Flowers for you

Jasmine

1 year later
--
Patricia's POV

Jasmine.

The color of purple, yellows and white decorate the engraved stone to remember her. Her. My best friend. She loved flowers, talked about it endlessly. Especially Jasmine, the flower she was named after. I watch the brightly colored petals scattered around her name and I felt nothing close to happiness. Flowers were used to express happiness and love, but in here, in this moment all I could feel was pain- and loss.

I run my fingers on the rough stone, carefully tracing her name. She had disappeared a year ago, on Valentine's Day. I bite back a bitter laugh that was edging its way out of my mouth, and blink back the sting in my eyes.

"Pat, let's go." A voice calls from behind me, I barely acknowledge it, staring at her name engraved in some rock that was supposed to represent her even though her body was not buried six feet under it. I still haven't accepted the fact that they gave up looking for her. They just- stopped. When I finally find the courage to stand up without my knees shaking, the sun had already set, casting a mixture of yellow and orange hues on the cemetery, making it seem less tragic looking than it really is. My eyes make their way to the person standing a few meters away from me, his dark hair reflecting the colors of the setting sun. He looks at me, puffs of smoke coming out of his mouth. It was a pretty darn cold day. I walk towards him slowly and he opens his arms instinctively to wrap them around me. I bury my face on his chest, grateful for the warmth his body and his layers of coat offered me.

"I still can't believe she's gone, Nathan." I mumble into his coat. He strokes my back gently, knowing fully well I didn't need an answer, or a reply. We start walking back to the entrance and pass by a familiar face. Anger rushes through me uncontrollably and I stomp across the path until I'm inches away from our new company.

"What are you doing here, Jasper?" I shout, barely controlling the tone of my voice. Nathan walks faster, placing his feet directly beside mine, his hands holding on to my own. I realized I was shaking.

"Pat, please." The guy in front of me begs. For a moment, looking at him so devastated and tired, I felt a little guilty but then a memory comes flooding into my mind and I continue staring him down until I felt Nathan grab my hand.

"Pat, let it go. Let him have this day. Come on." Nathans words echo through me and I exhale before letting him win. I turn away from Jasper, my hands still balls of fists between Nathans and walk begrudgingly away sparing him a glare before completely letting go of the subject.

When we were outside the cemetery, I felt a little relaxed, and ashamed. I peer over at Nathan who was taking his keys out his pocket, glancing over at me with his half-smile of understanding. It wasn't fair- what I was doing to him. We used to love Valentine's Day. We've been together for 2 years. I look at him, finally fishing out his keys from his jacket and unlocking his car and couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude, towards the guy who has been with me through everything, and has never left my side. I walk over to him and wrap both my hands round his free hand, he gives me a soft kiss on the forehead before opening the passenger seat for me. We didn't celebrate Valentine's this year.. I vowed to make it up to him, when I could finally let Jasmine go.

I don't remember falling asleep but was surprised when I woke up, Nathans hand was on my forehead. We were still in the car, parked outside my driveway. I stretch a little and look at him apologetically, feeling bad that I was such a sour puss on Valentine's Day. He smiles his smile again, that says everything is okay.

"I'll put it on the list of things you will make up for." He jokes and I smile at him while he kisses me, softly. Making me half regret not spending Valentine's with him. When he finally pulls apart I was already close to reconsidering the whole ordeal when I hear a familiar bark. I unfasten my seatbelt, aware of his eyes following my movements. I control the urge to laugh like a giddy school girl when I get out of the car kissing him one last time through the window before waving goodbye. I watch as his car disappears from view before turning my attention to the eccentric golden haired dog running around my feet.