#52, "Without You"
Title: Without You
Fandom: The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
Prompt: #52; Mourning
Character/Pairing: Charlie Chan
Rating: G
Notes: 100% speculation on my part. Since there's no mother in the animated series, anything's possible and since I'm a terrible person I went straight for the angst.
Miranda Chan, 1929-1970. Beloved wife and mother.
Even after his parents had taken the children home, even now that the cemetary was empty, the tears still wouldn't fall.
"I knew this day would come," he whispered, tracing the indentations of her name in the cold gray stone. "We all knew your time with us was short." Yet the pain was still as acute as it would have been if her death were sudden and unanticipated. Even sixteen-year-old Henry seemed to be in a state of disbelief, despite his efforts to keep it together for his siblings' sakes.
Now what, Miranda? he wanted to ask. The children and I will go on without you, as you wished during our final days together. The question is, how?
It wasn't that the prospect raising ten children on his own scared him; it would a daunting task, but his parents and sister had insisted on helping for as long as they could. It was knowing that the children would grow and move up in the world; college, careers, marriage, parenthood, family reunions. Mimi and Scooter would retain dim memories of their mother, relying on second-hand information and stories to learn more about her.
Life would go on, and she would not be there beside him. And as that bit of knowledge sank in, the tears finally began to fall.
"How do I go on without you?"
The cold gray stone before him offered no response.
Fandom: The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
Prompt: #52; Mourning
Character/Pairing: Charlie Chan
Rating: G
Notes: 100% speculation on my part. Since there's no mother in the animated series, anything's possible and since I'm a terrible person I went straight for the angst.
Miranda Chan, 1929-1970. Beloved wife and mother.
Even after his parents had taken the children home, even now that the cemetary was empty, the tears still wouldn't fall.
"I knew this day would come," he whispered, tracing the indentations of her name in the cold gray stone. "We all knew your time with us was short." Yet the pain was still as acute as it would have been if her death were sudden and unanticipated. Even sixteen-year-old Henry seemed to be in a state of disbelief, despite his efforts to keep it together for his siblings' sakes.
Now what, Miranda? he wanted to ask. The children and I will go on without you, as you wished during our final days together. The question is, how?
It wasn't that the prospect raising ten children on his own scared him; it would a daunting task, but his parents and sister had insisted on helping for as long as they could. It was knowing that the children would grow and move up in the world; college, careers, marriage, parenthood, family reunions. Mimi and Scooter would retain dim memories of their mother, relying on second-hand information and stories to learn more about her.
Life would go on, and she would not be there beside him. And as that bit of knowledge sank in, the tears finally began to fall.
"How do I go on without you?"
The cold gray stone before him offered no response.