Chapter 22: The Tevellyn House
Bridget awoke to an unfamiliar sensation. A chill ran through her body.
“Altman?” she instinctively called out, her voice quiet and weighed down with sleep.
She blinked a few times, realizing there was an odd light coming from somewhere on her husband’s side of the bed. She reached out and flicked the lightswitch that turned on their bedside lamps. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the light as she sat up. She turned and realized Altman wasn’t next to her in the bed. She leapt up, nearly falling over, when she realized he was the source of the odd light.
Her beloved husband was a ghostly apparition, floating next to his side of their bed.
“No,” Bridget breathed, shaking her head in disbelief. “No, no, no…”
Panic rose in her chest. What was left of Altman just floated there, seemingly not hearing her. He was facing the wall. Did she want him to turn around?
“Altman?” she said weakly, tears welling in her eyes.
The ghost still did not turn. Its unresponsiveness reinforced the idea that her husband was gone.
Bridget wailed in despair.
How could he just be gone?
“Mom?” Ryker’s voice called out softly from the other side of the bedroom door.
Bridget was sobbing. Two other sets of footsteps approached the door.
“She’s crying,” Mason quietly observed.
“Open the door!” Aria urged with a hushed voice.
“Mom, we’re coming in,” Ryker announced, slowly opening the door.
The silver tones of the apparition’s light were cast into the main room as the door opened. Ryker furrowed his brow, unsure what was causing the light. He could hear his mother’s cries more loudly as the door opened wider.
Then he saw him.
Ryker slowly stepped into his parents’ bedroom in a stunned disbelief. Aria pushed past Mason and let out a desperate sound, almost a yelp, then immediately began to cry. Mason inhaled sharply and nearly choked on the lump in his throat. The three were all in the room now, crying alongside their mother, looking at the ghost of their father.
Aria found herself in front of the kitchen sink. She couldn’t remember why she was there or for how long. Was she getting a glass of water? Her mouth was dry. Was she still crying? Why was it hard to tell? Maybe she was going to splash some water on her face? She doubted water would make her feel any better. She rubbed her eyes; they were itchy, puffy, tired… at least she could now confirm that she had stopped crying, at least for a brief moment.
She was a bit cold in her nightgown. Aria contemplated climbing back into her old bed and covering herself with every blanket she could find on the way there. Why had she slept over? She could have been at home in her new bed, with Chase… She wouldn’t have seen… She should call Chase. How was she going to explain what happened? Maybe getting dressed sooner would be better. Did she have any black clothes here? You’re supposed to wear black after someone dies, right? She realized someone had to tell Emery and Matthew. She felt new tears welling in her eyes.
Ryker stood outside, zoned out looking towards the road. Emery and Matthew were on their way. He brushed some of his messy long hair out of his face. The autumn breeze pushed the hair back into his face and Ryker sighed in defeat. He felt numb. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there — hair still in his face, not thinking about anything — when he saw Emery walking over.
She was wearing a black long-sleeved top and knee-length pencil skirt, both black. Her long hair was held out of her face with her signature purple and blue patterned headband. She approached him, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.
Emery gently placed a hand on his shoulder. After a moment, Ryker moved towards her and hugged his older sister. She held him tightly. He let his face relax into her shoulder. He thought he’d start crying again, but no tears came. Ryker was relieved Emery was there. She kept him close until his body relaxed a bit.
“You’ll need to get dressed for the memorial,” Emery said softly.
He moved away just enough that he wouldn’t be talking into her shirt, but kept hugging her.
“I put on a shirt when I got up to check on mom,” Ryker mumbled. “And then pants to come and wait.”
“So you saw..?”
“We all did… we all heard her and got up…”
“Oh…”
They remained in their half hug for a few moments in silence, before Emery eventually clarified, “I meant you’ll need to wear dark dress clothes for the memorial.”
“Oh,” he replied. “Right.”
“I’ll wait here for Matt. Go tell Mason as well, then get changed,” she instructed gently. “You can take your time, okay?”
Ryker nodded.
Mason sat on the edge of his bed. How could this happen? His dad seemed fine yesterday; it had been a day like any other day. He couldn’t be dead. How could he be dead? It was his dad. He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to see him grow up and make something of himself. How— Why was he just gone?
