Basilio Legacy
3.1 - Passing the Torch
Published: 2025-07-14
Elmira and Doba elope, Ajei is loved, Etan has a horrific time, and a chapter in this saga formally ends.
That month was a blur, between the birth of Ajei, Salim’s death, and Doba having to go back to work. A small funeral for Salim was held, hosted by Elmira, where Miguel was too wracked with grief and his own nondescript age-related complications. He was buried in a small park he and Miguel had started the process of building on the back of the property not too long ago. Miguel vowed to finish it for him.
It was a small funeral, but one Salim would have loved, with lots of lighthearted euologies and toasts.
With the wedding looming overhead, Elmira and Doba agreed it felt…wrong to throw a huge celebration of their love when so much was changing around the house. Salim was supposed to walk Elmira down the aisle, and Miguel (who was catatonic) was supposed to help walk tiny Ajei down with her basket of flowers. It wasn’t right, so wordlessly, they cancelled the ceremony and eloped silently in the living room on the day of the funeral.
Not the prettiest wedding in the world. But the deed was done now, at least. Also, this was entirely autonomous. I did not make these two elope.
But not all was terrible, Ajei was an absolute light in the gloom the family was facing. She loved any and all attention thrown her way, something Elmira and Doba threw themselves into giving her with everything going on. Despite only being an infant, she was progressing along incredibly, even teaching herself how to crawl before her first birthday.
Doba and Elmira were completely and utterly enamored with Ajei, and dote over her relentlessly. She was very pleased by this.
Miguel, on the other hand, knew his time was running out. He’d known for a while yet, but after Salim passed on, he couldn’t help but be excited for the day that they’d be reunited. Whatever would end up getting him, Miguel prepared his own will and funerary arrangements, and quietly awaited the day the reaper would finally come.
It’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for.
That next day, the reaper’s scythe swung not once, but twice in the Basilio house. Miguel passed away silently on the patio, watching the sunset over downtown Windenburg. And within that hour, Bailey passed away without a whimper on Etan’s bedroom floor. They found both of them that morning.
Etan buried themself in work, formally making the moves to quit at the other veterinary agency and work full time at their own. They couldn’t take another second in this house where every corner reminded them of a horrible time in their life, and began arranging to find a new place to start over. Elmira didn’t need them anymore, anyway. She had Doba and Ajei. Etan had their work and a crush that was going absolutely nowhere.
Miguel was buried, and grass began to plant its roots in the topsoil above his coffin.
Together again.