Chapter Six
The next morning Lillian awoke holding Douglass' stone pendant, alone. Douglass' corpse was gone, but surrounding her she found his hand-picked collection of her favorite mosses, flowers and grey willow seeds.
As she moved through the house it felt different. Little things had changed overnight. The windows were open. Her sheets had been washed and changed. Douglass' boots had been cleaned and neatly put away.
She slowly adjusted herself to match her surroundings. She showered, changed her clothes and combed her hair. She carefully gathered the items Douglass had left and the stone necklace before stepping outside, following the path to the shoreline.
At the shore's edge, Lillian only saw calm, uninterrupted waves. She gently walked into the cold
water, this time only a few steps in. She knelt down holding her precious items and waited for a moment before releasing her hold on them and letting them fall onto the surface of the water.
As she watched Douglass' offerings disperse with each wave she felt him there with her. He was kissing her knees with every playful ripple of the sea. He blew calming air across her forehead as she felt the breeze pick up across the water. She could feel the tightness in her chest letting go.
The End
