I was sitting outside in the waiting room filling out paper work for my visitation. After filling them out the nurse led me to my dad’s hospital room.

When I walked into the room I was grief stricken, my father looked so pale and weak that he was almost not recognizable. He had lost a lot of weight and his hair was fading from its original color.

He wasn’t awake, the doctor said that he is really tired and sleeps most of the day. I pulled up a chair and sat alongside his bed.

I slowly took his hand in both of mine. The sight was too much to bare, tears had found its way down my face as I held his hand to my face.

“Dad….” I mumbled out.

I heard someone open the door to the room but I didn’t bother looking to see who it is; it really didn’t matter.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and it lightly squeezed my shoulder trying to comfort me.

“I know how you feel, young lady. Your father was my closest and trusted friend.”

“I know Uncle Wu, I know. He was so healthy before I left. What happened?” I asked not looking away from my father as I stared at his sleeping face.

“All the stress of work consumed him and in the end his health took a fall.” Wu replied.

“Why didn’t he tell me? I would’ve taken the next flight back as soon as I could. Why? I would’ve taken care of him, I could’ve helped him.”

“He didn’t want you to worry. You were young at the time and you still are now. Your education and future is a priority for him.”

“…I thought that family always came first. That’s what he always told me.”

“Yes, he was a family man and he loved you his only daughter so when you said you wanted to go back to the state to finish high school he didn’t disagree.”

“Heh…the perks of being daddy’s little girl…I wish I could’ve done something, anything.” I said sadly as I looked at Wu.

“You’re a good kid; he raised you well.”

“What’s going to happen with the company?”

“That’s partly why I am here, as your father’s personal lawyer I had to review his will.”

“But he’s not dead yet.” I said confused.

“That is true but due to his deteriorating health the doctors say he doesn’t have a lot of time, and he’s not capable of running a company in his current status.”

“What does it say?” I asked averting my attention back to my dad.

“That if the founder and CEO of the company can no longer perform his/her duties that the company and responsibilities be handed down to his only child and heir….Amber Josephine Liu.”

xxxxx

If you were to describe the saddest moment of your life, what would it be? I may be young but I’m old enough to understand the pain of losing a loved one. And if that loved one was someone who you were really close to, wouldn’t you break on the inside too?

That person was your support, your protection, your friend….your father. He’s been there since the very first moment of your life and is supposed to see you through ‘til marriage and further.

As I stood there watching the priest say his prayers I thought to myself that this had to be one of the saddest scenery for a funeral. As if the funeral itself isn’t already dejected.

The clouds are grey and rain is definitely threatening to fall down to earth. Family, friends, acquaintances dressed in all black grieving for the loss of a man with great accomplishments and a heart bigger than three people combined. Women were crying, men stood with stern faces of sadness, and kids being clueless about the occasion but can sense the sadness in the air.

Looking at all the sad faces isn’t making it any better. I feel as if a part of me is gone; a hole in my heart. I stood there in silence thinking; about nothing in particular, just thinking.

I was brought back when I felt a single drop of rain fall on my nose. I looked up at the cloudy sky, more rain drops fell one by one increasing by number every second that passes by.

I held out my hand, catching the droplets.

When it rains feelings can go both ways, either happy or sad. Some say when it rains, god is crying and some say that it’s god’s way of cleansing the earth of its impurities.

The smell of fresh rain on the earth is a new beginning for me; a new and fresh start.

As the funeral came to a close I slowly strolled back to the car.

“So you finally decided to show yourself, rain.”

Good, now I can let out the tears that I’ve been holding back.

“Amber….”

“Shūshu*….it’s raining.”

He walked up next to me and placed his hand on my head as I cried my heart out.

“I know…” He said as he put a cigarette in his mouth but didn’t light it.

The rain was now pouring down heavily, but we didn’t move an inch from our spot.

Our moment of silence…for the departed.

(A/N: I know what your thinking...a new story when you already have two going on?! Well, too bad you get a third one BLEH!

Hope you like it. Comments are very much appreciated :D