Ocean Eyes - Maddie Poppe and Caleb Hutchinson Series (Book 3)

Chapter 32

Maddie's POV

Caroline's funeral was the hardest thing I've ever went through. Period.

Allison can't stop crying. Caleb can't stop crying, and I can't either. Everyone is leaving the cemetery. Caleb and I start back to the car, until we see Allison isn't with us. I turn around and see her at her sister's grave. She starts screaming, so I run over to her. Caleb follows. She is down on her little knees and she can't breathe from crying.

"Baby," I try to hug her close to me, and she pushes me away.

She stares at the headstone in front of her, "Come back, sissy! Please!"

She cries harder, and I cry with her. I look back at Caleb, and he wipes his eyes before turning around and going back to the car.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I tell Allison.

"I want sissy back, mommy," she cries.

"I want her back, too," I tell her.

"Come back," she screams again.

"Come on, sweetie, let's go home," I tell her.

"No!" She yells, "she will come back. Sissy will come back, mommy. I asked her, to."

Then I lose it. I think back to a couple months ago, when we told Caroline that Bella had died, and then I cry even more.

"I miss mommy," she cries.

"I know," I tell her, "but I promise you that one day you will see her again."

"When I go to heaven?"

"Yes," I use my hand to wipe my eyes before returning it to her head.

"Is mommy okay?"

"She is very much okay," I tell her, "and she is very happy."

I try to hug Allison, and this time, she let's me. She leans her back into me and I wrap my arms around her.

"Allison, I need you to remember something, okay?" I tell her.

"What?" She cries.

"Do you remember when Bella died?" I ask.

"Mhm," she answers.

"And she went to heaven. Caroline is in heaven, too."

"She is with her mommy?"

"Yes," I answer, holding her a little tighter.

"But why did she have to go to heaven so soon," she cries again, "she said we were going to go to school together next year."

"I know, baby," I start crying again.

"Mommy," she says.

"Yes?"

"I will see her when I go to heaven?"

"Yes, baby."

"When will I go to heaven?"

I wipe my eyes, "I don't know. No one knows. But I hope it's not for a very long time because I want you to stay here with me and daddy as long as possible."

"Sissy misses me?"

"She sure does," I whisper, "and I know you miss her. But she is always in your heart."

"Can we go home now?"

"Let's go," I say.

She stands up, and I stand with her. I take her little hand in mine and she looks back at the headstone, "Bye, sissy. I will come back and talk to you, soon. I miss you and I love you."

I feel my eyes watering again, and then we walk back to the car. Caleb is sitting in the driver's seat, his hands on the top of the steering wheel and his forehead against his hands, and I can tell he's crying. Allison opens the door and gets in, and sees Caleb crying.

"Don't cry, daddy," she says.

He sits up and wipes his eyes, turning around and looking at her, "I love you, Allie."

"I love you, too. It's okay to be sad and miss her, but she is with her mommy and her fishy now and she is in our hearts. And one day we will see her when we get to heaven."

"We sure will," Caleb says, turning the key in the ignition.

We're going down the road, and I turn around and look at Allison. She is looking up at the blue sky through her window.

She smiles, "the sky is so pretty! I bet heaven is even more beautiful."