If We Had Met First

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Eight

            2 weeks later

            The sun was beating down on everyone, their black clothes only making them feel hotter. Many people had tears in their eyes as they watched the casket being lowered into the ground. One by one what was left of his family walked to the grave and threw in a single white rose.

            First was Elena’s Aunt Jenna even though it was only her brother in law tears were streaming out of her eyes like they were fountains. Once she began to back away John stood forward, he was miraculously dry eyed considering it was his brother’s funeral. After him came Jeremy, as he walked to the side of the grave his face was dry but when he turned away Elena could see the tears running from his eyes.

            Now it was her turn, she had been dreading this day, dreading this moment for a long time. As she put one foot that was clad in a black flat forward she remembered everything that happened two weeks ago in her living room.

            “I guess it was a good thing we didn’t shove you in the trunk.” Damon said. Although he sounded like his usual snide self there was surprise in his eyes that he couldn’t quite hide. He was staring at Alaric like he was a ghost which was perfectly natural considering he had been lying on the ground dead a few minutes ago.

            But Alaric either didn’t hear Damon’s words or he didn’t notice them. His eyes widened and slowly he lifted his right hand which hovered in the air shakily as he examined it.

            Elena wasn’t sure she would have been able to recognize the ring on his finger if she hadn’t had the improved sight of a vampire. But seeing as she did it was only too easy for her to see the familiar silver band, the black stone and the silver emblem she had been looking at since she was a little girl.

            As she got closer and closer to the grave she became more aware of the eyes on her. She wasn’t surprised. Weeks before this she had been the sad little girl who lost her mother, now the only thing that changed was she had lost both of her parents.

            It was strange, she thought that at her dad’s funeral all she would be able to do was cry but tears hadn’t even began to well up in her eyes. It felt like there was a huge ball of ice in her stomach that radiated numbness throughout her entire body.

            Another step, now she was able to look down in the grave. At the bottom was the glossy wooden top of the casket and the three white roses that were already thrown in. Even now looking at his casket she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Alaric had come back but not him.

            “So I guess magic rings that bring the wearer back from the dead aren’t as rare as we thought.” Damon said as he to recognized the ring.

            “B-but he was wearing his I saw it! How can you have the exact same ring?” Elena asked before Alaric had a chance to say anything. There was a note of hysteria in her voice and once she was finished speaking she rushed to the couch and grabbed her dad’s hand. She gasped in relief as she saw the ring was still on his finger.

            “My wife Isobel gave it to me.” Alaric said in what was only a whisper.

            Elena held her hand over the open grave a let the rose slip from her fingers. As it fell it felt like everything was in slow motions, instead of the seconds it should have taken it was like the rose was suspended in the air for hours.