Death (\'deth\)
Noun- The cause or occasion of loss of life.
After wiping the snow off of it, I gazed at the marble tombstone placed firmly at the ground two feet where I stood. Like so many times before, I read the words of the gravestone once more:
HUNTER JAMES
Born: 12/17/1986
Died: 4/7/2009
A loving and loyal husband and soldier till the end.
"Hey, Sean" I murmured. "I brought some cherry blossoms. I know you won't get the reference of it because you're an imbecile, so I'll just tell you. 10 centimeters a second, remember? It was your favorite anime." I sighed before continuing. "Ever yone's okay. Crazy, like usual, but okay. Drake is on house arrest and the whole dance team is pissed off at him because we can't participate in the competition., Liam got back with Jessy, too. I try to tell her he's no good for her, but she is stub-freaking-born. Everyone know he cheats on her, but she's too blind to realize it. On the bright side, she took your suggestions and decided to major in creative writing! It's looks like she really does value her big brother's advice."
A chunk of snow fell from the tree behind me onto my face. I frowned at the feeling of the snow and wiped it away. Even after such a long time, talking to the grave still seemed awkward to me. I got used to it, but it was moments like this where I felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, a familiar pang shot through my heart. I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore it yet again.
Eight years.
Its been eight years since I've felt the rugged skin of Sean beneath my fingers. Eight freaking years since I listened to his booming laugh, or seen his crooked smile broaden as a result of one of my jokes. Eight years of the late nights of mischief in the city with him, of the long Otaku marathons we would watch together.
Eight years since Sean made the decision to serve our country, and four years since I saw man I loved, the man I married, laying in a closed casket and being dropped into a six foot pit.
But if there's one thing I learned, it's that life moves on and waits for none--not even for a 21 year old widow.
________________________________________
Originally written on July 23, 2014.