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Chapter 4. Graveyard

4. Graveyard

Third Person's POV

Ten months later,

Sabrina had packed all her essentials and was ready to leave for Manhattan in just four days. She had spent all her free time researching the area and gathering information about her new home. Although she had visited Manhattan once or twice before for vacation, this time she would have to settle there for an unknown length of time.

She had even taken the time to visit her parents' workplaces, instructing the responsible parties on the necessary processes and any required renovations.

Sabrina had made up her mind that she would take charge of her parents' work. She couldn't abandon what they had built with their sweat and hard work, but she would do so from a distance.

Before she knew it, the time had come for her to leave. She was scheduled to board her flight tomorrow. That night, she had a strange and disturbing dream whose meaning eluded her.

Sabrina gazed upon her father, standing alongside her 'Angel' who was dressed in a beautiful tuxedo. They stood in a meadow, their faces radiating an otherworldly glow. As she approached them, they looked at her with pride, and her father stepped forward, enveloping her in a warm embrace.

"Why haven't you come to visit us, Iris?" Jayden asked gently.

Tears welled up in Sabrina's eyes. "I'm sorry, Papa. I... I couldn't find the strength to face you and relive the pain of my past. I know I've been a bad daughter."

Even in her dream, the weight of her words was palpable. She couldn't bring herself to confront her parents without understanding the true circumstances of their deaths.

"Promise us you'll come to us," Jayden pleaded.

"No, Dad, please don't leave me again. I miss Mom so much, and I wish I could see her again," she sobbed.

"We're both proud of you, my baby, and we're happy wherever we are. Always remember that we're watching over you from afar," he reassured her, gently wiping away her tears.

"I can stay here. Everyone I've ever wanted is here," she pleaded.

"No, my dear. Listen to me. I must leave soon, but you need to know that your hardships will come to an end very soon. We're proud of you, and we're grateful to have been blessed with you as our daughter," Jayden said.

He then approached her Angel, who had been silently observing everything. Jayden called him by a name that Sabrina couldn't recall upon waking.

"Take care of her. She has endured enough," Jayden instructed her Angel.

"I will always cherish her and protect her from harm," he replied.

"What do you both mean by that?" Sabrina asked, her voice quivering.

"You will know soon enough, but for now, I must take him with me," Jayden said.

They began walking toward a brilliant light emanating from a distance. There, Sabrina saw her mother standing, and she ran after them, calling out her mother's name. But no matter how fast she ran, she felt as though she were stuck in the same place.

Eventually, they vanished, but not before Evelyn whispered, "Love you."

When Sabrina awoke in the morning, she was filled with tears and confusion. Trembling with fear, she sensed that something terrible was about to occur once again.

Summoning her strength, the first thing she did was gather her parents' favorite flowers and visit them at the graveyard.


Here she stood, dressed in black, in front of two gravestones bearing the names Jayden and Evelyn. The memories of burying her parents came rushing back, overwhelming Sabrina's heart.

"Mom, Papa, here I am. How could you think that I would leave without saying goodbye? How can I embark on this important phase of my life without your blessings?" Sabrina's voice quivered as she fell to her knees, gazing at the structures where her parents lay at rest, side by side.

She approached Jayden's grave and embraced it, imagining that she was embracing her beloved father. "Won't you be there, Papa, to hold your Iris as she begins this new chapter? You were always there for me, no matter what I pursued."

"Papa, won't you whistle for me, just like you did on the day I was hailed as the best journalist of the century? I can still picture you, sitting in the front row, clapping and showing your unwavering support."

Sabrina then turned to Evelyn's grave. "Mama, won't you and Dad come to see me off, just as you did on my first day of kindergarten? Your presence always gave me strength and confidence."

After spending an hour in the graveyard, Sabrina's phone rang. It was Stacey, informing her that she had to leave in two hours. Gathering herself, Sabrina stood up, casting one last glance at her parents' resting places. With determination, she wiped away her tears.

"I promise I'll visit you both as often as I can. I promise to try my best not to cry and to find happiness, because I know that's what you want for me."

Returning to her home, Sabrina covered the furniture with white sheets and parked both her car and her parents' car safely in the garage. She locked up and carried her essential belongings, carefully ensuring she hadn't forgotten anything. Finally, she picked up a cherished photograph of her parents kissing her and kept it close.

Promising herself to return at least once a month, Sabrina bid farewell to the house where she had grown up. Leaving behind the haunting memories and losses, she embraced the opportunity for change and prepared to move to an entirely new home, hoping to discover her own angel along the way.

With tears in her eyes, Sabrina boarded the flight, reminiscing about her childhood memories and the unforgettable moments, both joyous and heartbreaking. From the first day her parents sent her off to kindergarten to the pride shining in their eyes on her graduation day, and her father's exuberant cheer when she was named the best journalist of the year, all played like a movie reel in her mind.

Lost in her thoughts, Sabrina failed to notice the pilot and co-pilot entering the aircraft. The journey ahead was a blank canvas, waiting to be painted with new experiences and uncharted emotions.


Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to share your thoughts and emotions in the comments. If this chapter touched your heart, let me know, for it certainly did while I was writing it.


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