Work Text:
In My Daughter’s Eyes
Rose sits next to the water, where it always calmed her. She was so relieved when she crossed over that she could summon whatever place was on her mind to be around her and she always summoned being near the water, particularly the Pacific Ocean. She watched the waves as the memories of her daughter came to her mind.
Flashback
Rose had been keeping an eye on her daughter after she passed. She tried to give her little signs, but Julie was so lost without her that she couldn’t see the signs: the dahlias that were blooming under her window, the chest of items she left in her room left unopened, and of course the music that played on the radio when Julie was driving to school, but always turned off before Rose’s message got through. Julie was having a rough time with her death and it made her heart ache that she did this to her daughter. She didn’t know what she could do to bring her out of her shell, because Julie was not interested in music any longer, the thing that was keeping her around her.
She went to her daughter one last time before she had to fully leave her. Rose saw her daughter sleeping and slowly started singing:
In my daughter's eyes
I am a hero
I am strong and wise
And I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I want to be
In my daughter's eyes
Rose came to her dream at their favorite place, the beach. They were sitting by the water, Rose holding her in her arms, softly singing to her. She felt Julie’s tears on her arms, holding her tightly as she kept singing to her.
In my daughter's eyes
Everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light
And the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me
Gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
How it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hanging on when your heart is had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes
Rose smiled down at her daughter, relishing the feel of Julie in her arms. Her heart slowly breaking as Julie looked up with her tears falling down her face. “Mami, I love you. Thank you for visiting me. I’ve been so lost without you. I’m sorry if I have kept music out of my life, but it’s just not the same without you here making it with me,” Julie sobs out as Rose takes her face in her hands.
“Mija, I’m always here with you,” Rose softly states as she places her hand on Julie’s heart.
Julie starts sobbing softly, “I know Mami, I know you’re always in my heart, but my heart broke when you left,” Julie looks away and then back at her mom with anger and hurt shining in her eyes, “when you left me.”
Rose starts crying, she did not want to leave her daughter like that, she felt robbed of having a life with Julie, the daughter that she prayed for after having 2 pregnancies that didn’t end well. And when she finally had Julie it was like her wish came true, and after Julie she then had Carlos without any complications. She had her little family that she dreamed of with Ray, the love of her life. But then life took a turn when they found out that she was sick.
“Mija, trust me I didn’t want to leave you, ever. You know that. You are my blessing, my prayer that was answered, you are my everything. I know life can be so mean at times, but know that I’m here with you even when you can’t see me. I’ve been giving you signs this whole time, but being the stubborn girl that you are, you didn’t see them clearly.” Rose softly chuckled as she brushed Julie’s hair from her face and wiped away her tears. Julie giggled softly as she hugged her tighter as Rose kept singing to her.
In my daughter's eyes
I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
And though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you'll see
How happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Rose looked at her daughter in her arms. Enjoying the few moments she has had with her. Julie glances back at her Rose with love in her eyes, the same love radiating from Rose’s eyes. “I love you Mami. Thank you for coming back to me, even if only in my dreams.” Rose hugged her tighter as she knew it was time for her to leave. Rose looked down at her daughter asleep on her bed, with a small smile on her face. Rose knew she would be okay, but she knew that Julie needed a push to get back to music, whatever it took because music was the key to putting back the pieces to Julie’s broken heart when she left her.
End of Flashback
Rose smiled softly at that moment because it was when she left Julie that she looked for a way to bring music back to Julie’s life. She kept searching for ways to bring herself back to Julie, but everyone she asked told her that once she crosses over she cannot go back. They had let her go back to her when Rose saw how Julie was suffering without her, but only through her dreams. Anything else and she would be breaking the rules of the afterlife. But Rose was determined to get the music back to her daughter. She had to find a way and one day she did as she overheard a conversation between two guardian angels.
“Have you heard about those boys lost in limbo?”
“Yes, they’ve been stuck there for 25 years now! They just don’t want to give up their connection to their music. It’s not like they can’t make music up here!”
“I know right?! They don’t know what they’re missing out on,” laughed the guardian angel.
“Well they’ll be stuck there until someone finally plays their song they are connected to, someway. You would think the people in their lives would’ve played their music when they died, but nope, the families of those boys didn’t even know they were going to be big, had they not died,” the other guardian angel said sadly.
“Oh well, it seems like every remnant of them is gone, it seems like they’ll be in limbo forever.”
“What was the name of their band again? Sunset Swerve?”
The guardian angel chuckled and said, “No Sunset Curve! Those guys would be pissed if you said that to their face. Come on let's get out of here.”
Rose's ears perked when she heard the band name, she knew those boys. She had met them at the Orpheum the night they died! She used to play their music for Julie when she was little, how had that not helped them get out of their limbo? Rose lost in her thoughts then had a great idea and she went about using the last of her energy to have Julie find their CD to play. The rest would be up to the boys, and she knew that they would be the ones to help her daughter get music back to her life. They could guide her to be the artist she was meant to be. Rose just knew they would help Julie, and hopefully they would find peace within themselves after they help bring her daughter back to life.
“Mija, I hope you’re able to get your music back. I’m sending these boys to you because they need you and you need them. I love you Julie.”