It's Only a Matter of Time

Chapter 37

The Visit

Aaron's POV

(A/N: I'm sorry guys. Sad chapter alert. Don't you hate it when you just start writing filler chapters to make your story longer? Is it just me? Okay...)

Today is Friday. Friday means tomorrow is Saturday. Saturday means the day that I visit her. I visit her every Saturday. It's my tradition, I guess.

"Alex," I said to him, "Could you come with me to visit her tomorrow? Please? I really need you."

We were walking home to the orphanage. Alexander was walking to my left. I was kicking a rock along the sidewalk.

"Of course," He answered.

I smiled. It's so nice having a friend who cares about me. I entered the orphanage and went to my room. I waved to Alexander as he headed to his room to probably study or something. I heard a scream from the room next to mine.

I cracked open my door. Judy was leaving the room next to me. That was Olivia and Leila's room. Olivia was ten and Leila was eleven. I left my room and went to their room. I heard one of them running around the room.

"Olivia? Leila?" I opened her door.

"She got adopted," Leila rolled her eyes.

Olivia was running around her room. She was taking books off her bookshelf and putting them in a sparkly backpack. Olivia stood with an armful of textbooks.

"EEACK!" Olivia shrieked as she tripped over a stack of books that she left in the middle of the room, "I GOT ADOPTED!" She popped back up from the ground and continued to rush around.

She threw open her closet and chucked articles of clothing onto the ground.

"What should I keep?" She asked Leila.

"You should keep the red party dress," Leila suggested.

"Okaaaay. I'm just gonna gooo," I closed the door. Olivia just got adopted. Kenji got adopted last week. Bethany got adopted last month. Why can't I get adopted?

I sighed and went back to my room. I looked at one of my walls. It was covered with photos. Her smiling face seemed to haunt me. I had found all the photos of her I could and I put them on my wall. I walked up to the biggest one which was her and me at Central Park. I put my hand on it.

"I miss you," I whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow. I promise."

Time skip

I stepped out of my room. Alex was leaning against a wall, reading a book. He saw me and tucked the book into his backpack. We stepped into the street.

Alexander and I hailed a taxi. We told the driver where we were going and we were headed off.

"Stop. Please. I want to get off," I said.

The taxi pulled over and I got out. Alexander followed me with a confused look on his face.

"This is... the place where-where," I tried to say. Our taxi had driven away but I didn't notice. Alexander gave me a hug.

"Follow me," Alexander told me.

He walked across the crosswalk. I followed him. I jumped from one white painted brick to another. For her. Just like she did on that day. He rounded a corner as I followed. We went to a flower shop. He gestured inside as I looked around at all the different flowers.

"Do you have tulips? Tulips like from the Shakespeare Garden?" I wondered as I walked to the cashier stand.

"We have regular tulips," The cashier answered.

I nodded and bought a bouquet of tulips. I carried them as we called another taxi. We went to the New York Marble Cemetery. I looked at the gates, filled with a horrible sense of sadness. This is her home. I took a deep breath and walked to her grave. It was in a far corner under a tree.

"Hey," I murmured, "I told you I'd be back. I brought you flowers. Tulips. They were your favourite. Right?"

I could imagine her sweet smile as she buried her nose in them. She was so close, yet so far away. I started to cry. Why does this have to happen to me?

"I miss her," I heard a voice behind me. It was Peggy. She was holding hands with Angie and she had a single lily in her other hand. Eliza was straggling behind.

"The Schuyler sisters," Alexander said.

Eliza averted her eyes from Alexander. I guess there's still a little tension between them. I don't care.

"Olivia got adopted yesterday. On Wednesday we took a field trip to Weehawken. Did you ever get to the part in your book about the duel? We saw the spot of the duel. Angie was freaking out..." I rambled to the grave.

I laid my flowers down on her grave. Peggy knelt down next to me and laid down her single flower. I turned to Peggy. She gave me a watery smile. I leaned and gave her a hug. Peggy started to cry.

Peggy leaned her head on my shoulder. The rest of my friends sat down next to us. I looked down the line at them. I'm so glad I have friends who support me.

I remember when I first asked her out. When I walked up, Angie's eyes blazed. I asked her out to the dance and it was the start of an amazing relationship.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a toothbrush. I started to scrub her grave. It was pretty clean already but I have to make it shine. I have to clean it.

I pulled out a tiny pair of scissors next. The grass was growing over the sides of the grave. I trimmed the grass so it was all tidy.

After I trimmed the grass, I reached into my pocket once more and took hold of a photo of her. It was a photo from the dance. We were smiling in front of her house. Theo was sitting between us with her floppy tongue hanging out of her mouth. I laid the photo down next to the grave and put a rock on it so it won't fly away. "It's quiet uptown," Eliza whispered. I looked back at her. She was holding hands with Alexander. I smiled a little bit.

I stood up and walked back to the street. The others followed me. I leaned against the gate as I looked back at the graveyard.

The light was beginning to turn golden. It hit the trees and filtered down onto the grass. Flowers swayed in the wind and someone had hung up wind chimes.

"I miss her so much," I said to nobody in particular.

"We all do, Aaron, we all do," Alexander answered after a moment.

"I love you Theodosia," I whispered.