Chapter 10
Time seemed to fly, and before long, it had been a month since Kathleen’s passing.
Bowen visited Kathleen’s grave every single day. He always brought Candice, though the little girl was always reluctant.
“Daddy, why do we have to come here?” Candice asked, kicking at pebbles.
“Because someone who loves you is resting here,” Bowen answered gently.
Candice pouted. “But she never played with me. Mommy Yvonne said the people who love me would always stay and play with me.”
Bowen’s heart shattered all over again. He had no idea how to explain to a five–year–old that the one who stayed was a liar and the one who did not play with her was a mother who had loved her with every breath.
Yvonne was sentenced to life in prison. Even in court, she insisted Kathleen had framed her. Yet, the evidence was overwhelming
-no one believed her words.
Kathleen’s parents sold their home and moved to Flurotia. They said everything in New Aeravale reminded them too much of the daughter they lost. Before they left, Jolene knelt by Kathleen’s grave for a long time.
Through her tears, she said, “If there’s a next life, I swear I’ll only love you.”
Following Kathleen’s wishes, her gallery was donated to the Museum of Art. On opening day, a special memorial exhibit featuring pieces from her private collection was held in her name.
One painting stood out–a little girl running barefoot along the beach, painted by Kathleen herself. There were some words on
the back, in small handwriting.
[To my precious Candice. I will love you forever. Painted in 2019.]
That was the year after Candice was born.
Five years later, ten–year–old Candice was flipping through an old photo album when she suddenly asked, “Daddy, why are there so few pictures of me and Mommy?”
Bowen froze for a moment. “Because…Mommy was always really busy.”
“Oh.” Candice kept turning the pages. “Then why is Mommy always smiling at me in every photo?”
“Because she loved you,” Bowen said quietly.
“But Mommy Yvonne used to say…” Candice’s voice trailed off. She no longer liked to mention Yvonne, the woman in prison who had once claimed to love her.
1/2
Chapter 10
That night, Candice had a dream. A woman appeared in it, smiling gently as she said, “I love you, always and forever.”
When she woke up, her pillow was soaked with tears.
+25 Bonus
On her 18th birthday, Candice finally read Kathleen’s letter.
Kathleen had written down every little detail about her birth, the first time Candice called her Mommy, and all the moments of
warmth and joy Candice might not have remembered.
At the end of the letter, it read:
[My dearest Candice, I will have been gone for a long time when you read this letter. I don’t know if you’ll still remember me or if
you still hate me. But I want you to know that I’ll never stop loving you, not even for a moment. Everything I’m doing now is to
help you to have a better life. Forgive me for being selfish and choosing to leave this way. Please believe that if I had a choice, I
would trade everything for the chance to watch you grow up.
Love, Mommy.]
Candice cried all night long. The next day, she went to Kathleen’s grave and, with genuine sincerity for the first time, said,
“Mom, I’m sorry.”
However, some words came too late, and some love was understood far too late.
Just like Kathleen had once predicted–everyone got what they wanted: a perfect and well–behaved Kathleen.
However, the price they had to pay was to lose her forever.
Support
