Andrew stared down at it for a moment as Luca said his goodbyes and left, feeling like his duty had been completed. Andrew thought to himself that this was it. Norton was dead, and he was going to be buried. He almost wanted to reach down and open the coffin up, see Norton one last time. However, his arms didn't reach that far and he didn't want to fall into the deep grave. Nor did he want Emma to have to witness his longing for Norton.
"I have to go soon, Andrew. If you still want me to plant the flowers, you need to hurry up a little bit." Emma's sweet voice snapped Andrew out of his thoughts, as he nodded and grabbed at his shovel once more. He began dumping the pile of dirt back into its home, packing it in tightly as to get every crumble back in.
Emma went ahead and began digging out much smaller holes with a dowel around the patch of brown land, dumping small seeds into their own graves. Andrew hoped something beautiful would sprout from Norton's grave, but was aware that it probably wouldn't happen.
It didn't take long for Emma to finish up and for Andrew to complete filling up the remaining space of the actual grave. Now, he stood at the end of the grave, watching as Emma watered the last bit of land. She stood up with a sigh, and hugged Andrew once more.
"I care about you, you know. If you need anything, just call me. Be careful, Andrew. I'll see you later." Emma spoke quietly, sincerity obvious in her words. He only nodded, giving her a hug back. He appreciated her kindness towards him, but honestly wasn't sure how to take it.
Andrew watched as she left, calling an Uber to take her back to her home. He was left with the darkness of the night, the grave, and his thoughts. He sighed, sitting down.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you Norton. I wanted to, I promise. I tried. You didn't deserve what happened to you. I'm sorry." He mumbled, talking more to himself than anyone else.
Andrew laid down, pressing his face against the fresh dirt. He felt so hopeless, unsure of what to do next in life. Now, he just wanted to stay in the company of the man he once loved. As his thoughts engulfed him, he drifted off into a deep sleep.