He noticed his phone got a notification. He glanced at the device. He remembered how his father protested giving him that cell phone, but his mother had reasoned it was an older model with limited functionality. ‘Perfectly reasonable for a boy his age to have one,’ she had said. Mason had been over the moon to receive it. Now he’d break it and never use a phone again if it would give him his dad back.
The notification was for a text message from Alani Shepherd. He could barely focus enough to read it. He didn’t know why, but he messaged back, “My dad died.”
Within seconds he received her reply: “I’m coming over.”
Before he could process that, he heard a knock on the door.
“Em says we have to change into black clothes,” he heard Ryker’s voice say.
“Okay,” Mason managed to reply.
He received another text from Alani: “Is that okay?”
“Wear black,” he messaged back. Realizing she might want more context, he added, “Memorial later.”
Emery looked out at the familiar view of Appaloosa Plains from the top of the plateau, at the edge of her parents’ property. The view was prettier than the one from her own house, but there weren’t many buildings visible. She couldn’t quite see Matthew’s ranch, and the boarding house barely peeked through the trees. Emery realized she should let Rukiya know about the memorial.
She texted Rukiya, “Did my mom call you?”
Bridget had called Emery earlier that morning and said she was calling Matthew next, but hadn’t said anything about anyone else. Emery would never forget answering the phone and hearing her mother softly crying. It was hard for Bridget to explain what happened — or say much of anything, really. Emery couldn’t imagine how it must have been for her mother and siblings who saw… whatever they saw. She couldn’t decide if she felt like she should have been there, too, or if she was grateful she wasn’t. She tried not to dwell on anything too much for now. ‘It’s going to be hard for all of us to process, regardless,’ she reminded herself. ‘And take a lot of time.’
For now, Emery felt better to focus on easing the logistical burden for her family — especially her mother. Bridget said on the phone they’d have a memorial later in the day, but didn’t specify any details. Emery took some time to digest the initial shock and get dressed, then texted Matthew and Aria to see if they were up for a call. They were able to stumble through their pain and pull together a basic plan.
Emery’s thoughts were interrupted by an odd sight. Her brother’s head bobbed into her sightline over the crest of the hill. Matthew was riding what appeared to be a black horse. The animal seemed familiar; it looked remarkably like the horse he had been obsessed with since childhood. But that couldn’t be right; it didn’t look a day older than it had been all those years ago.
Emery put one hand on her hip and rubbed her neck with the other. Was she seeing this right? The closer Matthew rode, the more it appeared that the horse had a thin conical horn on its forehead.
She gasped. It wasn’t just a horse — it was a unicorn!
Matthew dismounted. He was wearing a dark patterned button-down shirt with everything else all black: a tie, dress pants with suspenders hanging at his hips, and leather shoes.
Emery was too shocked by the sight of the unicorn to say anything.
“Her name is Aasifa,” Matthew said softly. He placed one hand gently on the unicorn’s snout and rubbed her neck with the other. “She agreed to join the family recently, but I haven’t had a chance to introduce her to you guys.”
“Aasifa,” Emery breathed. “Like in your books…. I’m sorry I doubted you.”
Matthew turned and smiled at her. “It’s alright,” he said simply.
Aasifa huffed. Matt pulled an apple off of a nearby tree and offered it to her. She ate it quickly, shook her mane happily, and then started stepping backwards to turn and leave.
“I don’t think we should tell the rest of the family about her yet,” Matthew told Emery. “I don’t want to take attention away from… everything else going on today.”
Emery nodded in agreement, but she was watching Aasifa elegantly turn and start back towards the hill. As she picked up speed, multi-coloured sparkles appeared in her wake. She quickly disappeared out of view, moving so fast she could have been mistaken for a glittering gust of wind.
After Aasifa left, Matthew turned to his older sister and embraced her.
“Dorothy’s coming a bit later,” he explained.
“Aria will appreciate that,” Emery said with mild amusement.
Matthew responded with a half-hearted smirk. “You okay so far?” he asked.
Emery shrugged. “You?”
He shrugged too. “Honestly, it hasn’t really hit me yet.”
She nodded. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but Ryker said he, Mason and Aria all went into the room when it happened — they woke up to mom crying and went to check on her.”
Matthew swore as he exhaled. “Has anyone checked on Mason?”
“Not yet,” Emery answered. “I think he and Ryker are still getting dressed. Let’s go see mom first, then you can find him?”
