Five Years Later...
It was safe to say that losing her mother was an unwanted yet significant part of Dawn's life.
A few years ago, Dawn felt labeled by her loss and often thought this was a burden she'd never overcome. She'd fallen into a state of depression and wallowed in her own tears for weeks, unable to believe that she had lost the most important person in her life. It was during those few weeks where, despite having amazing support, she truly felt alone.
However, with time, she grew to accept the bitter reality. Dawn's acceptance of her mother's passing had changed her in some ways, as it taught her how her grieving process determined her acceptability and ability to move forward. That's not to say there weren't times where Dawn deeply missed her mother; she was just able to recognize her changes before and after her loss.
The last time Dawn had ever spoken spiritually to her mother was unfortunately at her mother's funeral.
A chilly wind blew bitterly, making Dawn's long waist-length blue locks sway. Overhead, dark clouds blotted out the full moon from the Lumoise night sky. She felt her heart pounding against her chest as she blew a breath, before pushing the rusty ancient cast-iron gate. She walked forward carefully, delicately holding the lilac flowers in her palm.
Today was her mother's fifth death anniversary. As Dawn approached her tombstone, she kneeled before it and placed the flowers beneath it, symbolizing respect, love, kindness and sincerity.
Johanna Berlitz
-A loving and brave mother, friend and role model
When Dawn looked at the engravings, she was reminded of exactly what was written; how resilient and brave she was. When she was suffering from that dreaded coma, she was fighting for both herself and her daughter. She was a fighter and a courageous woman; a role model and she always would be.
Dawn would usually be succumbing to tears at this point. However, she felt oddly satisfied. Another chilly breeze blew, slightly swaying her locks again. This time, the wind gave her a warm feeling. It reminded her of how she used to share everything with her mom, even when she was in the coma.
With that thought in mind, she was reminded of her purpose of being here. She lightly smiled, before releasing a small breath, as she spoke.
"Hi, mom. I hope you're doing well…"
The moon was now overcast, enlightening her world around her. It was peaceful; the only sounds that could be heard were the crickets chirping and the leaves rustling with the wind.
"It's been five whole years since I last talked to you. And I apologize for that; it's so unlike me. I think I just needed time to process everything when I heard the news. And after high school, I needed to work on myself," she said, her smile only increasing. It honestly felt like a huge relief to be talking to her mother once again. It also felt natural; as if her mother was listening to her. "Now, I think I'm at that point in my life where I'm really satisfied with myself. I've grown and I'm still learning along the way, but during the last five years, I've really done and learned a lot."
"As soon as I graduated high school, I went into college at Hoenn University. While there, I didn't only learn about my major, I also learned a lot of life lessons. I think I had finally realized what it's like to be living on your own. Granted, I did have a roommate, but I was responsible for almost everything: my health, my education, even myself as a whole. I even learned how to cook a few decent meals!"
Dawn remained silent until she let out a few chuckles. "Though, it wasn't easy. There were times where I just broke down and wanted to give up immediately. I had constant fights with my roommate, I didn't really have a decent job at first and was almost kicked out of my dorm, I didn't eat for some nights, not to mention all the hard work and studying…I really was living the adult life. But then, I thought about all that I had been through just to get accepted at this university; I even got a scholarship and hey, not everyone is that lucky, right? I couldn't throw it away. I just had to push myself even further. And I had done it before as well. There was no reason why I couldn't do it again."
"So, I told myself 'No need to worry' and eventually, that positive affirmation led me to where I am now. I graduated college with a degree in fashion design and now, since the past year, I've been working really hard. I've been working with a fashion department recently and I've put in some really great ideas and they were so impressed that they wanted me to work on this huge project! And maybe with that project, I can possibly open my own clothing line!"
Dawn realized how enthusiastic she was being and sheepishly laughed. "Baby steps, though. I'll get there eventually."
