Isaac smiled softly.
“Thanks.”
“Belinda would have loved it.”
He nodded sadly. The song he had just played for Mel was one he had written after Belinda had died. He felt like he had put his heart and soul into the song, and in fact, he did.
Isaac didn’t know what he was going to do without Belinda. Mel saw the look on his face and hugged him.
“I understand completely Ike. I felt the same way when David died.”
Isaac looked into her eyes and abruptly burst into tears. Mel hugged him closer.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s okay.”
“It’ll never be okay.”
“Yes it will. I survived didn’t I? I loved David more than anyone else in the world -”
“But at least you have… have something, rather someone, to remember him by,” Isaac wept, with a wistful glance at Mel’s eleven-month-old baby boy.
“You’re going to survive too. I promise, Isaac.”
Isaac’s body shuddered with his sobs. They stood there for a long while, Isaac just crying with Mel’s arms wrapped around him. After awhile, Isaac’s tears subsided.
“You’re always going to love Belinda. Just like I will always love David. Maybe you feel like you don’t have anything to keep of her, but you do have your memories. You have photos and feelings and little bits and pieces that she gave you and that you gave her. She gave you her heart, Isaac, and nothing, not even death, can take that away from you.”
Isaac pulled away, his eyes red and a little puffy from crying.
“Thank you, Mel.”
“You’re always welcome, Ike.”
Little Todd started his own round of sobs then, and Mel walked over to pick him up. Isaac watched for a moment, then offered a hand with the changing that needed to be done. Mel smiled gratefully and accepted.
**********
“Hi Taylor.”
“Ahh!” Taylor yelped jumping in his seat, his book going flying.
Su giggled and he glowered at her.
“Why can’t you leave me the hell alone?”
“Please, you will never inherit Hell. And certainly never be the only heir.”
“Good, I don’t want to.”
“Of course,” Su continued thoughtfully. “I don’t think there can be a heir of Hell. But you know, you could always kill yourself and be my right hand man. That would be as close as you could get, I believe.”
“Drop dead.”
“Been there, done that,” she paused. “Kinda. I wasn’t actually alive to begin with…”
“Just… just go away would you?”
“Mmm, no.”
“I’m not going to kill myself.”
“Sure about that?”
Taylor’s hand went to his neck where Moira’s lock of hair sat.
“I’m not going to kill myself. You’re wasting your time.”
Su smirked and then disappeared. Taylor breathed a huge sigh of relief. He didn’t know how, but as Su sapped away at his strength, Moira’s lock of hair seemed to restore it twice as fast.
“Thank you Moira,” he whispered.