Matthew nodded solemnly. They headed inside.
Bridget was already dressed for the memorial and had fixed her hair into her signature French braid along one side into a bun at the back. She was making her bed when she heard a polite knock on her bedroom door.
“Come in,” she called.
Emery opened the door and entered with Matthew close behind. Bridget walked towards them.
“Hi mom,” they said.
Bridget was both happy and heartbroken to see them. Her face remained neutral and she tried to keep her voice even as she greeted them. But as soon as she uttered a word, she felt the tears well in her eyes.
Emery made a sympathetic sound and hugged her mother, trying not to start crying herself. There was too much to be done. Matthew followed suit, hugging Bridget and suppressing tears.
“Ryker and Mason should be getting dressed now,” Emery returned her focus to the logistics of the day. “Aria is working on the food. Chase, Dorothy, Rukiya and Kobe are all on their way.”
Matthew added, “I think Dorothy said Sage might stop by as well.”
Bridget nodded. She tried to thank them, but she struggled to speak. She settled for reaching out to hold a hand of each of them and give them a squeeze.
Aria stirred the tomato sauce on the stove. It was basically finished, it just needed to simmer a little longer. She’d used fresh vegetables from the garden. She hoped the memorial’s attendees would enjoy it (even though it felt a little odd to hope people enjoyed things at her father’s memorial service).
Her eyes were itchy from crying on and off all morning. The black dress she’d changed into felt clingy and awkward. She sighed. The event hadn’t even begun and she already felt exhausted.
“Hey,” Chase called out softly as he entered the room. “How are you holding up?”
“Hey… I, um…” Aria stumbled, suddenly fighting back tears.
Chase walked towards her, softly comforting her, “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
She’d volunteered to help with the food for the memorial, mostly because she was struggling to follow the whole conversation when Emery called to coordinate for the event. Earlier, her mom had made cookies and put them in the oven. Bridget hadn’t said much during the process, and hadn’t come back to check on them. Aria decided she should check on the cookies when Chase’s arms wrapped her in a hug.
Aria tried to focus on her breathing and stop thinking so sporadically. She felt all over the place; she hated feeling lost and distracted even while trying to complete simple tasks she’d done so many times before. It was just spaghetti.
Aria tried to relax her arms into Chase’s embrace. He gently moved his hands up her back until one rested on her shoulder and the other cradled her head. Her breathing became unsteady. She began to cry again.
“I’m here, sweetheart,” Chase reminded her softly.
Chase had arrived and was taking care of Aria, and Matthew was checking on Mason, so Emery decided to head outside and review what needed to be done. She found Ryker adjusting the table they used for serving food during their birthday parties growing up. He was dressed in dark formal clothing now, as she’d instructed.
“Do you think it’s okay to ask mom if we have a black table cloth or sheet for this?” he asked her.
Emery nodded and showed him a half-hearted smile. “Thank you for taking care of that.”
“Need to be busy for a bit,” Ryker said simply.
“I think that feeling will be coming and going a lot today,” Emery commented. She received a text and checked her phone, then reported to Ryker, “Rukiya and her son Kobe are arriving, I’m going to meet them out front.”
“Someone has had a serious growth spurt since I last saw him,” Emery called out as Rukiya and Kobe crossed the street. She tried her best to sound enthusiastic for the young boy.
Kobe responded with a scrunched up smile; it looked to Emery like he was feeling shy but also loved that he’d been spoken to right away.
“Say hi, Kobe,” Rukiya reminded her son.
“Hi aunty Emery,” the boy squeaked.
“Hi buddy,” Emery smiled. Her smile was warm and genuine, but faded quickly. The loss of her father made Kobe’s growth spurt a painful reminder of every Sim’s mortality; how quickly life moves. She wished she’d visited Rukiya more, and seen more of Kobe growing up. At least there was still time for them. Her eyes welled with tears.
“Oh, Em,” Rukiya’s eyes mimicked those of her friend’s. She walked towards her and gave her a tight hug. “I’m so sorry. Your dad—” Tears replaced words.
Emery cried into Rukiya’s shoulder for a minute, then felt a tiny tug on her sweater. She took a deep breath, then looked at the boy. He outstretched his arms to offer a hug. Emery smiled through new tears and crouched down to accept Kobe’s offer.
“Mama says I give the best hugs,” he whispered.
Emery sputtered a laugh. “She’s right. Thank you, buddy.”
