The fate that came to me
If I put it in other words
I want to write down
Your name
♪
The next day arrived quietly, like it knew better what the significance was.
Hannah was dressed in a black long sleeve dress which was modest, falling right at her knees.
Not much of jewellery, just the star pendant necklace Mark gifted her. Her hair was tied back loosely, a few strands already slipping free.
Mark chose dark jeans and a plain black shirt, sleeves buttoned and his expressions guarded.
Parker complained about having to dress like a proper funeral but still showed up in black. Their dad wore a white shirt under a dark coat, the kind Yujia loved.
The drive out of the city felt long and quiet, trees lined up on the sides of the road.
The sky was pale and gloomy, the kind Australia gets when it's holding its breath. No one spoke much, even Parker stayed unusually still.
At the cemetery, the air was cool and faintly salty as the ocean was not too far. The gravestones spread wide, sunlight filtering through tall gum trees. It felt open- too open like there was nowhere to hide.
Hannah stepped out the car and that's when she saw him.
A familiar figure stood near the path, hands in his jacket pockets, travel bag at his feet. Mason.
Her steps slowed,
"Mason?"
He turned around, surprise flickered across his face before settling into something gentle.
"Hey"
No explanations or questions were asked, at least not here.
They all walked together towards the grave. One by one the bouquets were placed carefully.
The stone was cool to the touch, her mother's name was carved neatly. The wind softly whispered above them, making them feel her presence there.
Their dad stood in front of the grave for a long time before speaking.
"It's been years," he said quietly.
"And I can still hear you complain that we're late."
A small smile tugged at his lips before it faded.
You must like this place," he continued, voice steady but low.
"Quiet, open and there's no crowd."
He glanced at Mark, then added gently like he was really talking to her,
"Mark is here today."
He gestured slightly like Yujia was really looking at him with the quiet, sparkling interest she usually had but always gave space to listen to.
"He is Hannah's boyfriend, can't believe that our little sunshine is this big right? I can't too..."
A pause.
Hannah was gripping onto Mark's hand, tears welled up on her eyes.
"You would've liked him."
Mark's chest tightened, being introduced to someone like this especially to someone who shaped Hannah's entire life felt unreal.
Their dad shared a memory then. About how she used to pack too much food for road trips. How she insisted on family photos even when no one wanted to pose.
How she laughed the loudest at Parker's terrible jokes and appreciate their kid's colouring which they labelled as art just to motivate them.
Then he stepped back,
"You all can talk now if you want to."
Parker went first.
"I don't remember much," he admitted.
"But you used to run behind us a lot which was iconic, none of us can do that."
He sniffled then added quietly,
"Our new mom takes care of us well. So, you don't have to worry so much about us anymore."
He hesitated then blurted out,
"Also Hannah grew up and left me and she has a boyfriend now so... that's rude."
A faint, sad smile was shared. He placed his flower and stepped aside.
Their mum spoke next, not long but just enough. Gratitude and condolences wrapped into a few sentences that trembled at the edges.
Then Mark.
He took a breath before stepping forward.
"I've never been to someone like this," he admitted softly.
He looked at the stone then briefly at the void ahead.
"Hannah talks about you, sometimes without realising... And I see her in you. The way she carries responsibilities, the way she loves without asking for anything back." He swallowed.
"If I had known," he added honestly,
"I would've come here first, to ask for permission."
The wind answered him, leaves stirring above.
He placed his flower.
When it was over, their stepmom stepped closer to her carefully.
"Hannah, will you come home with us?"
Hannah shook her head.
"I'll come later."
No one argued, they all nodded, like they understood this wasn't something to negotiate.
As they turned to leave, Mason adjusted his bag.
Hannah stopped him.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were coming?"
He shrugged lightly,
"I'll tell you at home,"
Mark noticed that Hannah wasn't walking with them. He glanced back once, concern flickered across his face but staying felt wrong especially when she asked for space.
So he left with the others.
♪
Mark saw Hannah from a distance and knew instinctively that he shouldn't follow.
She stood still near the grave, head bowed, hands clasped together, shoulders slightly tensed like she was holding herself upright by sheer will. For a moment, he considered waiting closer but something in her posture told him this was not the right time.
So he turned away, giving her space.
Mark walked a little farther past the main path and sat down in the grass beneath a tall tree, dry leaves scattered around him.
The place wasn't scary, not even unsettling in the way people often described cemeteries. Still, a strange discomfort lingered like the air was heavier here, aware of itself.
He felt a presence.
Not something threatening, but... watching. Existing.
At first, he didn't notice at all. His thoughts were only on Hannah. On how quiet she has been since morning. On the way her hands trembled when she placed down the flowers. But now, sitting alone with only the wind being the solace. The awareness crept in.
Behind him, Hannah finally spoke.
She talked softly, her voice uneven at first.
