"Do you miss your wife?" I ask Michael after 5 minutes of silence and Michael looks at me in such a way as if he was waiting for someone to ask him that question.

"Have you ever felt incomplete, Alice ?" He asks another question rather than answering mine.

"I always feel incomplete. " I tell him. "I don't know why." I simply add.

" I feel the same way  without Elizabeth." He's staring at the grass.

"Elizabeth. " I repeat, " It's a wonderful name. "

"That woman was also very wonderful. Someone who knew absolutely how to live." He smiles and pauses for a while then continues, " And when death came, she didn't fear it. She gave her soul back immediately." Now his voice is shaking.

"Tell me about her. How you met her? Everything." I ask with suspense.

"Some other day." He says

"Michael, I know you want to talk about her to someone. I know you want to share the feeling of being lonely with someone one." I say, " Just let that someone be me."

He exhales.

"Alice, just remember that you are beautiful. You're like a flower. A flower that gives fragrance of peace. Every girl is like a flower, but only few realize and appreciate their beauty." He says and stares at the trees. "Elizabeth was one of those girls." He says and smiles.

" I met her in my college. I was the most saddest and quietest person in my class and she was the most smart, brave and bright student with a smile that made everyone else smile and forget their pain. In the entire college period, I never saw sadness or disappointment on her face. She welcomed every new day. When she wanted something, she never asked for it. She struggled for it. And if she'd fail, she reminded her the law of "no expectation = no disappointment".

He pauses and I take a sip of my juice I almost forgot to drink.

"When she noticed my silence, she tried to communicate with me. That was the day when my life turned from dark to light. Or you can say from black to white, or from death towards life." he says and I look at him. His expression is sad and happy at the same time and I can tell he's missing her right now too.

"Why were you sad earlier?" I ask.

"I was alone. Total out of care. Same story. Parents died when I was a kid, leaving me with my grand mother who had no time to pay attention to me. So she sent me in a hostel. After high school, I began to do part time job and started to live on my own. I'd spend money in paying apartment rent bills and food and books. I had tough temper. I could beat anyone who pissed me off.
But it all changed after her. My mind,  my ideas, thoughts, feelings, attitude, everything. We got married after graduation." He pauses and drink water. While I wait for him to tell me more.

" I don't know why she left me so early." He says sadly.

"It wasn't her decision Michael. "

"Hmm. It was her decision." He says.

"How come?"

"She always made me feel alive. She understood me well. But there were things I couldn't understand about her. There are things that men really don't understand about women." He says.

"As in?"

"A baby." He says and pauses, "Elizabeth always wanted a baby. She often used to tell me that a baby would change my life. I kept her waiting for 2 years until I was all set with my job  and expenses. And when she got pregnant and you have no idea how much happy she was."

"And you weren't ?" I ask.

" I was. Her happiness made me happy. " he says and I take another sip of juice. "I'd never do that to her if I had known she would die leaving me and Stephen behind with no reason to live for."

He's crying. 

"Don't cry Michael. You're strong." I place my hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not strong,Alice. I cry every night when I go to bed and can't find her next to me. Stephen blames himself for Elizabeth 's death. But it's not his fault. It's mine. It hurts Alice. Things can give peace to my mind but nothing fixes my heart. The fact that I have no one left for my own hurts me." He's still crying.

"#1. It's not your fault. It's all written.
#2. You have Stephen for your own. Don't you?"

"He's busy. I've already burdened him with the business. I can't make my son hate me. " he says in a slow voice.

"I don't think if it makes sense."

"It doesn't. I know. But I can't bother him with my problems. I don't want him to hate me. He's the only symbol  of Elizabeth I've left." He says and Stephen comes from behind.

"Who is hating whom?" He asks in a kind tone.

Gosh he's happy today!  He looks extremely handsome when he smiles.

"Nothing I was just telling Alice that you won't do anything to make her hate you." Michael replies and my eyes open wide. Stephen looks at me and asks,
"Do you hate me?"

"Not yet." I tease him.

"C'mon! You hardly said 'hello' to my niece." Michael says to Stephen.

"Hello,Alice." Stephen smiles and shakes my hand.

"Hello. " I smile.

"Look whose there!" Michael exclaims  while looking at Jonah who is standing beside a pillar with a smile on his face.

"Thank God, someone saw me." He says and walk towards us. " or else I would have fallen down there waiting for someone to notice me around ".

"Awww! My boy! How can we not notice you. " he makes Jonah sit on his lap and all of us laugh together .