My fingers twirled around the pink flowers that seemed to have bloomed while I was away. The ground was covered in snow and the weather was cold as ice, but yet this flower bloomed. My Aunt Suzy and I had planted the flowers a few months ago.
"They would bloom by December" she had said, but I thought it was ridiculous. December's are cold and freezing and the ground is usually covered in snow.
"Agnes what are you doing outside!" My mother called out from the kitchen door. Her hands were holding unto her white robes tightly.
I turned around and smiled at her "the spring surprise heath has begun to bloom" I said
"Oh really" she exclaimed in surprise "your aunt was right, they really do bloom in December" she said, walking towards me.
I giggled "it looks really pretty mommy" I paused and stared at her "just like Aunt Suzy" I said
My mother only nodded her head in reply, her words were muffled by the choking tears that she was afraid to shed in front of her twelve years old daughter.
She looked away " it is pretty" she said in a lower tone
The spring surprise heath had begun to bloom, living their best life but aunty Suzy was gone, never to bloom again.
I reached out and held my mother's hand, comforting her unspoken sorrows "it's okay to cry mommy, I cry too" I said
"Oh my child" she pulled me closer in a warm embrace and I wrapped my arms around her middle. I was twelve years old but I was almost as tall as my mother.
"Auntie Suzy isn't gone mommy, her story continues with us. She lives in our memory of her" I said.
I wanted to comfort my mother, to make her feel better, but my words only made her to cry harder.
I began to pat her back as she made sniffling sounds.
"We're going to take care of the flowers, just like Aunt Suzy would have done" i said
She chuckled lightly "yes darling, we will take care of it" she said. She pulled back and cradled my face in her hands "but for now, let's go inside"
I smiled at her and she held my hand as we both walked back into the house.