They heard a door open and turned to see Bridget coming outside. Rukiya walked straight over to hug her. Emery couldn’t hear the quiet words they exchanged. Rukiya gently wiped a tear from Bridget’s cheek, then cleared streaks from her own face.
“Is there anything I can help with?” Rukiya asked.
Kobe stepped closer to his mother and reached up for her hand. Instinctively, she took his tiny palm in hers. Bridget smiled at the boy.
“Let’s help Aria and Chase bring out some snacks,” Bridget suggested.
“Snacks?” Kobe smiled up at his mother hopefully.
Ryker heard Aria and Chase greeting Rukiya and Kobe in the kitchen. By the time he was finished in the bathroom, they’d all grabbed the food and plates and brought everything outside. He went out to the backyard. Dorothy had also arrived, and to his surprise, it seemed she brought her friend Sage Oxendine. They were chatting near the buffet table. Ryker hesitated. He really wanted to find the courage to talk to Sage, but he was already exhausted from… well… it had been a very long day already.
“So,” Mason surprised him. “You gonna talk to her, or what?”
How startled Ryker was by his brother’s sudden presence must have been obvious, because Mason softened his smirking expression and put a hand on Ryker’s shoulder.
“Go for it, man,” Mason encouraged. He checked his phone, patted Ryker’s shoulder again, then walked towards the street.
Ryker wasn’t sure what to make of that, but instead decided to focus on gathering his courage. Surely, even if Sage thought he was some annoying kid bothering her, she’d be courteous about it? Or maybe, she’d be nice to him because it was his father’s memorial service, and it would be impossible for him to know if he’s bothering her, because she wouldn’t want to tell him. Panic rose in his chest, but it was too late. He was already close enough to Sage and Dorothy that it would be far more awkward if he said nothing at all.
“Ryker,” Sage said with a sympathetic tone. He hadn’t expected her to initiate the conversation as he approached.
“Hi Sage,” he answered, trying to smile at her.
“I’m so sorry about your dad,” she said, gently touching his shoulder. “I hope it’s okay that I asked Dorothy if I could come pay my respects.”
“It’s incredibly kind of you,” Ryker managed to say. He urged himself not to cry.
“He struck me as a very kind man,” Sage smiled. “It’s a shame I really only got to meet him at Dorothy and Matthew’s wedding.”
Ryker nodded and focused on keeping himself somewhat composed.
Dorothy, who had been standing quietly and doing her best not to look too judgemental or unsympathetic while Sage and Ryker talked in front of her, picked up a plate. She had liked Altman, and didn’t want to be disrespectful to her in-laws. But she was also not interested in Ryker and Sage’s weird little social dynamic, either.
“I’m going to get some food,” Dorothy announced before turning away from them.
Sage nodded at her friend, then turned her attention back to Ryker. “I was a bit worried you wouldn’t want me to come,” she admitted. “You barely texted me since the wedding.”
Ryker was shocked. “I am so sorry about that,” he said quickly. “I really wanted to, I just…”
Ryker paused, realizing he was talking with his hands and remembering that Matthew and Mason had teased him about looking crazy when he talked with his hands too much. He hesitated for a moment, lowered his hands towards his pockets, then continued, “I didn’t want to bother you.”
Sage smiled sympathetically. “It’s no bother at all,” she said sweetly. “I was actually hoping we could go fishing sometime? Matthew said you love fishing, and I don’t have any friends who are interested.”
Ryker’s eyes widened, “R—Really?”
“Yeah, if that’s okay?” Was she blushing?
“I’d love that,” Ryker’s smile came easily this time.
Meanwhile, Mason was near the front of the house, feeling too warm in his suit, waiting to see a small yellow-ish beige car come up the hill. He didn’t have to wait long; Alani arrived almost exactly when she said she would. She carefully parked at the side of the road, and asked if leaving her car there was okay as she got out of the car. Mason adored how considerate she was. He couldn’t believe she had come.
Alani walked over to Mason, first smiling, then looking incredibly sad for him. His heart ached to see her smile falter like that. Watcher, maybe he liked this girl even more than he thought. She put a hand on his shoulder and avoided looking straight at him.
“I’m so, so sorry about your dad,” she said quietly. “Can I give you a hug?” she asked, turning her eyes towards his.
