Never Forget

Time passes so quickly, the pages fall from a calendar, and a blue hand freezes as she
stares at the date.

“Oh……” She murmurs softly, a hand going to her ever present necklace. She had been so involved
in the race, she had never realized. It had gone by, days passing, yet still, her thoughts were
never far from it.

She stepped backwards, slumping into a seat. She was shocked. It had been a year since
Sparrow had left them.

Na na, na nana na na

 I miss you, miss you so bad 
I don't forget you, oh it's so sad

I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly  
The day you slipped away 
Was the day I found 
It won't be the same, oh

She sat staring silently out the window. Her heart was not there, it dwelt in the past,
remembering, melancholy.

Mus walked in, accompanied by Poppy, and saw her sitting there. “Ari, are you all right?”

“I…I’ll be fine. Poppy, cancel everything I had scheduled today, reschedule it, do whatever you
have to, I need…I need to be alone today…”

The forests behind Haven were silent, the few birds calling out from time to time, but the rest of
nature still slept, anticipating warm weather. Footsteps left no mark in the brown grass as the
woman passed, clutching a single blue rose, and a single red one to her chest. The red one was left
at the cairn made by the hands that held the flowers, a show of honor in passing as she approached
the headstones ahead of her.

Na na, na nana na na

 I didn't get around to kiss you, 
goodbye on the hand 
I wish that I could see you again, 
I know that I can't,

 I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly

The day, you, slipped away 
Was the day I found 
it won't be the same, ooh

Unfeeling knees knelt on the damp cold ground, a hand reaching out and tracing over the
carvings in the marble. A bird, a pair of interlocked hearts and in the center a brace decorated
the marble headstone that marked the spot where he would be remembered.

The rose lay on the ground, a hand caressing the petals gently before releasing it.

“I wish you were here. I miss you. I’m doing this for you, all of you, but I wish you were here with me.
You’re never far from my thoughts, not really. I still dream about you, about that day.” Soft words
floated on the breeze, the form resting her hand on the stone.

“I tried, I really did, but I couldn’t get to you in time. I wish I could feel you hold me again.
She paid for it, she won’t hurt anyone else, but I wish with all of my heart you weren’t the last, that
she had been stopped before she found you.”

Shifting slightly, her hand never losing contact with the stone. “I have a daughter now. I wish
you could know her, she would have loved you. Gods Sparrow, I miss you so much.”

I have had my wake up 
Won't you wake up. 
I keep asking why. 

I can't take it 
It wasn't fake. 
It happened you passed by.

 Now your gone 
now your gone

There you go 
There you go

Somewhere I can't bring you back

Now you're gone 
now you're gone

There you go 
There you go

Somewhere your not coming back

The house was full of noise as she climbed the stairs, pausing only once to give BlueKai a hug.
She opened the door between the rooms, a path she hadn’t taken in a year. She’d had no reason
to go into his room, and nobody had touched it except to dust. All of his things still lay
in their spot, undisturbed.

She slowly looked around the room, tears blurring her vision. Crossing the floor, she brushed
her hand over the bed, tracing the carvings in the wood posts. A sad smile crossed her lips
as memories flooded her. Numerous nights spent in that bed, under those blankets,
in each others’ arms.

Standing in front of his dresser mirror, she touched the picture he had stuck in the frame,
them together in the snow in front of the shop. Turning around, she noticed the open
closet door, and looked into it.

Sitting on the shelf above the clothes was a large box, a ribbon wrapped around it. She carefully
pulled it down, closing the closet door before carrying it into her room. Setting it on the bed,
she looked at the lid, and saw the tag.

“To Arania, Happy Valentine’s day.” She closed her eyes, bracing herself, before opening the box,
letting the ribbon fall to the floor.

Sitting in the box was a stuffed cat, with soft white fur, and big blue eyes. In its paws it held a heart
shaped box, with an envelope taped to it. As she squeezed the stuffed animal to her chest, she
opened the envelope, tears welling in her eyes as she read the letter within.

“To my dearest love, I know I can’t always be there with you, life has a way of taking you away
from the things you love, but this is for you to hold when I can not be there to hold you. No
matter what happens, how far we are from each other, my heart will always be with you,
will always be yours. Never forget that. I love you, SparrowKai.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she gently set the letter on the bed, fingers trembling.
She opened the box slowly. Inside was a ring, sized just right for her finger, the stone a heart
shaped blue diamond, the band white gold.

She turned it around in her hand, and in the light found an engraving on the inside.

“You hold my heart eternally” She cried quietly as she slipped the ring onto her finger,
curling around the gift he left behind.