Rafe had always thought he would feel it in his heart if something happened to you. That it would feel like a part of his heart had broken apart and died. So he still wasn’t ready to admit that you were gone. Not his girl. You were a survivor, you never stopped fighting. It was one of the things he loved most about you. He’d kept searching. From the moment your car had been pulled from the water, he’d had every employee of his looking for you. Even when your parents gave up. Even when the volunteer search parties had ended. Even when the police said it was hopeless, he’d refused to give up. You had promised him forever, it wasn’t forever yet, not even close.

Even when a body had been found, when the dental records matched, he refused to believe it. He had enemies, they could easily fake that information. He couldn’t let go, because then all he’d have was the darkness he’d existed in before you’d crashed into his life and brought in the light.

But your parents wanted to mourn, they wanted a funeral, wanted to lay you to rest. He’d fought it. Screamed at them for giving up on you. But at the urging of Sarah, he’d put down the bourbon, put on the black suit and gone to your funeral today. He sat there, staring at the large framed photo of you next to your casket, and he wanted to tear it all apart. He wanted to scream. To ask why, because there shouldn’t be a world where you no longer existed. He closed his eyes, breathing hard and let all his best memories of you play in his head. This couldn’t be real.

You stumbled off the bus, walking carefully to the church. There was something grotesque and eerie about reading about your own funeral. Some people said they wanted to attend their own funeral and see how much they were loved, see who showed up. You’d never had that desire. It would hurt to see your loved ones mourning. You’d hate it. But here you were, your memories finally clear, on the way to your funeral. Something had clicked in your brain yesterday when you’d seen the announcement, and you could put together the pieces of your life again.

You tug the large trench coat tightly around you as you push open the doors to the church. You step into where the ceremony is being held, and you wrap your arms tightly, protectively around your body. You hadn’t realized how loud the door would shut behind you. It was like a bang, causing everyone to turn around and see who dared interrupt the service. You glanced fearfully around the room, feet no longer able to move.

Rafe looked up at you, and shock ripped through him. Was this real? Were you really standing at the back of the church, in a too large fir you coat, looking absolutely terrified? It was what he’d wanted, but he couldn’t be sure if his bourbon addled brain was just conjuring up a trick of the eye, a vision of you. When he sees the tears start to fall down your cheeks, and you turn and run out of the church, that’s when it clicks. It is you. The church erupts into chaos and he stands up, pushing people aside as he runs down the aisle and out the door to find you.

“Baby? It’s okay. You don’t have to be scared. You don’t have to hide. You’re safe with me. Come back baby”