Another warm breeze blew, and Dawn felt as if she was being engulfed by the wind, as goosebumps rose to her skin. She sighed, feeling comfort and satisfaction soothe her heart. Looking down at her wrist, she eyed the bracelet with a smile on her face.
"You know, I'm also here in Lumoise for another reason. Remember Reggie? He's getting married to Maylene in a few weeks and he invited me to the wedding. It's going to be an amazing experience and I'm really happy for him as well. Not to mention, Reggie told me that I could design the interior of the wedding, just like I've always wanted to. Reggie's a really great person so I'm sure he'll keep Maylene happy."
Then, she started laughing. "It's still unfathomable that Reggie is Paul's brother. The insensitive and cold guy who was always insulting me? My boyfriend? Yeah, Reggie's his brother." She shook her head in disbelief, the grin slowly ceasing into a nonchalant expression. "We also haven't seen each other in a while. We kept a long-distance relationship throughout college and talked every day, but it was torture not seeing each other all the time. The last time we ever met in person was at his college graduation and that was over a year ago. Ever since then, he and I have been so busy in pursuing other careers that we never get time to see each other anymore, especially since he's working to become an illustrator. He's really talented, mom. He has a natural gift. I'm really proud of him for making his hobby into a full career."
"I'll be bumping into him next week though; Paul doesn't know I'm attending Reggie's wedding. I can't wait to see him."
"I think May and Drew are also attending as well. May couldn't really decide what career she wanted to pursue, but she took a year off to decide what she was interested in. During that year, she traveled to some places and took her camera and wounded up taking some neat pictures of the trip. A week after that, she called me and told me she was interested in photography and I was so excited for her. Drew's really supportive of her decision as well, just like he's always been. I'm glad things haven't changed between the two of them."
"Then there's Gary and Leaf. Sometimes I envy them because they have each other while pursuing the same career. They both want to become chemical engineers; I'm really proud of them as well. They've been working really hard and the two of them even decided to move in together. That's a huge milestone, isn't it? I mean, granted we're all adults here in our early twenties, but it's still a huge decision. But I'm sure they can make it work."
"Last but not least, there's Ash and Misty. I never really knew Misty personally, but I do know that she had a crush on Paul in high school and when he rejected her, she was internally crushed. She also became really insecure about herself. But Ash came around and he managed to make her smile while they dated briefly. They broke up after high school, but word on the street is that…there's still a chance for them."
After reminiscing on all her and her friends' achievements and milestones, she glanced at her mother's tombstone once more. Her voice was starting to break as she struggled to keep her emotions intact. "There isn't a single day where I don't miss you, mom," she said, as a tear spilled down her cheek. But she kept smiling and embracing the fact that she was here, talking to her mother and reflecting, just like old times. "But no need to worry, I'll be fine. Your daughter will be fine."
She stepped back, her heart feeling content as she wiped the single tear away. She knew her mother was proud of the independent woman she became to be; she could feel it. She turned around, closing her eyes for a few seconds and rubbed her forearms, before walking away and out of the graveyard.
Dawn looked up at the starry night sky, as the dark clouds moved away, allowing the stars and moon to illuminate above her. She kept her head forward and walked away, eager to look forward to a bright future.
Well, this is it. This is the end of Elevator Music. I want to thank you guys for showing me your support all these years. I'm really grateful for all your feedback or even taking a look upon my story; it means a lot. This story will always be an important part of my writing life and I'll always cherish it and the characters I've created. I'm really proud of the work I've created for the past three years. Everything will be missed dearly but I can always look back at this story again to recall all the fun memories I had writing this.
Thank you all again for joining me on this crazy and fun adventure. If you want, you guys can share your favorite moment from this story in the reviews below. I think my favorite part would be the elevator scenes to be honest; it's just a significant part of the story in general. Also, I enjoyed all the scenes where Paul grows jealous and all that. What are your fav parts? :)
Be safe guys. And thank you.
~DawnForever101