So we meet again

They sat there looking at the photos around.

They felt that emptiness inside. The big void left behind with his loss that nothing would ever fill. The photos hanging on the walls, the ones over the fireplace they were now all just a distant happy memory. They would never again have the chance to put up there another picture with him or taken by him.

- Remember that day?

Aliyah asked them, pointing at the picture of her, Hunter and Rose on the wall.

They were sitting on the grass outside Mr.P's house. Rose had an ice pack on her knee and a grumpy face as she did in almost every picture because she wasn't very fond of taking them. There were bruises all over her leg. Noah wondered if the others noticed them too.

It was one of the rare days she had worn shorts.

Aliyah was sitting in the middle holding a red headed doll smiling, and Hunter had an ice pack behind his ear.

- Yeah. Rose had fallen down chasing after me because I wouldn't give you back your doll and you kept crying. I remember the way her knee cracked before she fell.

He laughed. Admiring Roses determination. Remembering how that was one of the things he loved most about her.

- She finally threw a rock at your head when she got tired, and you had to stop because it started bleeding, and she got the doll

Rose was always protective of Aliyah and she knew.

- Yeah she left a scar the maniac. It hurt like hell. She had pretty damn good aim .

- Than Mr.P had to convince her to let him put an ice pack on it.

Noah remembered.

- Yeah, she kept saying her famous response " its nothing, I won't die"

Hunter realized he missed her more than he thought. She was his best friend, nothing would ever change that. She understood him in a way nobody else ever had. She had been there for him when he lost his mom and had helped him through it.

- Then Mr.P had talked to us about how important friendship is and had said we would someday laugh about these little things, and he made us pose for the picture. And here we are..but he isn't here..

Aliyah said tearing up.

- Hey the man was a little cuckoo but even I will miss him

Nobody would expect a more emotional comment from Hunter. He was the bully of the group. Being two years older than all of them, and the older brother of Noah they put up with him because he was mostly only joking and they liked him for unknown reasons.

- What?!! He was. The man had a backyard full of peach trees and he hated peaches.

- "They were Eloise's favorite"

Aliyah, a sucker for romance, repeated as Mr.P had often stated as everybody kept asking about the damn trees.

- The woman died more than 20 years ago, the man was cuckoo I'm telling you.

- Well we wouldn't expect you to understand, having only Noah who loves you

Connor came through the doorway with the coffee mugs in a tray.

He gave one to each of them. But they didn't feel like drinking anything.

- There's my dad too..

- Yeah I wouldn't bet on it big bro.

Noah often joined in on our Hunter mocking. He weirdly seemed to enjoy it being the most peaceful person they knew.

- At least now he is together with his Eloise

Aliyah loved a good old love story. An everlasting one.

- Or he could be in hell, I mean we only knew the man when he was old. He might've been a serial killer in his younger years for all we know. And I have never met any teacher who was a good

person. They are always jerks.

- And that is enough Hunter for today, anyone know anything about his family, I mean he had said he had none but maybe he just wasn't in touch with anybody. Also my dad said he wanted to see us all tomorrow after he gets back from his trip. As you know his office handled Mr.P's estate planning. He said it's about his will.

Noah wondered if Mr.P was as lonely as he sometimes seemed.

- No he had none. He and Eloise never had kids and neither one of them had any siblings. I don't think he had any other relatives for that matter.

Connor and Aliyah never moved. He lived in the same house he did when they were kids. So he was Mr.P's next door neighbor and had known him longer than any of the others.

- Why do you think he wants to see us?

Noah couldn't think of any reason why. Maybe Mr.P had finally decided who his books would go to. He remembered fighting with Rose when they would come over to borrow them and Mr.P would joke about having to pick between them two one day. Than he thought of Rose. He realized he hadn't stopped thinking of her since Anne had called about Mr.P

- Maybe he wanted us to have all of his crap, I mean right? Why else?

Hunter said.

- Well, we'll find out. We need to get to the funeral now. Rose said she'd be here but its getting kinda late.

The door knocked before he could finish his sentence.

Noah's heart was beating so fast and he had the look on his face that they knew all too well. The "its her" look. The look he would get each time he would see her, but this time it was different. He would see her after four dull, sad, awful years he had spent away from her.

Aliyah made for the door as they all waited.

She opened it and gave a little scream that meant she was happy to see someone. They all knew who.

- Hi!

They all knew the voice.

Especially him. Not only did he know it, it was his favorite sound.

Soon enough Aliyah came through the door and behind her the slim figure of Rose appeared on the doorway.

- Well will you look at that, Helmet head alive and well !

Hunter enjoyed picking on Rose as she was the one of the group who didn't mind.

As a kid her mom would always cut her hair short and it looked round, almost like a helmet. And Hunter never missed a chance to give her nicknames.

She had since then always kept her hair long but that didn't stop him.

- Missed you too Hunter.

And he gave her a hug. She looked the same only taller. Her hair long and brown. Her big green eyes looked tired. She looked pale, more than she did four years ago. The scar from the accident was still there. As usual she was wearing all black. A black leather jacket, black jeans and her black boots.

They all hugged as Noah watched. He was hurt it took so long to see her, but he didn't care right now. He was just happy to see her.

- Hey you!

He said as he opened his arms and she smiled and hugged him and after four years everything felt okay again. It felt like she had never left and at the same time like it was the first time he was seeing her. It was her. Rose, his dragonfly. For a moment nothing mattered more then them being there together, nothing was more important to him than the fact that she was there, in his arms. Her hair still smelled the same. Sandal wood. He was so nervous his hands were shaking and he tried to hide it. He didn't want to look like he had waited for this for the last four years.

But he had.

He wished the hug would last a little longer. He wondered if she had wished for this moment as much as he had. If she had thought of him as often as he had for the last four years. If she missed him as much as he had missed her.

But Hunter was already out the door and in the car honking. They were running a little late, but also Hunter didn't want their big reunion, their first conversation to be now. Not like this.

- Its nice to see you again

She said as they let go of each other.

- Yeah, you too. I'm sorry about Mr.P. I know he meant more to you than any of us.

She didn't say anything, only gave a sad smile. He knew she was trying not to cry and he didn't want to make her so they just walked to the car waiting outside.

She sat in the back with Connor and Aliyah and he sat in the front seat next to Hunter.

As they left Mr.P's driveway Aliyah laid her head on Rose's shoulder.

- I'm glad you're here.

She said.

"Me too"

He thought.