Chapter 48: The Sky Comes Falling Down
"Thanks a million for letting me stay here," Harmony told Rory and Sandy as they brought her home with them after Sunny's birthday party. "Are you sure I'm not going to get in your way?"
"Of course you're not," Sandy says as they sit down in the living room. "We'll move one desk back to where it was when Sunny was still living at home, and set up a mattress for you in his old room. We have one of those inflatable ones, they're quite comfy."
Being tired, it was easy to just crawl into bed, shut her eyes and fall asleep. She couldn't her luck, it had happened so fast. Tomorrow Sandy would show her all the best places to explore. She makes the decision that she'll stay until Christmas, return home for the holidays and then see where she will be off to next.
Over the next few days, Harmony settles in well. Sandy and Rory have their routines. Every morning Rory gets up before dawn, studies the stars, then makes breakfast for everyone. Even in their old age, Rory and Sandy are both very active, and Sandy still works at SpaceY, though she plans the missions rather than go on them. Rory has just retired, and is happy to enjoy his hobbies while Sandy works. This is something Harmony likes too, as it gives her time to work on her writing. Her first assignment - a children's book. She finds she much more enjoys writing that than the short stories she's been trying her hand at for so long.
But even though she's working, Sandy make sure to show Harmony all the best place to explore the soil and ground around the area where they live, as well as help her work on her skills in excavating crystals and fossils.
And on Saturday Rory and Sandy takes her to the park, where Sandy shows her the way to the old closed mines underneath the park, where some rarer crystals can be found.
"You'll never find the best quality crystals were it's easy and comfortable getting them," Sandy tells her. "It's in places like this you'll find the rarest of gems." Harmony takes her word for it, and collects all she can carry.
But all good things come to an end, some sooner rather than later, and for Rory quite suddenly. For the rest of her life Sandy will wonder why Rory didn't see it coming. With so many years of experience a meteorite really shouldn't be able to catch him by surprise. And yet it does. As Rory is studying the stars the world lights up in flames as the meteor strikes him down.
Sandy, of course, is heartbroken and beyond consoling. The love of her life is dead and she is alone to shoulder the burden. It hits home that she is the last one of her generation in this family, and she has never felt older or more alone.
The news of his grandfather's passing hits Valentine hard. The death of his maternal grandfather had led him down this path for the primary reason to protect those he loved so that they'd never die, and yet now...
"They're stubborn old fools!" he says out loud, but the anger in his voice cracks at the grief that grips his chest. It does not help that the count tells him that this is a part of being immortal, and another form of abandonment, it still hurts. And when his grandmother calls him and begs him to come to the funeral, a funeral she has arranged to be held after sunset, he promises to show up.
He knows the count will not be happy about his call, and that he will have to face that discussion later, but this is his grandfather and there is no way he will not be there.
And so the family gathers once more at the Willow Creek Cemetery, a place that is only made eerier by night and snowfall.
Sandy holds on tight to her grandson, ignoring how very cold he feels. It's winter, they're all cold.
Meanwhile, Harmony tries her best to channel her grandmother and make a flower arrangement at the grave. She manages to get one made, but is it pretty? Not really. She suppose it's the thought that count.
Sunny too takes the time to speak to Valentine, talking with him about the importance of family, and their family heritage. "No matter what, you'll always be my baby boy," he tells him. Valentine just wishes that meant that he could accept him for what he is, or better life join him in immortality instead of aging up into an old man.
He says none of that, however, out of respect for his grandmother and late grandfather he holds his tongue. Instead he pulls out his violin, playing a song that is so hauntingly sad that no one who hears it has a dry eye when he's finished.
"Of course you're not," Sandy says as they sit down in the living room. "We'll move one desk back to where it was when Sunny was still living at home, and set up a mattress for you in his old room. We have one of those inflatable ones, they're quite comfy."
Being tired, it was easy to just crawl into bed, shut her eyes and fall asleep. She couldn't her luck, it had happened so fast. Tomorrow Sandy would show her all the best places to explore. She makes the decision that she'll stay until Christmas, return home for the holidays and then see where she will be off to next.
Over the next few days, Harmony settles in well. Sandy and Rory have their routines. Every morning Rory gets up before dawn, studies the stars, then makes breakfast for everyone. Even in their old age, Rory and Sandy are both very active, and Sandy still works at SpaceY, though she plans the missions rather than go on them. Rory has just retired, and is happy to enjoy his hobbies while Sandy works. This is something Harmony likes too, as it gives her time to work on her writing. Her first assignment - a children's book. She finds she much more enjoys writing that than the short stories she's been trying her hand at for so long.
But even though she's working, Sandy make sure to show Harmony all the best place to explore the soil and ground around the area where they live, as well as help her work on her skills in excavating crystals and fossils.
And on Saturday Rory and Sandy takes her to the park, where Sandy shows her the way to the old closed mines underneath the park, where some rarer crystals can be found.
"You'll never find the best quality crystals were it's easy and comfortable getting them," Sandy tells her. "It's in places like this you'll find the rarest of gems." Harmony takes her word for it, and collects all she can carry.
But all good things come to an end, some sooner rather than later, and for Rory quite suddenly. For the rest of her life Sandy will wonder why Rory didn't see it coming. With so many years of experience a meteorite really shouldn't be able to catch him by surprise. And yet it does. As Rory is studying the stars the world lights up in flames as the meteor strikes him down.
Sandy, of course, is heartbroken and beyond consoling. The love of her life is dead and she is alone to shoulder the burden. It hits home that she is the last one of her generation in this family, and she has never felt older or more alone.
The news of his grandfather's passing hits Valentine hard. The death of his maternal grandfather had led him down this path for the primary reason to protect those he loved so that they'd never die, and yet now...
"They're stubborn old fools!" he says out loud, but the anger in his voice cracks at the grief that grips his chest. It does not help that the count tells him that this is a part of being immortal, and another form of abandonment, it still hurts. And when his grandmother calls him and begs him to come to the funeral, a funeral she has arranged to be held after sunset, he promises to show up.
He knows the count will not be happy about his call, and that he will have to face that discussion later, but this is his grandfather and there is no way he will not be there.
And so the family gathers once more at the Willow Creek Cemetery, a place that is only made eerier by night and snowfall.
Sandy holds on tight to her grandson, ignoring how very cold he feels. It's winter, they're all cold.
Meanwhile, Harmony tries her best to channel her grandmother and make a flower arrangement at the grave. She manages to get one made, but is it pretty? Not really. She suppose it's the thought that count.
Sunny too takes the time to speak to Valentine, talking with him about the importance of family, and their family heritage. "No matter what, you'll always be my baby boy," he tells him. Valentine just wishes that meant that he could accept him for what he is, or better life join him in immortality instead of aging up into an old man.
He says none of that, however, out of respect for his grandmother and late grandfather he holds his tongue. Instead he pulls out his violin, playing a song that is so hauntingly sad that no one who hears it has a dry eye when he's finished.
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