LOVE FOUND AT FUNERAL HOME
A Ben and Alice Story.
The first time they met, they were both at the funeral home. They were there for different reasons. Their eyes met. They felt drawn to each other by their shared but different grief.
Alice was there to say goodbye to her grandfather. She had always been close to him, and his death had left her feeling lost and alone.
Ben came to attend a different funeral. A high school friend that he lost under tragic circumstances. He was there to say goodbye to his friend. They had been inseparable since they were kids. Ben is still struggling to come to terms with his classmate death.
Alice and Ben found themselves standing next to each other in the back of the chapel, neither of them wanting to be the first to speak. But as the services went on, they felt drawn to each other's eyes. There was something about each other that they recognized, something that they both needed.
After the services, they went outside for a walk in fresh air, towards the far end of the cemetery. They talked for two hours, about their families, their friends, and their dreams. They felt like they had known each other their whole lives.
The sun started to set; they realized that they had to go. But they didn't want to say goodbye. So they made a plan to meet again, at a funeral which neither of them knew the deceased.
The next time they met, it was at the funeral of a young woman who had been killed in a car accident. Alice and Ben were both there to pay their respects, but they were also to see each other.
They spent the rest of the day together, talking and laughing. They felt like they can be around each other, and they didn't have to pretend to be someone they weren't.
By the end of the day, they were in love. They knew that they were meant to be together, and they couldn't wait to see each other again.
Alice and Ben continued to meet at funerals, always at the funerals of strangers. They never told anyone about their relationship, not even their closest friends or family. They knew that it was unconventional, but they didn't care. They were happy, and that was all that mattered.
One day, they met at the funeral of a young boy who had died of cancer. It was a heartbreaking service, but Alice and Ben found comfort in each other's company.
After the service, they went for their walk in the cemetery. They talked about the boy, and about all the things he would never get to do. They talked about their own hopes and plans, and about the future they wanted to build together.
As they walked, they came across a bench. They sat down, and Alice leaned her head on Ben's shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.
Then, Ben turned to Alice and said, "I love you."
Alice smiled and said, "I love you too."
"I don't want to lose you," he said.
"You won't," she said. "I'll always be here for you."
They kissed. It was their most perfect kiss in the world.
Alice and Ben would go to funerals of people they didn't know, just so they could be together. They would talk about their lives, their hopes, and their dreams. They would laugh and cry together.
One day, they went to a funeral for a man. A stranger. After the funeral, they sat on a bench outside the funeral home, talking.
They walked over to the far side of the memorial park. They sat on the grass. Time passed, the sun set, and the park grew dark. They hugged and rolled on the grass. They became one. The dead did not interfere.
They grew old together. They were buried next to each other, and their love story is still told today.
Love buds in unexpected places. No matter what life throws our way.
Love Cemetery
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