Mason’s chest swelled with the most complex mix of emotions he’d ever felt. He was melting under her hand, almost giddy that she had touched him so affectionately, and overwhelmed that she now also wanted to hug him. Nevermind how pretty her eyes were, especially when she looked at him like that! But at the same time, her offer reminded him of his loss: there was a good reason he needed a hug. His dad was gone. He was gone forever. His whole body ached under the weight of that reality. He could barely see through the tears welling in his eyes, and he felt himself nodding at Alani. She quickly pushed herself against him and held him so tightly that it surprised him. Her hands on his back felt surreal. He couldn’t believe this girl — this incredibly sweet and beautiful girl — had come all the way to Appaloosa Plains to give him a hug. He raised one hand to gently move her hair off of his face. It smelled lovely, but he worried his tears would get it wet.
“What do you need?” Alani asked as she gently moved out of the hug.
Her eyes shone. He wondered if she’d blinked back some tears or if her eyes always sparkled like that. Her eyebrows were angled in concern for him. For him, he thought with disbelief. He wondered what made him deserve such a good-hearted friend as her. He reminded himself she’d asked him a question. What did he need? It felt too forward and misplaced to say ‘you,’ so he settled for telling her the truth.
“I don’t know, honestly,” Mason said quietly.
They stood in silence for a moment. She still had a hand on his shoulder and her other on his arm. Could she stay this close to him forever? The thought made him more sad than he expected it to. He wanted his dad to be there forever, too.
“There’s food, if you want some,” Mason suggested.
Alani nodded with a half-hearted smile and rubbed his arm gently. They headed to join everyone else in the backyard.
Mason was proud to see Ryker was chatting with Sage. Dorothy and Kobe were dancing to some music on the stereo, which was a bit odd, but Mason assumed she was just trying to help keep the kid entertained while Matthew chatted with his mother, Rukiya. Mason wasn’t as close with Rukiya as his older siblings were, but he knew she’d been a very close friend of his parents since she first moved to Appaloosa Plains. She used to help with their garden before she had her own garden and child. Mason noted that these were things he could tell Alani if she asked about the other guests, or if he ran out of other things to talk about.
Bridget overheard Ryker excitedly telling Sage about his future home, and the reality of Altman’s passing hit her like a ton of bricks for what felt like the hundredth time that day. The profound grief came in devastating waves. She’d managed to make the flower arrangements and tidy her bedroom in the moments of numbness. She had mostly been shifting through different levels of dissociation all day, from numb but productive to fully zoned out. But the depth of her loss occasionally shook her into the present moment, and she was forced to feel the extent of her loss. Altman was the love of her life. And now he wouldn’t be there to help Ryker finish building his house. He’d never attend another of his children’s weddings. He’d never take a grandchild fishing. He’d never hold her again.
Bridget sobbed over Altman’s grave. She thought of his warm smile, his chuckling laugh. She cried even harder. The only way to see him now was to remember how he looked. Even the apparition she’d seen this morning hadn’t looked quite right; that warmth was missing. It was gone.
After a while, Bridget felt a gentle, cautious hand touch her arm. She turned to find Aria standing behind her. A tear rolled down her cheeks. Bridget gently wiped it away and opened her arms to offer her daughter a hug. Aria almost collapsed into her arms and began to sob. Bridget cried softly with her. It hurt her heart even more to know her children were experiencing this loss, as well. Altman had been so close with all of them.
Meanwhile, Mason and Alani moved to the trellis-covered bench at the side of the family’s pond. He was careful to keep his breathing steady, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit of exhilaration when Alani’s hand and leg brushed against him as she sat down next to him. For a time, they sat quietly together, staring at the water. Mason tuned out most of the sounds around him and focused on the water’s subtle movement. The gentle autumn breeze was just barely making the surface of the pond and the surrounding plants sway.
“Thank you for coming,” Mason said. “It means a lot.”
“Of course,” Alani replied. “I was glad I could be here for you. I do have to go soon, though…”
Mason nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”
They sat in silence again for a while, before Alani eventually said, “Your parents’ property is really lovely. It’s cool you have this pond and everything.”
“Thanks,” he gave her a half-hearted smile. “I don’t have much to compare it to, but I’ve always liked it here.”
