Her, Saving Grace

32

"Where is she now..." My throat felt dry and my head was starting to hurt. I know I was breathing quiet loudly from trying to regulate my breathing.

He offered me his hand and I took a look at Ellie's face before taking it. He gently pulled me up and led me to the window, the cold air fanning my face as he lifted the glass frame up.

It was dark on the backyard but if you looked close enough, you would see a glimpse of color just under the tree's massive branches.

There were yellow ribbons wrapped around it. A lot of them. As if that person decided to dress the tree up. I turned to Damon, confused on why he was showing me this. He looked at me and gave me a small smile before making me turn to the window again.

With the medics' siren off, it was strangely quiet outside.

I failed to notice it when I came in, but there was music playing, filling the apartment with a lively melody.

Then I saw them.

They weren't there before, but appeared as misty figures before turning into something clearer and somewhat solid.

And they were dancing to the music. The young man holding the girl close to him as she laughed when he twirled her around. They danced around the oak tree like they didn't mind being caught or thought of as crazy.

I found myself grabbing onto Damon's arm, knowing that he could see this as well. He placed a hand over mine and we watched them silently.

When the song ended, they looked at each other, both breathless, before the man pulled her into a hug. They stayed like that for a moment before turning to where we were.

They were looking at us, a cheeky grin on their faces.

I found it hard to breathe as the man took off his hat.

"Benjie..."

And as if he heard me, he gave me a salute. I didn't know how it was possible but I heard him.

"Catherine Wright."

Gasping, I heard Damon chuckle, holding my hand tighter. He brought his lips near my ear.

"Look closer, bonbon."

And I did. The woman waved at us, her arm on Benjie's waist, just as his was on hers.

"Take care of him for me, will you Catherine?"

My head turned to look at Damon, my eyes wide as I felt his hand move from mine, down to my waist.

"El-" I took a shaky breath before he pulled me in for a hug, my arms wrapping themselves around him.

The tears came. And I welcomed them,my body shaking as I sobbed.

I was never the one to cry. I just thought of it as a waste of time. They wouldn't make things better. I hated it. It made me look weaker than I already felt. But she- they were there. I could see and hear them.

"Please tell me you could see them too..." I whispered, burying my face on his chest, my hands moving to his shirt front, fisting the fabric on attempt to calm myself down.

"I can see them clearly, bonbon." His face was on my hair, rubbing circles on my back to ease the tension on my body.

I glanced down to see them looking at us, their position just like ours.

"It's time to go Ellie." Benjie held Ellie's face in between his hands. She took a deep breath before nodding. They turned to us one last time, Ellie waving us goodbye, and Benjie saluting at Damon before they slowly faded until we were just looking at the yellow ribbons around the oak tree.

And even then, tears kept running down my cheeks. He lifted my face and wiped them away but they just wouldn't stop.

"I hate seeing you sad." His voice was hoarse and he looked so pained that it made me want to scold my eyes because they wouldn't stop producing water.

"The thing is," leaning towards his left hand,I looked at him. "I'm not." I gave him a smile before wiping the tears myself.

Eventually, my sobbing turned to hiccups and after assuring him that I was fine, he let me go.I heard him take a shaky breath before telling me he's going to let the men inside

I turned back to Ellie's body, now understanding why her face was such at peace. I moved towards her side and kissed her cheek one last time before going with Damon as he opened the door, the medics patiently waiting outside. He nodded and they went inside, placing my angel's body on a gurney. We waited outside as they removed her from the room.

I wasn't crying anymore. She was happy. That was all that mattered.

I was left behind by one of the few people who knew Catherine Wright for who she is and not what she tried being.

I've been left alone before, and I was forced to face the emptiness on my own.

But you see, I'm not alone anymore.

Death will come to all of us, this I know.

We get so focused on the part of leaving that we don't take notice on what would happen after.

People come and go. Nobody really gets to stay. That's life's awful truth.

And for the first time,

I was okay with it...