Chapter song: Here Without You by 3 Doors Down

I've heard this life is overrated, but I hoped that it gets better as we go ...

"We meet many people in our lives, but there are only a few people that will touch our hearts and our souls ..."

I stood up on the podium, looking around the church at the many faces who attended the visitation: Nancy, Nick, Lily, Adam, the Sinclairs, and many others who I hadn't seen before.

"Nana was one of those people to me. She was an extraordinary human being, beyond anything I can imagine. During the little time I've known her, I've learn so much from her ... She's taught me that we humans aren't perfect people ... sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes we let the people we loved down ... But we can always start over by forgiving one another. Life is too short, and we need to make the most of every moment we have with those we love ..."

I paused for a few seconds and wiped away the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Nana's heart and generosity knew no boundaries. She's shown me there's always something to hold onto, something worth fighting for in this world." My gaze landed on Henry who was looking at me, and we connected for a moment.

"I love you, Nana. You will missed by many."

I walked off the podium and hugged Patty as she came up to the stand to deliver her eulogy.

"That was beautiful and moving, Ally. Nana will be happy to hear those words from where she is right now." Patty wiped her eyes with a tissue.

"Thank you, Patty."

After the speeches, the guests lined up to pay their last respect to Nana, one by one. I saw Henry was the only one still sitting down, and I wandered over to him.

"How are you holding up, honey?" I asked, sitting down on the wooden bench next to him.

"I have been better."

"Come here."

I pulled my husband toward me and hugged him, our arms sliding around each other. "Everything's going to be alright. I'm always right here for you. I love you."

"Love you, too. Thank you, Ally. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here with me."

I smiled at him. "You should go see Nana before the casket is closed."

He nodded with a smile.

We both stood up, and I slipped my hand into his. "Let's go together. I'll go up there with you."

I led Henry up to the casket where Nana's body laid peacefully in her casket. Even in death, she still looked the same, beautiful and angelic.

I placed my arm behind my husband's back and leaned into him as he tilted his head on mine, staring sadly down at Nana.

After a couple seconds, I heard Henry weeping quietly, but instead of stopping him or offering words of encouragement, I remained silent and allowed him to cry on.

He needed to let out his emotion because holding them in would only torment him. By letting his feelings all out, he would find his inner peace. And as time passed, he would be able to accept the present and move on without being haunted by the past.

That was what I wanted for him.

Crying wasn't a weakness, but a natural and necessary part of life.

"I am going to say bye to our friends. Will you be okay by yourself?" I asked him.

"Yes, I will."

"Okay, I'll be right back." I kissed him on the cheek.

As I made my way over to Adam, Lily, and Nancy who were all talking with Patty and Nick, I was stopped by Victoria out of surprise.

"Ally, could I have a few words with you? Please, I'm not here to cause you any trouble today." Her tone was different than before, and I didn't understand why.

She didn't look like the usual Victoria I knew. Her makeup was less dashing and glamorous than before, just natural,
and the aura she emitted off meant she really didn't mean any harm.

"Yes, sure."

"I just wanted to apologize to you," she started.

I gazed at her, wondering why she was saying these words to me. We never started on the right foot, but why the sudden change in her attitude toward me.

"I'm sorry," her voice cracked. "I'm sorry for all the trouble my mother and I have caused you in the past. You didn't deserved any of that."

"Victoria, it's really okay."

"No, it's not."

Strangely, I could sense a hint of sadness in Victoria's voice. "Why are you telling me?"

"I see the truth now. I see how much Henry loves you. After the events at my father's event the other day, I saw how terrified he was when he was running to look for you. He was so worried about you. And that's when I realized, I never stood a chance against you. You have given Henry something that I could never have given to him, even if I tried. I understand now that he's finally found his happiness in life—and that is you, Ally. You're the only person who can make him smile like that in these dark times. And I want to thank you for not abandoning him."

"I wouldn't leave Henry for the world."

Victoria smiled as a tear streamed down her face, and she quickly wiped it off her cheek with a tissue. "I'm sorry again for everything. I wish you two the very best. Good bye, Ally."

"Good bye, Victoria."

She smiled at me before placing on her sunglasses and turning around to head out of the church doors.

I stood there for a while and watched her leave, feeling pity for her, yet hopeful about how we left things off this time.

After the visitation, the casket was sealed and loaded into a black hearse outside the church. Henry and I stepped into the black Mercedes Benz that was parked behind the hearse. Larry started the engine and followed the car carrying Nana's body to O'Hare.

Once we made it to the airport, we proceeded through security and stopped near the runways where a chartered plane was waiting by.

Henry had booked the plane to transport Nana's body back to France, where she would be buried alongside her late husband and her parents.

It was her death wish to be buried in her hometown, Annecy.

With how much Nana had given to Henry and me, this was the least we could do for her.

The plane ride across the Atlantic Ocean was long and tormenting, knowing we would see Nana only one time before her body would be laid to peace forever in this life.

