Bitter-sweet Love

"Red rose for a funeral? That's a thing?" he said and the lady turned to his voice with a blank expression on her face.

Maria smiled tightly when she noticed that it was Bryan. She raised her flower a bit and said, "no one said we only had to bring a specific flower here."

"I guess that works too," he turned to the grave and added, "though you should know that his actual body is not here."

"I know," she conceded, "but I felt like I had to come here and pay my last respects, even if it's to an empty grave."

That was logical and Bryan could see the pain in her eyes as she said those words. She was trying so hard to mask them but they were too strong and were expressed in her words and breathing. He observed her, taking in her sad looks and posture.

It took a while before she spoke up again, "I find that despite what happened between him and my brother and the fact that I know he was probably still mad at me about it, I still feel something for him.