"Buying these for a nice lady friend?" The cashier asked, causing crystal cerulean hues to dart up from the multi-colored tulips to his face.Â
"I, uh..hmm...something like that." Juniper muttered under her breath. Taking her change and the fresh tulips, she departed the store and made her way towards Sloane's cemetery.
It had been quite a few months since she had been to the cemetery. She used to go once a day until she dwindled down to once a week. Now, she simply goes when she remembers or she finds herself needing to be grounded beyond what anyone alive could do. Taking the flowers, she walked up the familiar white gravel path. She always wondered why they chose white gravel. Was it a symbolism? Or was it just aesthetically pleasing?Â
Crunching and crackling reverberated through her ear canal with each step she took. Juniper could remember this walk feeling so heavy before. So sorrowful and dark, nothing compared to what it was now. It was a complete opposite. Moving to the familiar marble stone, hues fell on the crushed and dried up tulips that had been there after being left without proper soil or water for months. Taking the wilted dark flowers, she replaced them with the new colorful ones she had just bought. Squatting down, she dust away what dried up petals had crumpled and stuck to the base of the tomb stone, pulling out any weeds along with it and setting it all in a pile to be discarded on her way out.
"Sorry, El.." she muttered, dusting off the dirt from her hands. "I'll get Zek to come up here more often when I can't and start taking care of ya.." she mumbled as she fumbled into the pocket of her jeans for her lighter and cigarette pack. "Probably see about actually planting some tulips too. When the season's right. That way you're not left with this wilted mess," she muttered with a cigarette now between her lips. She lit the tip of the stick as the sun began to go down.Â
Taking a long drag, she let the smoke spill from her lips as she continued. "You and Vilem better be giving them a run for their money. That's all I've got to say about that." The cherry of her cancer stick began to glow as darkness began to slowly veil around her. Juniper reached out, tracing the lettering of the tomb stone 'Elizabeth Dekker'. She was the blondes girlfriend once upon a time before that title and life was ripped away by the hands of Trent Foster. "You were both taken by the asshole and I couldn't do shit about it." She huffed, blowing smoke out angrily. "If I wasn't smart. If I didn't actually look forward to something, I'd seek my revenge you know. I know it'd get me killed. That's why I won't. I have something...someone to live for now.." she whispered, blue hues drifting off somewhere else for a moment.Â
"She makes me happy, you know. Happiest I've been in years. And for once, I actually see myself in the future." Juniper chuckled a bit, despite the salty droplets that began to fall down her face slowly. "I wish you could meet her...you would have loved her," she mumbled, bringing the cigarette to her lips again, taking a drag before letting her hand down and flicking the ashes off. "She puts up with more of my bullshit than you ever could have," she laughed, shaking her head. "I don't know about you, but I know she's the one." Juniper smiled at the thought, blue hues looking up at the night sky before looking back at the tomb stone. She used to feel so stupid for talking to it, but now it gave her a sense of comfort. "I need to get going before it gets too dark and I end up freezing into a popsicle." The blonde laughed, placing a kiss on her fingertips before placing her fingertips on the tombstone. "I'll come back soon, get you some tulips planted." She promised before sticking the rest of her cigarette in her mouth as she grabbed what needed to be discarded in a trash bin before leaving to head back home.Â