I peered out through the small window at the orange sky, wondering how Nana was doing where she currently was and thinking endlessly about the times we spent together.

When I first met her in the kitchen after spending the night at Henry's home for the first time.

When she taught me how to make Henry's favorite coffee rolls.

When she picked out the black dress for me to wear for New Year's.

When I heard her heart beat during the time she held me in her arms and comforted me after Henry and I had a fight.

I would never be able to hear her heart beat ever again. Nor would I ever get to see her smile except in my dreams.

I reached in my bag and took out the picture I had been working on.

"What are you drawing?" Henry asked me.

"I'm finishing something that I started for Nana. Before she passed away, she told me how she wanted to visit her hometown. I thought I could surprise her with a hand drawn picture before we took her there when she recovered, but ... I didn't know that I'd never get the chance to give it to her."

Henry leaned over and kissed me on the side of my forehead. "She would have loved it."

.....

I held a daffodil in my hand, staring down at the shiny, mahogany coffin which was now placed inside the grave. Beside her laid her late husband and not far from them were her parents. It made me happy to see the company she had around her after death.

A few of Nana's relatives gathered under this cloudless blue sky with Henry and I. We were putting her to rest in a cemetery that stood on the side of the mountain, facing the lake below.

Nana, I'm sorry for all the tears you shed for me. I'm sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me. Don't worry about Henry and I. We'll take very good care of each other and love one another as how you loved each one of us. If there's a chance, I hope that we meet again in another lifetime. I will never forget about you. Nana, you will remain in my heart and mind forever. I love you and will miss you very much.

I dropped the flower into the grave, and it landed over the frame that held the picture of Nana's hometown.

After my turn, I stepped aside for Henry, the last one to go. He peered sorrowfully down at the grave for a minute before dropping his flower into it. Then he walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me.

We held each other as the tractor began scooping piles of soil and dropping it over the grave. When the grave was completely filled up to the top, the cemetery workers placed the white flower arrangements over it.

"She's really gone now," Henry spoke defeatedly as he looked at the finished grave.

"She has gone to a better place. She's at peace now, Henry."

"I miss her so much, Ally."

"I do, too."

After the burial and saying goodbyes to the guests, Henry and I returned to our hotel room in town.

"Honey, I have to go make a quick call, and then we can head to lunch afterward. Alright?"

"Sounds good with me."

"I'll see you in a while." He left a kiss on my cheek and left the room.

While waiting for him to return, I went out onto the balcony overlooking the crystal blue lake and mountain ranges in the distance.

I sat down on the leather chair and thought of Nana again. She was constantly on my mind, every second of every minute.

Reality finally began setting in.

When Henry and I returned to Chicago tomorrow, there would be no one waiting for us except an empty big house.

Nana wouldn't be there.

She wouldn't be in the kitchen, cooking her delicious recipes for dinner.

She wouldn't be in the living room, watching soap operas, waiting for Henry and me to return from work.

She would never be there when we came home going forward from this moment.

The thoughts were unsettling, and I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. I promised myself I wouldn't cry again, especially in front of Henry, but thinking about her made me emotional.

The door opened and closed, and after a few seconds Henry walked onto the balcony to find me.

I wiped always my tears quickly, but he already saw them. He knelt down in front of me and took my hands into his, smoothing over them with his thumbs.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"I was just thinking about Nana. When we go back to the States tomorrow, there'll be nobody waiting for us at home."

"I know, I know," Henry sadly replied, wiping a tear from my eye. "Let's not go home tomorrow yet then."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought ... it would be good for us to spend some time away from home in the French countryside. No work, no banquets, just you and me together. How about it, sweetie?"

I nodded with smile. "I would like that very much."

"It's decided then. Let's go to lunch now. Ready?"

"Yes."

We exited the hotel and strolled on the street to Lassere, a restaurant that my husband had picked out. It was only a small distance away from the hotel.

The waiter seated us outside on the restaurant's pier, surrounded by the blue lake and green mountains, the same view from our hotel balcony.

As I stared around us, my gaze fell on the highest peak of a mountain range that stood to our left.

"What are you looking at, Ally?" Henry asked after we placed our orders.

"Those peaks. I was wondering how it would feel like to be at the highest point up there."

"Do you want to go there?"

I turned my attention to him. "Could we?"

"Yes, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow morning. A hike up there would take four to five hours to get to the top. We'll need the whole day with plenty of food and water. Will you be up for it, hon?"

"Of course, I'm up for it if you are."

Getting in touch with nature—immersing ourselves into the wild with no chance of distraction—would be a good way to clear our minds.

People couldn't choose who they lose, but they could choose how to live after their loved ones are gone.

This was a starting point for Henry and I in healing our broken hearts and building the courage to move on to face another day.

Because life will go on and the sun will always shine again.

.....

Thank your for reading!!! We're almost to the end. Hang in there ❤️