Alani nodded. The quiet returned. Mason liked sitting quietly with her. Unfortunately, the quiet also allowed for more thinking. Uninvited, the thought occurred to Mason that his day would have been much, much worse if Alani hadn’t come over. He wouldn’t have had any breaks from the overwhelming grief. To hop off that train of thought, he decided to interrupt the silence.
“Sometimes I wish there was more to do here,” Mason said. “In Appaloosa Plains, I mean. But I doubt you can walk to many waterfalls from other houses.”
“Definitely not in Bridgeport,” Alani smiled at him. After a pause, she added, “I should visit that waterfall again.”
Mason glanced over at her. She looked so pretty in the evening light. It was similar to when they first met at Cinnamon Crest Falls, and here she was talking about going there again.
“I’d like that,” he told her, managing a small smile.
“I’m sorry that I have to go,” she said softly.
“Don’t be,” Mason said. “It was really nice of you to come at all.”
“What are friends for?” she tilted her head and smiled as she asked.
Something about her tone and how she was looking at him suggested she was open to being more than friends. Or was that just wishful thinking on Mason’s part? He wondered if she would have driven all the way here if she wasn’t interested in dating. Maybe she would have. She was a good person. But at the very least, she must have felt they were close friends, to put this level of effort into comforting him. Even if she just wanted to be friends, she seemed like an incredible friend to have.
They stood up and she gave him a hug goodbye.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said with a smile before turning to walk to her car.
“See you,” Mason echoed. “Drive carefully.”
Mason watched her walk to her car, then wandered over towards the buffet table. He had barely eaten anything, but he still wasn’t hungry. It was unlike him.
“Your friend seems really sweet,” Matthew said.
Mason hadn’t even noticed him there. He just nodded. Why did he feel himself starting to cry? He walked closer to his eldest brother, who opened his arms and held him. Mason let himself cry into Matthew’s shirt. Matt rubbed his back gently, like he used to when he was upset as a small child. He wished there was more he could do to comfort his baby brother. Suddenly, it occurred to Matt that their father hadn’t started on any plans for a house for Mason. Last he heard, construction for Ryker’s hadn’t been arranged yet, either. Those were things he could help with, at least. He made a mental note to speak to his mother about their houses later. In the meantime, he felt incredibly grateful that he’d had his father to go through that experience with him and to teach him so much as they worked on his ranch together. But the gratefulness was wrapped in grief; not only were those experiences all in the past, but his brothers wouldn’t have their own.
Chase had waited patiently while Aria and her mother had a moment at Altman’s grave. However, he couldn’t help but be concerned about them. They stood together crying for a very long time. He wasn’t sure how long he was supposed to wait, or if he should be there comforting his girlfriend. Finally, the signal came: both women glanced over at him. He immediately got up and walked over. He gave Bridget a hug first. She patted him on the shoulder.
“You’re a good man,” Bridget said simply. “I’ve got to go inside for a bit. You take care of our girl.”
Aria’s mouth sort of scrunched to one side, like it wanted to smile but had forgotten how amidst all the crying. Chase outstretched an arm and let Aria’s tired frame relax against him. They watched Bridget put a comforting hand on Mason’s back as he cried on Matthew’s shoulder. The two boys ended up going towards the house with their mother. Chase wasn’t sure where Emery, Ryker, and the remaining guests had gone, but it appeared that only he and Aria were left outside.
Aria turned to him and he thought she might say something. He waited, but she didn’t. Or perhaps, couldn’t. He offered her a hug and she slouched into his arms. Chase held her tightly. What else could he do? Even with how complicated his relationship was with his own father, he didn’t want to think about how hard losing him was going to be. Aria adored her parents. Altman had been a wonderful man. He would have made a wonderful grandfather, if he and Aria had kids. Chase began to cry.
Aria rubbed his back and leaned away so they could see each other. “I love you,” she smiled, her lips trembling a little.
“I love you, too,” he sputtered. “Your dad… Your dad was—” he couldn’t finish through the tears.
Aria nodded with understanding. Her lower lip trembled more violently, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned towards her father’s gravestone and let herself cry, holding her face in her hands. Chase tried in vain to wipe his own tears away with the edge of his fist. Altman and Bridget had looked out for him as he and Aria grew up together. He was still in a bit of disbelief that the man had passed away. He was going to miss his would-be father-in-law. He already missed him.
