Twice The Trouble

Final Chapter: Goodbyes

Stacy

One week has crawled by after Sophia's heart transplant.

To this day,I still can't believe the result of the procedure.

I can remember that day vividly. How the beams of light streamed through the windows as the dawn arrived, vanquishing the dusk. It was a day full of tears for everyone. Me, most of all.

From time to time, my mind would travel back to that fateful Christmas morning.

But I would often shake away the emotional memories, clearing my head and my heart.

January 2, 2017. Monday Morning.

10:25.

I examined my reflection in the full-body mirror one more time.

Pink headband on my golden crown of hair? Check.

Light makeup of blush and rosy lipstick? Check.

Silver half-heart pendant? Check.

Black, off-shoulder, below-the-knee dress? Check.

Pink wedge sandals? Check.

Black purse containing my phone and makeup?

Check, of course.

"I specifically reminded everyone to meet up at 10:30," snapped Bryce, brown-haired, blue eyes and wearing a black fitted shirt and blue pants.

The clock on my white phone read 10:35am.

"Five minutes.. seriously?" I laughed even when the 18-year-old male glared at me as I sat down at one of the round tables in the bakery, Sentimental Sweets.

"It's not funny," grunted Bryce. "I had to travel for almost two hours to get here, you know."

I narrowed my sky blue eyes at him. "Good grief, just move out of your condo already if you're going to whine like a toddler every time you go somewhere far."

Bryce's twin brother, Lucas, black-haired, brown-eyed, sputtered a laugh. He wore a black shirt over a white long-sleeved button-down polo and white pants teamed with black shoes.

"If I move out, it's because I want to, not because you advised me to," Bryce hissed.

Lucas plastered a crooked grin on his face. "Don't mind him. He's just cranky because he saw a bunch of guys checking you out on your way over here. He'll get over it."

"That's not the reason!"

I waved a dismissive hand at Bryce,whose face was red in mortification. "Well, let's go," I said.

The three of us rode in Bryce's black Chevrolet, with him behind the wheel. It took thirty minutes to reach our destination.

Memorial Cemetery.

This is where Ate Jolene's biological parents are buried.

Bryce unlocked the trunk of his black car and took out four bouquets of flowers--He gave me two of them while he and Lucas each carried one.

"Shall we?" He sent me a ghost of  smile before the three of us marched through the grassy soil of the desolate cemetery.

When we arrived in front of the two graves we were searching for, Lucas and Bryce dropped on one knee and dusted off the dirty leaves off of the gravestones. Both De Los Reyes brothers gingerly placed their bouquets of white roses in front of the tombstones:

HERE LIES KING HERNANDEZ

Loving son, friend, and father

                   1968-1997