She told her mother she missed her even after all these years. That the ache never really left, it just learned how to sit quietly. She updated her on life like she always did before and after she left.
About her job, about becoming a composer, about how strange it still felt to say that out loud that she's working with actual celebrities they watched together on the TV.
Then she mentioned about Mark.
How they met, how unexpected he was.
And how she never thought about her first love being an idol.
She didn't rush but she didn't cry loudly either. It's been long enough that crying now didn't seem like an option anymore, but the pain moved forward with her.
Just honest words were placed carefully like she was afraid of breaking something fragile between them.
when she was done, she stood there for a bit longer then finally turned and walked towards Mark.
"Sorry for making you wait, were you bored waiting for me?" she asked gently.
He looked up, surprised.
"No, not at all."
She sat beside him, pulling her knees in slightly.
"I was overthinking I guess."
He hesitated then added.
"I thought I will feel weird here. But I don't. I feel okay."
Hannah nodded.
"Probably because you know someone here, even if you haven't met her."
"Yeah" he admitted.
She smiled faintly.
"That's how it is for me too. She's here."
After a pause, she spoke again but softer.
"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you earlier about this."
He turned towards her.
"You don't need to apologise."
"I didn't know how to," she continued.
"It was the beginning for us. I didn't know how to bring it up without making everything heavy."
Mark listened quietly.
"I didn't ask," he said finally.
"Because I didn't know if you were comfortable with sharing something personal like this, but I always thought... you'd tell me someday."
She looked at him into his eye and nodded.
Hannah stayed quiet for a moment, eyes fixed on the ground, fingers twisting the hem of her sleeve.
"She got sick... It was right when our parents stopped fighting much." she said.
"It wasn't dramatic, that's the worst part."
"Can I ask what was actually wrong?" Mark asked out hesitantly.
Hannah nodded,
"She got C-PTSD, GAD, insomnia and dissociative disorders and it was untreated for so long that it led to CHD causing her death... I wasn't aware of all this till I was 18 when Mason decided to tell me on her death anniversary."
Mark didn't interrupt, he just held her hand in his and gently caressed it with his thumb.
"We kept thinking that it was something temporary." A faint breath left her.
"The hospital rooms did not surprise me anymore, it was the same white walls, bright lights and those beeping monitors which assured us that she's alive but at what cost?"
She continued.
"Waiting became our life, for reports, for doctors, for good news that never came."
She paused and added,
"I remember sitting outside the room, Dad and Mason never really allowed me and Parker in with the same words that 'mom needs to rest' but actually they didn't let us in because we would get scared."
Hannah sighed deeply, Mark kept caressing and pressing her hand gently to assure that it's alright.
"I still remember Mason looked scared himself, he was forced to act mature in that situation. I was stuck, they treated me as a child to be protected but I understood a lot more for my age. Parker was clueless, he just ate and slept in the chair while complaining on when we will go home and crying saying that me misses mom."
"I really started counting tiles, listening to music, scribbled something on my notes. Anything just to distract myself from the thought of something negative, probably that's when I got into music. It became my distraction."
Mark moved closer to her carefully, not wanting to hurt her in any way and carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
She swallowed hard, trying her best to hold back herself. The memories still looked fresh to her.
"Then one day... The machines stopped beeping, it was so sudden that I couldn't process anything. I thought it just got serious and someone will come and fix it as they always did but..." She laughed softly without humour.
"no one did..."
Mark felt heavy, like he got so into it that he teared up.
"I'm sorry..." he said quietly.
She nodded and noticed,
"Why are you crying?" She chuckled softly.
Mark wiped his eyes,
"I guess I got into it."
Hannah looked ahead,
"Days passed, people got busy, but it felt like I was stuck there the longest. That's why I don't talk about it much, it still feels like if I think about it again. I'll break again."
Mark let the heaviness sit between them.
"I get it why it's hard, you don't have to explain it perfectly"
She exhaled, the weight lifted off her chest.
"Thank you."
She talked about her stepmom too.
"I was so upset," Hannah admitted.
"I thought, how can someone replace her so easily?"
Mark didn't interrupt.
"Mason understood," she continued.
"He said dad needed company. Parker for obvious reasons didn't think much of it, he didn't have many memories of mom, so it was different for him. He didn't like her at first, he hated new people, but she was kind and that made him get along easily."
She exhaled softly,
"It bothered me more than them, Mason was mature enough to understand dad and Parker was young enough to adapt. I didn't want to accept it, but she was really nice with us especially Parker as he was still a toddler back then."
She stopped herself before going deeper,
"I don't want to get emotional again."
Mark nodded, understanding without pushing further.
"I honestly didn't feel like she wasn't your biological mom," he said gently.
"The bond feels real. Like... mother and daughter."
She blinked, surprised.
"And," he added,
"it was brave of you to tell me."
They sat there a little longer, talking about nothing important. About how strange it was that the past and future didn't matter much when you were truly present with someone.