Oneshots - Kayce Dutton Book 2

It never really goes away.

Request - Kayce is driving down an intersection when at a stop light, he glances over and sees Y/N in the truck next to him. He tried to get her attention or something but quickly realizes that Y/N's shaking and crying; he reroutes and follows her until she stops at a graveyard to visit a deceased family member with flowers and Kayce helps comfort Y/N.

The second week of May was always going to be a hard week for you. For starters, Mother's Day was right around the corner. Secondly, your mother passed away four years ago in a car accident on this week. It was sudden, painful, and while you've healed from the loss, the grief never did completely leave you.

You had just come from the flower shop. A beautiful bouquet of sunflowers were in your passenger seat, equipped to last for a few weeks at the cemetery. Pulling up to a red light you were hit with another wave of sadness. At twenty-nine, you weren't supposed to need your mother for much anymore, but that didn't mean you didn't miss her voice and her humor. You missed just calling for advice, whether you took it or not. You missed not sharing your life with her. She never got to see you move back home. She never got to see you land a job as a vet tech on the largest ranch in Montana. She never got to meet the cowboy who swept you off your feet and you had fallen in love with.

Tears rolled down your cheeks as the light turned green. You turned your SUV to the left and drove down the street to the cemetery entrance. Passing the rows of graves, you finally made it out to where your mom had been buried. It was a warm, Spring morning when she was buried in a small ceremony. Your father and little sister by your side as the preacher said a prayer and lowered her casket into the earth.

Getting out, you grabbed the flowers and walked over to stand in front of her tombstone. It was still new looking, not much dirt on it. You placed the flower in the center and stood back up, wiping under your eyes. The shutting of another car door caught your attention, so you looked over your shoulder.

Kayce was walking toward you.

He was the last person you thought you'd see here. You hadn't told anyone about how you'd come to your mom's grave on the anniversary of her death. Not that you kept it, but no one had asked, and you never liked to be someone who brought another person down.

Kayce had his hands in his jacket pockets as he stepped over the ground and came up beside you. His black cowboy hat shading his eyes from the sun as he looked down at you. You sniffed, wishing you weren't a mess like you were right now. You watched Kayce's eyes look at your mom's gravestone. His golden orbs traced over the stone, and you saw him read the letters before he finished with the warm flowers in front of it. He then turned to face the side of you.

"I saw you at the traffic light," Kayce said slowly.

You thought back and realized he must have seen you crying next to him. Frowning, you figured you had worried him about why you were crying so hard in the car at a light. So, he must have followed you and then kept a respectful distance one he knew where you were going.

"I do this every year," You told him softly.

"Is it her anniversary?" Kayce asked.

You nodded your head.

"Four years," You wiped your nose. "And I'm usually good...but not this week. Never this week."

Kayce stood next to you as you thought about your mom. You let yourself think of all the memories, good and bad. You found yourself not crying as much though this time. There was something about, not only having someone with you, but having Kayce with you. His presence was calming to you, and it made you feel like you weren't alone. You knew you weren't, but it was nice to feel it.

You took a deep breath and finally looked back up to Kayce. He turned his head and gave you a small smile. Reaching up, he swiped his thumb under your eye, removing the rest of your tears.

You finally stepped closer to Kayce, letting him wrap his arm around you and rub up and down your side. You leaned your cheek against his shoulder and wrapped your arms around his middle.

"I wish you could have met her," You told him. "She's have loved you."

"Hmm," Kayce hummed. "Well, I love her daughter, so I think it's a close second."

"You're sweet when I'm sad," You giggled despite the situation.

"I don't like you sad," Kayce squeezed you tighter. "But I know a little bit about this type of sadness."

You leaned back and looked up at him. He would know exactly what you were feeling. Kayce may have been nine and it had been a while now since his mother was alive, but the feeling of not having your mom was still alive in him. You took a deep breath, rising on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"I feel pretty good most days," You admitted to him. "But then I just get hit with this heaviness and sadness. I miss her and I don't understand why she isn't here. That feeling is heavy, and I don't know how to make it go away."

"It doesn't ever really go away," Kayce looked at her. "It's always there, we just learn to live with it."

You nodded, understanding what he meant by that. You leaned your head back against his shoulder.

"Thank you for following me," You told him.

"Always," Kayce smiled down at you.