Always and forever

ELSIDA

“May his soul rest in peace.”

Elsida muffles a gasp and Nancy clutches onto her tightly as Jasper’s casket is carried into the dirt.

“Jasper,” she whispers suppressing a shudder as tears stream down her face.

Her Father and Natasha stand beside her and William Dalton pulls his daughter into his arms suppressing her anguished cries.

“It’ll be fine Elsida,” he whispers into her hair.

Elsida chokes on a sob. No, it won’t, she muses.

Jasper is gone and she never allowed herself to get to know him, she was too grief-stricken to manage to welcome a baby.

At the moment, she regrets it dearly.

She wipes her nose with a handkerchief and her eyes zoom in on a mop of curly locks.

Julien.

He stands like an on-looker mere inches away with his hands tucked into his pockets and a muscle in his jaw jumping.

He meets her gaze with his red-rimmed eyes and Elsida shudders, letting go of her Dad.

“I’ll be back Dad, I just want to “

William gives her a reassuring smile. “You don’t need to explain y