FIVE YEARS LATER

Today was the anniversary of my parents death. They died five years ago—only a month after my break up with Jack—in a plane crash over the sea. They were heading to Denmark to visit some distant relatives.

There were no survivors on the plane.

When we first got the news they had died, Anna and I refused to believe it, thinking it was some sort of sick and twisted joke. We didn't believe them until the day they were supposed to come home...and didn't. Anna and I were devastated. We had lost the most important people in our lives. That night was spent crying in each other's arms, holding onto the only family we had left.

So, at eighteen, barely even an adult myself, I had lost both my parents and was left to take care of my sixteen year old sister all alone. 

On top of that, I would soon take over the family company.

Three months after their tragic deaths, Anna and I left L.A. to move to New York. It was just too sad living in the big, empty mansion without them. We had all our best memories there and they were far too painful to think about with them gone.

I looked at myself in the mirror next to the front door of my apartment. I wore a long sleeved knee length, black lace dress with black heels and dark nylons. My hair was pinned up in an elegant bun. I had on natural eye shadow, black eyeliner and mascara, as well as burgundy-red lipstick. 

My eyes haven't held held their happy gleam since the accident. Instead they were replaced by cold, emotionless ones. I missed being happy and carefree. I desperately wanted to be that person again, but I already knew she was too far gone.

Out of the royal blue, velvet box came my most prized possession. It was a necklace, given to me by my parents on my thirteenth birthday. The pendant was a white gold snowflake embedded with small diamonds and pearls.

Just as I clasped the necklace around my neck, there was a knock on my door.

I opened it and there stood Anna. She was wearing a plain black strapless, knee length dress with a dark green cardigan and flats. Her hair was up in a braided bun and she wore little makeup.

Around her neck was her gold, heart-shaped locket that Mom and Dad gave her on her thirteenth birthday. In her hands were two bouquets of cream clolored roses. She held one out to me.

Anna smiled sadly, "Ready to go?"

I nodded my head.

+ + +

Anna just left the cemetery, giving me alone time to talk to our parents' graves. That and she got an urgent phone call from our friend Merida.

They never found the bodies of the people on the crash, but we made sure to get graves for them.

"Hi, Mama, Papa." I greeted. "It's been five years now, since you died. Anna and I...Well, we miss you a lot, more than you could ever imagine. It's been really hard without you.

"I'll start with Anna. She's been amazing, as always. Best sister I could ask for. She's still her happy, energetic, perky self. She's doing good in all her college classes and will be graduating next semester. After that she says she is going to help me run things. Though in all honesty, I don't think she wants to, I think she feels obligated to." 

I sighed.

"She has a boyfriend. His name is Kristoff. He's a great person and I know he'll take care of her. He loves her so much, I know if you were here you would love him. He actually happens to be the grandson of your friend Pabbie. He's the one that helped Anna after the ice skating incident. The one she doesn't remember. The one that's my fault." I tried to hold back the tears about the accident.

"On to the company. We're now one of the most successful companies in the world. I know that was your dream—to be internationally successful. I actually have a meeting later today with one of the Westerguard representatives. The meeting has something to do with trade, or so they say."

It felt good to get all this stuff off my chest just by talking to my deceased parents. Maybe I should do this more often.

"Today I also have to look for a new assistant. Thalia resigned because she was hired at Guardian Industries. At first I was upset, but I got over it after realizing what a great opportunity it was for her. We plan on keeping in touch.

"As for myself...I've opened up to a few people. One of them being this guy, Hiccup. Well, his real name is Henry Horrendous Haddock III but everyone calls him Hiccup. He owns Berk Enterprises and is also very successful. I met him at a business party. He's sweet and reliable. He can be quite sarcastic but that's what I love about him—he doesn't treat me like I'm the CEO of a company, he treats me like a regular person. He's also pretty stubborn, so any and all arguments we have and up with us laughing at each other. We both know we're too pigheaded for our own good."

I chuckled to myself just thinking about some of the stupid arguments we've gotten into.

"We're going to dinner tomorrow because he's been gone for a month.

"Oh, speaking of leaving, Anna and I are going to Jamaica next week. Sort of a sisterly bonding trip now that our lives are finally heading in the right direction and I'm not being as distant."

I sighed again, looking around the cemetery. I was the only person here...except for the paparazzi that distantly bombarded me with the flashes of cameras. Damn paparazzi! Can't they leave me alone for half an hour to talk with my parents?

"I guess I should go. It was nice talking to you. I'll come back again soon." I promised. "I Love you. Always have and always will." I kissed the top of the cold gravestones and walked toward the gate of the cemetery.