I stand, putting my hands on my hips. “Help or I’m going inside.” I bend down dragging it closer to the step so it’s hanging over the edge slightly so I can get a good grip on it. Suddenly, it’s gone. Theo picks it up like it weighs nothing and walks along the concrete path over to Tobias, who is busy digging a hole between two red rose bushes in the huge garden. I stomp across the grass, towards them.
“Get off the grass. You know how long it took me to get it like that?” Tobias yells out to me, looking up from the hole he’s digging.
“Didn’t picture you to be a green thumb,” I tell him, still treading on his precious grass. I stand next to him.
“That’s because you barely know us, besides our secret,” he states.
I think for a second. He’s right, I don’t know much about them personally. I know a little about Theo, his love for reading and his family, which I suppose is also Tobias’s family. But other than that, not much really.
I look for Theo, but he’s gone again. “So, what are we doing out here?”
“We are letting your mother go. We know you’re having trouble letting go, which is understandable, but we thought maybe you would like something in her memory, so she is released but still here with you.” Says Theo, coming up behind me, in his hands is my mother’s urn. I reach for it and he places her in my hands.
I don’t speak, just nod, my throat suddenly feeling clogged. I don’t know what I want to do with her, I know she can’t stay in the plastic container, but I hate the thought of letting her go. This idea of theirs, I do like, though. Tobias finishes digging and steps back.
I clutch my mother’s urn to my chest. “If you don’t want to, we can figure out something else.” I look at Tobias, he almost seems normal, not so intimidating. I shake my head.
“No, this is good. Thank you.” He nods before placing his hand on my shoulder and squeezing it. I undo the lid, my hands shaking slightly. Bending down, I pour her ashes into the hole; I feel my tears trying to brim but I shake my head and clear my throat before stepping back.
That is all that is left of her. My amazing mother is now just dust, and a memory I never want to forget. I hope I don’t forget her smile, her warm welcoming eyes, the feel of her hands. I never want to forget those parts of her. Theo places the rose bush in the hole and Tobias fills in the dirt.
Now, she is a rose, it’s fitting. She was strong and durable like a rose and just as beautiful as one. When they are done, they walk inside, leaving me with the now planted rose bush. I look up at the clear sky, the breeze caresses my skin. The moon is shining brightly down on us, “I miss you mom.” I whisper.
I can feel my tears running down my cheeks, quickly wiping them away before closing my eyes forcing them to stop. Crying won’t help me, and it certainly won’t bring her back. I look at the rose bush, touching the giant rose in front of me, gently, making sure I don’t break its petals. I turn to see Theo and Tobias watching me from the deck. I walk towards them and back into the kitchen, like I didn’t just let go of my hold on her.
I sit at the table, Theo and Tobias have made homemade pizzas. “Want me to heat it back up?” I shake my head, picking up a piece before biting a chunk off. I chew it before swallowing it down. It tastes good even when it’s cold.
“Nope, I’m good.” I tell them.
“Are you okay?” Theo asks.
“Peachy.” I grab another slice before walking out. I’m good at masking my emotions, I hate showing them in front of anyone. I hate the thought of them seeing me as someone weak. So, I put my walls up, add a few extra bricks, and bury those feelings like a normal person. Well, at least I think it is normal. Going to the living room, I flick the TV on and put Underworld on. They come out and sit beside me. Only speaking when they realize what movie I picked.
“Seriously? You live with a vampire and a werewolf and you want to watch this garbage?” Tobias asks.
“It’s a good movie.” I shrug.
“It’s unrealistic.”
“You can’t think it’s that bad if you own it,” I retort, biting into my pizza slice.
Once I finish eating, I curl up on the couch. I think I’m only a quarter of the way through when I feel myself dozing off back to sleep.
The next morning, as I wake up in the bed, Theo, and Tobias are both gone. They left for work without me, and I know they deliberately did it to keep me stuck here. Getting downstairs, I sing out to both of them. No answer. Walking outside, I stroll over to mom’s rose bush. It’s even prettier in the day, with its giant blooming buds. When I’m walking back, I notice the garage on the other side of the house. It’s the only place I haven’t explored since coming here.
Walking over, I push up the roller door. My heart skips a beat with excitement, as I see Theo’s Black BMW. I wonder where the keys are. I walk over and pull on the handle and it opens. I search all through it, looking for the keys. I can’t find them anywhere, so I give up and close the roller door and walk back inside. Deciding I’m going to make some breakfast, I walk into the kitchen. I’m making toast when out of the corner of my eye, I notice the car keys sitting in the fruit bowl. I grab them, forgetting about my toast, I race up stairs and grab my suit, getting dressed in record time and throwing my hair in a high ponytail. I chuck on some lipstick and grab my heels from the cupboard before quickly going back out to the car.
They are going to be so pissed when I rock up to work. They can’t blame me though, it’s their fault they left the keys where they can be found. So surely, they don’t expect me to wait all day here. I turn on the ignition and speed out and down the driveway.