Chapter 12: Wish This Didn’t Happen

Two weeks passed after the news of Ric's death, after those two weeks I was finally able to leave the hospital. No matter which hospital I'm at I have bad memories but it was worse because later that same week was Ric's funeral. I was still in the theater since the renovations were put on hold for the medical bill from the crash.

"You ready to go, Rose," Renée asked from the door as I sat at the edge of my bed with my back facing her. I was wearing a black tank top dress that had a jacket that was thin enough for rain but still thin enough to let the cold in. I wore character shoes and little makeup in preparation for the tears; I didn't want to go to the funeral for another person that I fell in love with.

I nodded in answer before slowly standing up, I was still in pain from the crash thanks to the bruises that were visible as bone or muscle bruises and the scratches. After a deep sigh, I walked over to Renée, once there I hugged her and cried, "Why does this happen to me?"

Renée rubbed my back as she started to soothe me, "I don't know why this is happening but I do know that we will get through this together. Let's go," she said as I nodded into her side.

All too soon I found myself at the funeral meeting, people, from his family, and speaking in front of them. Renée had told me everything that the cast was going to help with for his family that I could tell them. I sighed as I stood at the podium looking out into the crowd

"Friends," I began, "and the family that I just met; I wish I met all of you under better circumstances but my name is Rose Stevens. I was in that fateful accident two weeks ago on the way to some surprise that Richard had planned for me with Lin's help. To this day I don't know what that surprise was supposed to be but I know that he will still be with me. He will be with all of us in our hearts and he will be with me in this," I said as I grabbed the photo necklace around my neck. "He gave this to me as a gift for my adoption into the Goldsberry family; before packaging it and wrapping it Mrs. Ashley snuck a picture of him wearing a tuxedo into it. Every picture of a person in here will make it as if they had never left my life, so Richard Ashley," I paused as a tear rolled down both mine and Mrs. Ashley's cheeks. "You may have left this earth physically but your memory lives on; you will not have to worry about your mother's medical bills, you will not have to worry about where your brothers are or where they are going in case of unfortunate events. The cast and I will help with all of that, may you rest in peace," I finished before turning to Mrs. Ashley. "Thank you for letting me speak at your son's funeral, in the short time that I knew him he was the greatest man my age that I've been around in a long time. He taught me a lot and I hope that you recover soon enough, I am sorry for your loss," I added before I stepped away from the podium and turned to his casket

It was open so I could see the injuries his skull received and how screwed up his body was from the crash. He still looked handsome in the tuxedo that the morticians put him in. No matter how mangled his body was from the crash he looked just as handsome as the first day I met him. After I slid a flower into his breast pocket I turned around and sat between Renée and Alexis. I cried for the rest of the funeral until the burial.

At the end of it, Renée approached me as I stood at a fountain wondering what would happen if it was me instead of him. "Hey Rose," she began as I stared past the fountain and into the ocean, wishing that I could hide from my troubles in it. "You ready to go home," she asked and I turned to look at her. "The room isn't ready for you to stay in yet but I'd at least like to show it to you and give you a tour around the house for when you move in."

After her explanation, I turned to her, "Yeah, I'm ready," I said then paused, "I was just thinking," I added before saying. "Let's go," with a smile before walking to the parking lot to meet Alexis with the kids who ran up to me. "You guys can play with me later, okay?"

They nodded but kept throwing their hands up as if they wanted to be picked up, with a smile I grabbed them and put them both on my hip with a little pain as they giggled. As we walked to the car Alexis chuckled

"How are you in pain but you're carrying two kids that are almost teenagers," he said as I smiled

"While I was in some of the foster homes I learned to be in pain and handle any kind of strength whether it's carrying little ones like these two," I said as I bounced Ben and Bri who giggled once more. "Or mental strength," I explained as he nodded while unlocking the car. Before I rounded to the passenger side of the car, I set the two children down so they could get in on their own

Once I was on the passenger side of the car, Renée hugged me, "I'm sorry that you have to go through this again," she said as I cried into her side. "I wouldn't want them to deal with that if you need to talk to me just let me know," she added as I smiled and nodded

"Thanks, Renée," I said with the smile as I wiped away the tears before I climbed into the car and buckled myself in

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Renée began looking at me in the rearview mirror. "How much do you like to sing and how are you so good at it?"

I chuckled, "I love to sing," I began in reply as my new siblings looked at me, "that adoption celebration was the first time I have sung in a while."

Alexis chuckled at the steering while Renée asked the next question, "That's awesome," she began, "If I remember correctly, you said that you've listened to Hamilton before?"

"Yeah," I said after I nodded forgetting that she couldn't see me very well

"Before I get to my main question," she said with a smile, "how many other musicals do you know or have you listened to? How do you know about them?"

