Poison

Epilogue

6 weeks later...

Christine found her way onto the grass and settled with her legs underneath her. She took the time to pick off any weeds that have grown to high and dusted off the top of her tombstone. She carefully read the words inscribed into the granite.

Amilla Sage Wilson.

She remembered how long it took her to come up with the inscription after the buried her. She spent many nights trying to find the best words to describe her sister, words that will forever grace her marker. Maria gave the task to Christine after the funeral.

They were walking back to their cars, holding each other tightly underneath their umbrella. Ironically, it was raining on the day of her funeral. They were the last ones to leave the burial site both of them refusing to leave until well after the others had left. They had sat in silence as they watched her body being covered up with dirt. Each pile of dirt that landed on her casket a reminder of the reality the two of them faced.

"Christine?" Maria whispered.She looked at the woman beside her. Her tear stained cheeks were flush from crying throughout the service. "I-I have to figure out something to put on her tombstone."

Her eyes welled up with tears after and Christine made the effort not to mimic her. She had not cried during the service and burial, she wanted to opportunity to mourn privately. She knew that this did not go over well with her relatives and friends. They were constantly checking in on her and giving their condolences. Their expressions notified her that they were waiting on her to break her stoic expression. She can admit that there were a few times that she thought she was going to. Often taking breaks and hiding in the bathroom from the others. At times like this, she wishes that she would have brought her flask filled with whiskey.

"I can't do it, Christine." She sobbed. "I've spent hours trying to find an inspirational quote or words to put on my fiancé's tombstone and I fucking can't. None of it seems good enough!"

"Nothing will ever be good enough."

"I feel like a failure because I can't do this one thing."

"Hey." Christine interrupted her. She grabbed Maria by the arm and stopped them. "You picked out a casket, found an outfit, planned this funeral, and now you are about to play hostess at the reception after. You are not a failure, at all. This is hard for everyone involved, but especially you. You need to give yourself more grace."

Maria nodded with tears streaming down her face. She pulled Christine into her embrace and quietly sobbed into her shoulder. Christine rubbed her back and squeezing her tightly. "I'll do it." she said before she could acknowledge the responsibility of her actions.

"What?"

"I'll do it, I'll find the inscription."

Amilla Sage Wilson, May you finally be free.

Christine clutched the paper in her hand before unfolding it and reading the typed words out loud. A couple days prior, she had decided that she was going to come to the tombstone that she had not been to since her burial. Even when she found the right words to place on her tombstone, she did not come see the finished product. Before Christine disappeared, Maria used to invite her to visit, but she always found an excuse.

"I know it's been awhile since I've been here, I couldn't bring myself to come here after. I thought that you hated me and I wasn't welcome. Now I realize that it wasn't you that hated me, it was me. For awhile after your death, it was the only thing I could think about when I thought about you. I didn't have anymore memories, just the one. For that, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I refused to see you as anyone else but someone that I killed. You are so much more than that. You were this lively person that experienced everything. You allowed yourself to feel every moment that you were living and I didn't. You pushed me to be the same way, but I always thought it was silly. I watched how feeling every moment affected you and I refused to be the same way. However, I neglected to see how it made you a good sister, friend, and fiancé."