chemotherapy, and she was visibly far weaker than before. But none of them thought it would be lethal.

It was that very September Melody left them all.

It all happened so suddenly no one knew how to react.