The moon shone down on the crossing bridge Gabriel walked upon, shuddering against the bitter cold, before gazing west toward the towering mountain beyond the enormous, pristine lake of blue.

“You always liked that mountain, Claire,” he said, muttering to himself as pebbles of snows fell on his nose.

“This is awesome, Dad!” echoed a boy’s voice, eyes glittering as he waved a box with a robot figurine inside, whilst his parents begged him to be careful.

Gabriel halted and smiled as he watched from the other side of the bridge, watching a cheerful family of three

“Do you remember when Shanny and Victoria fought over a Gundam, Claire?” he said, muttering to himself as pebbles of snows fell on his nose.

“I remember, Gabriel. I remember,” Victoria said as she walked beside Gabriel, adorned with a white dress, her pale skin luminescent under the bright stars. However, she avoided his gaze, her countenance devoid of a smile.

“Why do you look so sad, my love?” asked Gabriel, cocking his head sideways as Victoria offered him a scowl.

“You can’t do this, Gabriel. You cannot leave them alone,” she protested, raising her voice. “Do you really expect poor Shanny to take care of Victoria all by himself?”

“I don’t want to. But, what choice do I have?” he said as they continued to move, moving past a church, hearing angelic voices of a choir singing ‘Angels We Have Heard on High.’ “Lie on a bed, doing nothing, while they starve?”

Victoria closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, though she offered no response.
“I wish I could have provided for them better, Victoria. For you,” Gabriel said. “I was born with nothing, always had nothing. And I cannot live with the thought of them suffering.”

“I didn’t ask for more, Gabriel,” she said. “I was happy with what we had, so don’t feel obligated with me. I chose you, and I would have hated you forever if you had given up on me. But I loved you more because you did not.”

“Thank you,” he said and smiled at her, and finally they both stopped, looking up an imposing building of white. A hospital.

“Now, shall we?” said Gabriel as he held Victoria’s hand, before moving inside.

Silence filtered between the couple as they moved to the stairwell, passing through the crowds of people, some donning cloaks of white or garbs of blue.

“Room 109,” Victoria said. “We’re here.”

A man lay on a bed, two children, a girl and a boy, kneeling on his feet. The man’s skin was pallor and thin, very much resembling Gabriel.

A doctor followed inside, passing through the bodies of the couple blocking the entrance, before kneeling beside Shanny and placing a hand on his back.

“Shanny? Your aunt is here, you and your sister, Victoria, will be staying with him,” said the doctor. “We will be moving your father’s body to the morgue soon. I’m so sorry.”

Shanny opened his eyes, still wet from tears and lack of sleep, as Victoria moved to embrace him; staring at the doctor with fear on her eyes.

“Will they take you away from me, Shanny? Will you leave me too, like mama and papa did?” she asked, shaking.

“No, Vicky. I won’t let that happen. Not Uncle or those guys from that child services whatever!” he said as he glared at the doctor. And the doctor could only smile.

“That’s our boy!” Gabriel laughed, though none could hear him but Victoria.

“Gabriel! This is no laughing matter!” Victoria said, shooting him a glare. However, Gabriel continued to laugh, before glancing outside the door as footsteps drew near.

“There they are. I entrusted my sister the investment fund to take care of our kids, knowing I’d die soon enough,” he said as he watched a couple come in, moving to greet the doctor. One of them, a man, lead the others away. And the woman was left alone.

“Gabriel, I hate you for always being so stubborn. What is your money worth, abandoning your children already without a mother?”