Emery stood alone in the dark in front of her father’s grave. There were candles on either side of his gravestone, casting flickering lights through her tears. The flowers her mother had carefully arranged in vases looked like different colours now, lit only by the candlelight and starry sky above. The cool autumn air grew colder as the evening progressed, but Emery didn’t mind. Her face was warm from crying and she didn’t feel connected enough with her body to know if her legs were cold in her skirt. She sniffled and used the last tissue from her sweater pocket. How had she gone through them all? Hadn’t she stuffed half a box worth into her pockets? She sighed and tried to wipe the tears away.
“Hi, baby,” she heard her mother coo softly.
She turned slightly to see Bridget walking towards her. “Hi,” Emery managed to reply.
“Do you need anything, honey?”
Emery shook her head no. “Just not ready to leave him.”
Bridget nodded with understanding and gently rubbed her daughter’s back. “I like to think he’ll still be with all of us… and besides, you can always come home and visit.”
Emery wished she felt more comforted by her mother’s words. But she didn’t think words could help right now. Bridget and Emery stood mostly in silence, the only sounds being the occasional insects, rustling leaves from the tree above, and Emery’s sniffles and small breaths between tears.
After some time, Ryker and Mason joined them. Both started crying almost immediately. Emery realized neither of them had actually been close to the grave earlier in the day. They’d both taken advantage of all the distractions available to them. She didn’t blame them. The whole family had been doing that in one way or another; the goal was just to make it through this horrible day. Besides, she imagined the day would have been a bit easier if Colette were there. Emery was struck by the realization that her father would never get to meet her girlfriend in person. Her chest heaved with unsteady breaths. Did she have any tears left?
“It’s okay to go home and get some sleep, Emery,” her mother suggested gently. “You did a lot today. Did you eat anything?”
Emery nodded. Her body was turned towards her mother, but her gaze remained on her father’s headstone.
“Yeah I ate with Rukiya and Kobe,” she said absently. After a moment, she asked, “How am I going to tell Colette? I’m not sure I can explain over the phone….”
Bridget pursed her lips. She and Altman hadn’t met Emery’s girlfriend. Emery met her while she was away at art school in France. After she returned, she hadn’t told her parents about the new relationship right away. But they had been dating long distance for a couple years now, and they’d met Colette over the phone a number of times. Colette had once suggested they do a video call, but Altman objected to the idea. Emery had apologized profusely for not warning Colette about Altman’s aversion to technology, but Bridget insisted it was a perfectly reasonable suggestion and asked Emery to apologize to Colette on their behalf for Altman’s reaction.
“You can take as much time as you need,” Bridget tried to reassure her. “Remember to breathe… And if it doesn’t go well, you can always text her. She’ll understand. Didn’t you mention she’s already lost a parent, as well?”
Emery nodded absently, barely paying attention to what her mother was saying. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but all she could manage to do was not start crying again. Her two youngest brothers were still sobbing next to her. She couldn’t move to comfort them just yet. Not without restarting herself. She needed a moment. She imagined her mother felt similarly. Bridget was looking at her youngest children with a somber concern, but stayed standing where she was.
Matthew and Dorothy joined them in the yard.
“Aria will be here in a minute, she’s just saying goodbye to Chase. He’s got to report to base early in the morning,” Matthew explained. His tone was flat, he sounded exhausted.
“We should head out soon, too,” Dorothy said softly.
“We can let you two say goodbye,” Bridget suggested. “I think Ryker and Mason need a breather.”
The elderly woman patted Emery on the shoulder and then made her way over to her two youngest children. She outstretched an arm to each of them and they collapsed into a joint hug.
“Come inside for some water,” she instructed, patting their backs. “We’ll come back out in a minute.”
Emery hesitated, but ultimately decided it was best to follow her mother and let Matthew have a private moment with his wife before leaving. Emery lived just up the street and would likely come back soon to check on everyone, anyway. She silently nodded goodbye to the gravestone and blinked back tears, then dutifully headed towards the house.
Matthew still struggled to look at his father’s gravestone. It had been haunting his peripheral vision all day. He knew that avoiding it wouldn’t change the reality that his father had died. But why did he need to look directly at it, really? Why face his death so directly? What good would it do? For closure, perhaps. He’d read about the need for closure, many authors included it as a theme in their books. But he didn’t know how to translate what he’d read into how it applied to his life at the moment. His life, without his father. How could he possibly seek closure about that?
