Restarting Life: Back From the Dead novel Chapter 14

Richard and Marissa exchanged weary sighs, their heads shaking subtly in shared frustration. What was the use of speaking now? Fiona and Felicia were no longer among them; any words felt hollow, meaningless in the face of loss.

In the end, silence prevailed. They said nothing more and quietly left with Felicia’s ashes. After the funeral, they had agreed to lay her remains to rest in a burial plot she had purchased long ago—a small gesture to honor her memory.

Sebastian gripped his chest tightly, trying to soothe the ache within. The pain lessened just a little with the pressure, but the emptiness inside remained vast.

Back at home, he stood frozen, his eyes settling on the wilted flowers in the vase. With Felicia gone, no one was left to care for them, to replace the bouquets she once lovingly arranged. The sight was a painful reminder of her absence.

The cushion on the couch still carried her scent—a faint trace of Felicia that clung stubbornly to the fabric. He switched on the television, and the screen lit up with the channel she had last watched, as if she had just stepped away for a moment.

On the wall hung a painting she had created herself. When she first moved in, she had poured her heart into decorating the space, her enthusiasm shining through every brushstroke as she dreamed of a future spent together.

But it was Sebastian who had shattered that dream, piece by piece, leading them to this bitter and lonely conclusion.

He tried to convince himself that Felicia was truly gone, that he needed to let go, to move on and start anew. Yet, the thought felt impossible to grasp.

Every corner of the house seemed to whisper her name. The memories clung to the walls, to the furniture, to the very air he breathed. In his daze, he thought he saw her silhouette in the shadows, but then he knew—he was only fooling himself with hallucinations born of grief.

As clarity returned, his heart tightened painfully.

He collapsed onto the couch, curling into a fetal position just as Felicia used to do. Clutching the cushion that still smelled of her, he sought comfort in the faintest connection.

“Felicia, I miss you,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m sorry… I regret everything.”

He buried his face deep into the cushion, wishing with all his might that it was her, that somehow she was still there beside him. The desire to slip into an endless sleep, to escape this world and find Steven, Fiona, and Felicia in another realm where they could begin again, overwhelmed him.

But he couldn’t. Felicia had charged him with caring for her parents, a responsibility he could not abandon.

This time, before Steven and Fiona could realize Felicia was missing, Sebastian sprang after her.

In his memories, jealousy had consumed him when he learned Fiona was marrying Steven, blinding him to the signs of Felicia’s distress.

But now, in his dream, he was determined not to repeat that mistake. He ran with all his strength, desperate to find her.

The road stretched endlessly before him. His legs burned, muscles screaming in protest, and a metallic taste filled his mouth, but he refused to stop.

Finally, he spotted her curled up in a shadowed corner, sobbing uncontrollably. Her eyes were swollen and red, her pain raw and visible.

“Felicia, stop crying! You’ll look like a pig!” Sebastian said awkwardly, trying to comfort her despite his own trembling heart.