Heart of Gold | L.N. - Part One

L

Leah didn't tell anyone where she was going. She booked a flight and flew back to her home. She didn't have any way to bury George. So she decided to just have a funeral for him of her own. She turned her phone off. She didn't want to explain to anyone what she was doing or have to deal with everyone being worried. She just wanted to be alone for a long while. It was selfish she knew, she had people who cared for her deeply, but she didn't know what else to do. She was the last member of her family alive now. What the fuck was she supposed to do with that.

Leah took an Uber to her family home from the airport and walked to her family cemetery. They've had it on the property for as long as she can remember. The top of Burger Hill. That's what her brothers used to call the hill. It was where they set up their hunting stands since the deer usually grazed in that field and by the creek.  Leah walked up to the gated-in area and saw her father's headstone, her mother's, Charles's, and her grandparents, and she marked out a spot where George's would sit as well. Before she had left the house she had grabbed one of George's knives, his favorite one actually, and put it where his headstone would lay. She didn't have a body to bury so this was the closest thing she could think of. She sat down in front of the graves seeing the sunset over the hill.

"All my family in one place," She felt a chill run down her spine. "And we aren't arguing, that is a first." She laughed to herself. The only sound was the wind blowing through the trees.

"I hope you all are happy wherever you are, you know I don't believe in god," She looked up at the sky, the orange making it hard to look at. "Not after Dad, but I hope you are all happy. I was happy, or am happy, I don't know, I just," She pulled her knees closer to her chest as she looked at the dull grey stones. "I finally feel like I'm enough," Her eyes burned. "But none of you are here to tell me if I am or not, none of you are here to see my success anymore." She chewed on the inside of her lip trying to contain her sobs. She was so tired of crying. So tired. "I mean I guess I can't lose anyone else anymore, all my family is dead, and if they are still alive they don't want anything to do with me." Leah sniffed as her voice broke. She used her sleeve to wipe her eyes.

"I don't even know what else to say at this point. Will I be joining you all soon?" She asked, but of course, no one answered. "When I was little, the only thing I begged for was some peace and quiet." She stared at their stones as if they were going to respond. "Now all I want is for you all to say you love me one last time. I want you to hear me when I say I love you, I always have and always will because that's what family does. They love each other through thick and thin. Through everything. All the fights, all the drama, all the hate, we are still family. Blood bonds us together," Leah wiped her cheeks as she looked over at George's spot. She could imagine if he was here he would be judging her heavily for sobbing right now like this. "Is it going to be my turn soon?" She whispered to herself.

"I hope not," Avery muttered. Leah whipped her head around and wiped her tears away as she shot up. She didn't know he was there. How long he had been there?

"How, uh," She cleared her throat. "How did you know where I was? I thought you were in California with Nick?" Avery came forward with his arms out pulling her into a hug.

"I was," He spoke softly. "But I got a call from Cassidy, Isabella, and Lando saying they couldn't find you anywhere. So I had a hunch," He explained as she leaned back wiping away her tears.

"You always knew where I would be hiding," She whispered as she looked down at the stones.

"So this is it huh?" He squatted down and placed a single rose on Charles's grave and then moved over to the knife. "Is this where you're going to put George?"

"Um," She crossed her arms. "We don't get his body, but yeah, that's where his headstone will be." Avery put another rose next to the knife.

"Well at least he died doing what he loved," Avery sighed as he stood back up and put his hands into his pockets.