Dorothy gently rubbed his arm, then pulled him in for a hug. Matthew was grateful to have her there.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to introduce Aasifa to your dad,” Dorothy said softly. “I’m sure he is so proud of you for achieving your dream.”
Matthew simply nodded over her shoulder and rubbed her back. She gave him a little squeeze.
“I’m sorry I told them we have to go, we can stay longer if you’d like,” Dorothy said. “You’ve just looked exhausted all day and I thought you’d be more comfortable at home.”
Matthew nodded again. “No, we should go. I’m exhausted, and there’s nowhere for us to sleep here. I can check in with everyone tomorrow.”
Dorothy squeezed his hand. “Do you want a moment alone before we go?”
Matthew still hadn’t looked directly at the gravestone. He felt like he should, but he didn’t feel ready. It would still be there tomorrow.
“No,” he replied. “Let’s say goodbye to everyone else and go home.”
Bridget, Aria, Ryker and Mason were the only ones left at the Tevellyn House. It was getting late. Aria planned to spend the night in her old room again. She couldn’t bring herself to leave her family alone after what they’d witnessed together. At first, she was so horrified that she thought about never sleeping there ever again. But her mother and younger brothers didn’t have a choice, so she decided to stay in solidarity. If it was awful, maybe they could come with her to her house instead. She felt childish coming up with such a plan. A lot of things made her feel like a child that day. She wanted her dad back.
After everyone else left, Bridget suggested they collect the leftovers from the buffet and then go to bed. When they went back outside, the boys immediately walked towards their father’s grave and put an arm around one another. Aria and Bridget followed them. There was a long silence and more tears from all of them. They’d made it through this horrible day, but Altman had not.
Aria and Mason took the extra plates and leftover cookies inside and started getting ready for bed. Ryker convinced their mother to try having some spaghetti with him.
“I know dad would’ve wanted us to catch fish,” Ryker tried to joke. “But we’ve gotta eat something.”
Bridget didn’t particularly feel like eating, but she took a small amount anyway. She wanted to set a good example for her kids. It was important that they all try to take care of themselves in the hard days ahead.
Bridget made sure all the kids were in bed and comfortable before she went to get changed herself. It made her feel a bit better to take care of them like when they were little. They were all so grown up now. Where had the time gone? She had to admit, it felt like a lifetime had passed since she met Altman in his blue postal service uniform all those years ago. But watching him taking Emery to Cinnamon Crest Falls for her first fishing trip felt like it could have been last month. Time was funny like that.
Bridget pulled back her blankets and sat on the edge of her bed in her nightgown. She paused. The last time she hadn’t slept next to Altman was back in her old cabin that became the kids’ playroom. Breathing weighed heavily in her chest. She was exhausted, but didn’t want to lay down. She considered the couch, but it would hurt her back too much. If she couldn’t do any gardening tomorrow, she might lose her mind. She decided to shower and then try to sleep again afterwards.
The hot water was soothing. She stayed in the shower for a long time, crying on and off. She thought about very little beyond the water running over her. Her eyes hurt, her body was sore. She was emotionally exhausted. She hoped, after this, she could sleep.
Author’s Notes:
Phew! This was a hard one to write. I’m sorry if it was a hard one for you to read.
I wanted to use as many of the screenshots from my original challenge gameplay as possible for this chapter because it felt a bit too sad to stage another funeral for Altman. However, I still ended up staging a lot of new screenshots for storytelling purposes. For example, I didn’t take many photos of conversations between Sims, so most of those screenshots have been added in order to show more of the family’s reactions. Similarly, because the funeral/memorial was hosted as an event, it was tough to get photos of Sims like Emery and Matthew mourning at the gravestone as part of the original gameplay. Guests like Rukiya and Kobe Shabani, Sage Oxendine, and Alani Shepherd didn’t stay long enough for me to get many original screenshots of them interacting with the family very much.
I’ll also note that Altman passed away before I did my lifespan adjustments, so this chapter’s screenshots have a few inconsistencies. Aria was still a Teen in my original gameplay (which is why she was home when Altman passed), but she and her boyfriend Chase Harley are Young Adults in the new screenshots. Kobe was a Child already, but should have been a Toddler. I decided to keep him as a Child for ease of photos and so that it wouldn’t be as obvious that the group party photos are a mix of original and new.
Here are some extra screenshots that didn’t fit in the chapter.
