After the funeral, I was standing outside the church doors, soaking up the last bits of sun, when Elizabeth came up by me and introduced herself.
"You looked as if you had no clue as to who any of us are!" she exclaimed.
"Looking good Brynn," an old man said as he walked passed.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry anout your aunt and your mom, must be so hard," an elderly woman said shaking my hand. I was still a bit confused.
"Thar's because I don't know who you people are. I thought I had no family. That's what mom always told me," I said to Elizabeth, after these people had left.
Elizabeth sighed and looked off into the distance, lost in a memory. "That mother of yours sure was strange. She liked to pretend none of existed, because mom basically shut her out after the wedding. Your mom's wedding, that is. They didn't approve of your father, so she just pretended we didn't exist. Sad." Elizabeth's eyes began to water so I handed her a tissue.
"Thank you dear," she said wiping her eyes. "I just wish I could've saved you and your brother, before your father..." she choked out a long wail. I tried to comfort her, but I was no good at it.
"Sorry to be so abrupt here, but you still haven't told me who you are exactly?"
Elizabeth looked up with tears still in her eyes. "Why, I'm your mother's twin sister, hadn't she ever told-oh of course not you just said you had no idea any of us existed..." she stared off into the distance before lifting her head as if she had an idea. "I'll be right back," she said. And with that she hurried away from me and got lost in the crowd. I sighed and looked around. I didn't want to be here anymore. I didn't want to see them bury the only thing I had had left. I didn't want to deal with it all. So I left. And went back to the only place I knew I would be safe. Harry's flat. No one would know to look for me there, and no one would ever find me unless they wanted to. It was perfect.
Once I got to Harry's flat, I broke down and cried. I cried for the longest time. I just sat at Harry's little kitchen table, looking at his stairs, then looking down at the basement door. A crazy thought popped into my head. I just wanted to play that piano. It made me feel like I was closer to Harry, as if the keys were apart of him, and apart of his heart. So I sat down and I played. I played "Christine's Song" but added to it. I renamed it "Keys To My Heart" and perfected it. I stayed up until 4:30 am finishing it with a bottle of whisky in my hand. It turned out to a beautiful lullaby and I couldn't wait until Harry woke up so I could show him. But the crushing realization hit me that he might never wake up, and that I'd be all alone. So I layed down on the floor by the piano bench and fell asleep, drowning in my own tears.
I woke up at noon the next day with a killer headache. But I got up, showered and ate breakfast before heading off to visit Harry. I knew he was going to wake up. I did.
I stared at his unmoving body for the longest time, trying to contemplate why he wouldn't wake up. Sure the monitors SAID he was alive, but was he? Would he ever live again, really? I sighed and layed in the bed next to him, draping his arm over me as I burried my face into his chest.
"Harry..." I whispered, so the nurses outside couldn't hear me. "Harry I don't want to be alone. I can't wake up in your empty bed anymore. I can't drag myself around your empty flat, pretending your there. They say it's bad for my mental health. But I have to, because I know you'll come back to me. You're gonna wake up in a few days, and I can play my song for you. I finished Christine's song for you, Harry. I know you're going to love it. I think it sounds just like what you would have made. But I really need you here, Harry. I can't stand looking at you like this. It's not you. I need you back,because I can't be alone. Please. Don't let me go alone. I love you," tears were streaming down my face as I pressed my forehead to his chest. I heard a grunting noise, and a "Who the hell are you and where the fuck am I?"
"Harry?!" I cried. I was bawling. He was back! Harry was back!
"Who the hell are you?" My bubble of happiness popped as quickly as it had risen, falling to the earth in a million pieces.
"What?" I asked, the tears turning from joy to despair.
"Who the hell are you, and where am I?" he repeated. I looked down at the floor before sprinting out and finding a nurse to tell her the news.
"You must be so happy," she smiled in her kind, old lady way.
"He doesn't remember..." I said. I didn't even give an explanation before I ran out as fast as I could, back to Edith's old place. Only to find my "family" waiting there for me. This was NOT something I needed right now.