I smile spread across my face, I love talking about my favorite things, "I know a lot of musicals," I began. "Some like Rent, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked I grew up with. Others like Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen I only found out about recently since one of the kinder families introduced it to me," I answered. "I do have a question for you," I added

"Ask away," she said with happiness in her voice, "it seems that you are a big fan of mine with the smile that you have when you mentioned Rent."

My grin only widened at that, "Huge fan," I began as she chuckled, "my question is how in the world can you do Satisfied so fast? I was out of breath once I was done singing it for the Ham4Ham."

Renée laughed, "Even I don't know how I do it," she began, "I initially wasn't going to audition for Hamilton but for personal reasons I did. After Lin explained that he wanted more of a rapping audition I started freaking out thinking I didn't make it but as you can see, I did."

I smiled once she finished, "What's your main question," I asked her

"Would you like to sing on the way to the house," she asked as my grin widened once more

"I'd love to," I began as I sat up in the seat still a little uncomfortable in cars thanks to the crash. "What part do you want me to sing," I asked

"Whatever part I don't," she answered as I laughed

Once the first track started playing, we sang the rest of the way to the house which was more like a mansion than anything I've been in. The house was a two-story house with brick and siding, I slowly got out of the car as I took in the freshly cut grass and the flowers that lined the house. The kids ran to the front door of the house and got there before Alexis even unlocked the door. I slowly followed behind them as I took in the entirety of the entrance, once I walked in the kids ran up to me holding some toys.

"Would you mind waiting for your sister to get to know the house before she plays with you," I asked and they nodded before running off to play with each other.

Once everyone was inside Alexis raised a hand as I started to prepare myself for the first hit. Instead, he patted my shoulder while saying, "Good job," before walking away

I opened my eyes to see Renée standing in front of me, "No one is going to hurt you here, Rose," she began. "There isn't a reason to worry if you have nightmares here as you did at the last house just tell me and I'll stay with you," she said and I nodded. "To begin the tour this is the main living room where everyone hangs out and the kids play during the winter. The next room is the kitchen with a sit-in island which is where we usually have breakfast. We have a half bathroom down here with a second living room that has a patio that goes out into the backyard. There is a basement that has games and things but that's all for down here, all that's left is the upstairs which has the bedrooms and one full bathroom and two half bathrooms. You ready to see your room," she asked, turning toward me as I was almost crying. "Why are you crying, are you okay," she asked as she rushed to my side

I nodded as a silent tear rolled down my cheek, "These are happy tears," I began, "I've never had a family that had this much," I paused to sniff before I gave her another hug. "Thank you so much," I finished as she wrapped me into a hug

"Your welcome," she said before nodding, "come on, let's go see your room," she said as I nodded and started following her. "The room at the end of the hall is mine and Alexis' while the one across from ours is Ben's and the one across from here is Bri's while this one is yours," she said pointing to each room with one hand as she opened the door with the other

I walked in and gasped, "This is amazing," I began as I looked it over; it had most of my gifts from the celebration stored away. The walls were a light blue while the bed had a mix of blue and white sheets and a little blue box that sat in the middle of a pristine white comforter. "What's this," I asked as I approached it

"Open it and find out," she replied a little solemnly which gave me the feeling that it was something a little saddening so I took a seat before opening it. Once all the wrapping was off and the box was opened there was a sealed envelope and a smaller box inside. I steeled myself as I took the envelope and opened it to read the letter that was inside.

'Dearest Rose,

I don't know how much pain you've been through but I cannot fathom to imagine what you are feeling now. Before I continue this letter, I want to head it off at the pass and say that this isn't your fault. Before I first saw you at the interview, I made a promise to both Lin and Renée that I would keep you safe no matter the cost. That is why I unbuckled your seatbelt and pushed you into the backseat before the semi crashed into us. I had little time to have this written before I blacked out from the pain, I asked the person writing this to include the package that I was going to give you once we got to another restaurant for our first date. You would've been a wonderful girlfriend to me if only I could be there for you.

See you on the other side,

Ric'

I started crying as I opened the smaller box that had a ring inside it with a gold band and a sapphire gem. Inside the band of the ring was an engraving that said

'I will always love you, even with my final breath -Richard Ashley III'

Once I read it the tears started coming down in a waterfall, I was crying so much that I didn't notice Renée coming up to me. I only noticed her near me when she put her arm around my shaking shoulders. "Why does this keep happening," I began, "every time I find happiness it's destroyed. Why did that semi run into us? What happened after I blacked out?"

I sobbed as Renée answered, "It stopped once it hit your car," she began, "if it didn't you would've been injured even more or worse you could've died."

"But why didn't that semi stop with the first car that it hit," I cried, "why did it have to stop with us?"

"I wish I knew," Renée answered as I continued to cry in the silence that fell