Black Roses

Black Roses

         The flag draped coffin was carried by the Marine Honor Guard into the chapel. Following their son's coffin, Frank and Ann stood tall as military protocol dictated to the Admiral and his wife. Behind them, Angie walked into the chapel, dazed by the events of the last two weeks.
         Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Everyone in the chapel had been invited. They were all there, childhood friends, family. They were all staring and whispering, only Angie could hear every word.
         “She looks so brave.”
         “Such a pity, to lose him on the day he was to come home.”
         “Poor thing.”
         Every step she took, every aisle she passed, the whispers continued, each a stab in her heart. The man she loved and was supposed to meet at the pulpit lay in his honored spot. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen.
         The family was seated. Angie sat, she looked at the chaplain. His mouth was moving, she couldn’t hear a thing. She looked at the three black roses she carried in her hands, and remembered.
         She remembered the past, her first date with Stan. The fun and frivolity of going to an amusement park, she remembered how her back tingled when he touched her shoulder. She remembered the first kiss at the end of the roller coaster, then laughing and holding hands all the way to the next ride.
         She remembered the past, how the night before his deployment he’d seemed so nervous at the movie. Then at dinner, in the middle of The Bistro, he dropped to one knee beside her and pulled a blue box out of his pocket. Tears flooded over them as she flung herself into his arms. She couldn’t remember how many times she said yes during the round of applause from the family and friends that had been waiting just out of sight.
         She remembered the past, each and every Skype call they had during his deployment. All the heart break and sadness each and every time he hung up. She remembered each call ended with, “I love you, Angie, you’re my heart and soul. I can’t wait to marry you.”
         The first volley fired, shocking Angie back into the present. She’d just recovered her senses when the second volley fired, followed shortly by the third. The present, she was supposed to be saying her vows, he was supposed to be saying his vows. The present, ripped away by a roadside bomb that blew the off side of the humvee where he was sitting; the humvee that was taking him to the plane to come home. The present, silently watching as the flag was crisply being folded in front of her and handed to his mother.
         As she passed his coffin with the black roses in her hand, she closed her eyes and thought about the future. She laid her roses upon his coffin. The future, Angie couldn’t see anything.
word count: 494