One Last Time

The fading colors of the sunset always mesmerized Killa Stanford. Sunshine yellow, peach orange, blood red, pastel pink, soft purple, light blue, blue dark as space.

The short haired brunette sitting on the porch steps swiped away a stray tear as it fell. She ran her hands though her hair and released a deep sigh of frustration. She straightened out the black sweater and then breathed in the scent of blueberries and lime.

”I’ve missed you too. So so much.”

The brunette snapped her head to the right where she heard the strange voice, her grey eyes filled with horror and hope alike. There was no one to see there, only the strange voice that filled her ears.

“Gabby?” She croaked, reaching her hands into the cold, salty, seemingly empty air. Her hands landed on solid air, the shape of a person’s face. “Gabby,” she repeated, more hot, sad tears falling down her stunned face as she leaned her forehead on the solid air’s own cold face.

“I’m right here, Killa. I’m always beside you. Till both of our deaths.” The solid air shifted until the brunette was standing, her hand in the air person’s soft grip.

“But you-“

“No baby. Don’t say that. I’ll always be here,” the solid air spoke, a long blonde haired girl coming into view. She didn’t look so good. Dark circles under her eyes and splattered blood on her mouth. She was still wearing the same floral printed nightgown that the brunette last saw her in.

The brunette collapsed into the other girl’s arms, sobbing loudly as the blonde stroked her hair gently. “You were gone,” the brunette sobbed, clutching at the shirt that wasn’t there.

“I am gone, Killa. You just haven’t let go,” the blonde figure whispered, kissing the top of her head lovingly.

“I can’t let go. It still hurts,” Killa murmured, looking up at the solid white eyes of her blonde companion.

“It will always hurt, Killa, but I can’t be stuck here. You have to let go,” the blonde repeated, kissing the tip of the brunette’s nose before taking her soft cheek into her ice cold hands. “Let me go Killa.”

”Just sit with me for a little while longer,” the brunette whispered, sitting back down at the porch steps and watching the sun set further. The blonde sat next to her with a soft smile, her pale face reflecting the changing colors. The taller blonde wrapped her arms around the brunette and laid her head on the brunette’s shoulder, gazing out at the sun.

”One last time,” the blonde uttered before gently taking the brunette’s chin in her hand and turning her perfectly flawed face to the blonde’s own.

“Always,” the brunette responded quietly, pressing her warm lips to the blonde’s one last time. The blonde clasped something in the brunette’s hand and then faded away as the sun disappeared over the horizon, giving the rest of the world light.

The brunette opened her palm to see her wedding band along with a small piece of paper.

‘For All The “One Last Times’”.

Killa smiled and then stood up to go back inside. “Goodbye Gabby. I’ll see you in another life time.”

Three months later and Killa was thriving. Raising their four month old baby and healing herself slowly. Today she went to watch the sunset again.

“I know you’re gone, Gabby, but I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for me. Baby Gabby is getting older and she won’t let go of the tea cup you painted last year during Easter. I think she can somehow feel you with us,” Killa said into the open air, her face dry of tears and holding a genuine smile as she held their daughter in her arms. “I see you in her everyday. She even loves animals the way you did.”

The brunette went off the porch and into the garden that had become overgrown due to loss of upkeep. The roses took over everything, Gabby’s favorite flower. The brunette opened the urn in her free hand and dumped the ashes out. A particularly strong wind piked up most of them and brought them away and off the cliff, to new lands.

“Now you can travel the world like you wanted to,” Killa murmured, a single tear trickling down her cheek,

It wasn’t a tear of sadness. It was a tear of hope and joy. The joy of knowing that her wife was still beside her and helping her heal. The joy of knowing her daughter would grow up with both mothers beside her. The joy of knowing she could do this. The hope of living freely.

Killa took a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and smoothed it out. “Always,” she murmured as she read over the text one more time. She released the piece of paper into the wind and then kissed her baby’s cheek, heading back inside.

The piece of paper flew to another garden. The daisies laid neatly cut while the child ran circles around her mother. “Mommy when can we go see granny?!” The little girl exclaimed for the eighth time.

“As soon as we get the garden trimmed up again,” the brunette haired lady responded, sitting up with her garden pliers in hand.

“I liked the roses better. They really added something to the house,” the young girl said simply, bounding to the car.

A piece of paper landed in the dirt just beside the brunette’s feet. She carefully picked up the paper and unwrapped it, making sure it was smooth enough to read.

‘For All The “One Last Times’”.

“Always, Gabby. Always.”

”Mommy come on! Granny is waiting on us!” The little girl yelled from the car door, bouncing in place while smiling widely. The same smile as her mother who lay to rest.

”I’m coming sweety! Just give me a second!“ The brunette yelled back. She stood up and threw the paper into the air one more time.

She watched it float away into the wind again, knowing she would see it again another day. Not in many years. Maybe not until she had grandchildren and was on her deathbed. She just knew she would see it again.

‘For All The “One Last Times’”.