Epilogue

2012-11-07

A year had passed since Daniel's death. The immediate bleeding of the wound, had ceased. Chris was still sore mentally, she missed him terribly every day, but somehow, without her knowing exactly how or when, the grief had become part of her everyday life.

"It's easier to cope. Though I do miss you, Daniel. We miss you, all of us. Your daughter as well," she said to his gravestone and the little girl in the pram babbled in agreement.

As she put the bouquet of yellow carnations in a vase, Tom came up.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"It's been a year today."

"I know. It's been a rough one for you."

"Yeah, you could say that again."

Chris rose and walked up to her daughter. The little one grinned a toothless smile when she saw her mother, and her mother smiled back lovingly. The months after the delivery had been the worst of her life, not being able to connect properly with the baby, wishing the screaming little bundle away.

But with the help of her friends she had managed to find her way out of that dark tunnel.

Daniela, as Chris had named the baby girl, had inherited her father's eyes. The left one was green and the right one brown. Every day she saw something in her daughter that reminded her of Daniel, but instead of hating the baby for it, she enjoyed seeing all the little things Daniela had gotten from her father. Like he was still there somehow,

Tom gently put his arm around her shoulders. She reacted by taking his hand in hers.

"Tom, I'm sorry for the way I treated you after Daniel's death."

"It's alright. You had just lost him, I don't blame you."

"But still-"

"But still nothing. It's bygones."

"Thank you."

They stood so, no one spoke.

"I need time, Tom," Chris said after a long moment had passed.

He nodded.

"I can give you that. All the time you need."