//------------------------------//
// Chapter 41 
// Story: Apple Annie Oak Tree 
// by Creativa-Artly01 
//------------------------------//

Annie manages to hold onto life for another two months before finally dying in her hospital bed, three days later on November 3rd. Franklin and the children are grief stricken. Annie meant everything to them and now she's gone. Three weeks later, they invite all their friends together for Annie's funeral and it's a mighty sad one indeed. Even the princesses managed to make it. That's how important Annie was to them. After the funeral, Franklin and the children go home and just cry and cry and cry some more. They don't know what they're going to do now that Annie is gone. 

In class the next day, Miss Honeysuckle notices that there's something not quite right with Apple Jam. She walks over to the young filly. "You're taking your mother's death rather hard, aren't you?" she asks. Apple Jam sniffles and nods her head. 

"Mm hmm," she replies as tears begin to form in her eyes. 

"Well, I too, know what it's like to lose my mother around your age. I was twelve when my mother passed away," replies Miss Honeysuckle. She holds Apple Jam in her hooves and comforts her the best she can. Apple Jam, on the other hoof, is just glad somepony understands her pain and her grief. 

Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse, Franklin just sits at Annie's gravestone and cries. She was his world and now she's gone and he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know how he can move on without her, but he has to try, for the children's sake. After all, he is still their father. That's one fact that will never change.