Rum and Coke

Ellie was staring into the very center of her crimson rose. She had specifically asked them to keep the thorns on, to signify the hardships that Danielle went through in her life. The priest droned on about a life he knew nothing about to the significantly large crowd gathered around the grave. Ellie could not believe the number of lives that her mother had touched in the short time that they have lived in the city. Words like “luminous” and “hard working” floated through the air as sniffles punctured the words. Common phrases were tossed about and proclaimed as if he had just made them up for this occasion. Ellie scoffed inwardly, thinking of how her mother would be laughing at his words and antics. She would be laughing at how this entire thing was going about. Ellie could almost see her, pointing at the horribly dressed crowd, her bright blue eyes- the same eyes that she gave her daughter- shining even though there wasn’t any sun.
Danielle was never one to be the center of attention. She preferred standing in the background. Even when she danced professionally, she hated to be the principle dancer. That’s why she sent Uncle Kale to every awards show and banquet. It was that he could be the face of the company, and that she could sit back and be the brains. Ellie remembered giggling at her and telling her how silly she was.
I’ll never have a moment like that again, she thought bitterly as she placed her rose on Danielle’s coffin.

"Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.

Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you."

Adam walked up and placed a hand on his "daughter's" shoulders."The world revives"

"Colors renew"

"But I know blue, only blue, lonely blue, within me blue."

"Without you.
Without you, the hand gropes, the ear hears, the pulse beats."

"Without you, the eyes gaze, the legs walk, the lungs breathe
The mind churns!"

"The mind churns!"

"The heart yearns!"

"The heart yearns!"

"The tears dry, without you.
Life goes on, but I'm gone.
Cause I die, without you"

"Without you"

"Without you."

"Without you."

Swiping a tear off of her face as more memories zipped through her mind, Ellie walked back over to the people who meant the most in her life. Adam pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed the top of her head.

“Don’t worry, everything will be okay. I promise.”

Ellie quickly pulled out of his arms. “No, it won’t. She left, Adam. She left us, and she’s never coming back.” She wiped the tears that she had shed, turned on her heel, and fled.

“I know that,” Adam whispered to her fleeing back. “I just don’t want to believe it.”

~*~

“Hey! You’re Ellie Patterson, aren’t you?” a young blonde girl squeaked as she ran up behind Ellie. “I saw you last night. You were brilliant! When I grow up I want to be just like you! Can I get your autograph?”

Without thinking, Ellie grabbed the pen and paper and scribbled her name down. She put on a fake smile and gave the paper and pen back to the little girl. “Here you go.”

“Do you have any tips to get me started? It’s my dream to sing and dance up on stage.” Her bright green eyes gleamed in excitement.

“Yea,” Ellie said distantly without looking at the child. “Get a new dream. The stage gives you nothing but heartache and remorse.” Then she walked away, not even looking at the girl who had tears in her eyes.

~*~

"Well, Ellie, I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I'm still needed in Germany," Adam said with a sad smile as he wrapped the girl, who had basically become his daughter, in his tight embrace.

Ellie nodded her head against her father's chest. "I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to either. I just...I just wish that there was something else I could do."

"Don't worry about it, Dad, honestly, I'll be fine." Ellie said as she swiped a tear from her eye.

Sighing, Adam wiped away her tears and put a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm so sorry. What are you going to do now?"

"Graduate, I guess. Then go to NYU and follow through with the Plan, ya know?"

"Yea, well, I'll see you in a few weeks, ok?" He pressed another kiss to Ellie's forehead. "And if you ever need to talk to anyone, call me. I promise, no matter what time it is or what I'm doing, I'll always pick up."

Ellie smiled at her father. "I know you will. And the same goes for me. Anytime, anywhere. I'll pick up."

Adam wrapped her in another hug before he walked away.

"And right now, I'm just waiting for confirmation that this is all just a dream," Ellie whispered as the cab pulled away her Uncle's driveway. "Any moment now, I'll wake up and find her smiling face looking down at me. Just you wait and see."