Last chance

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Seth
I walked through the front door and I saw Becky sitting on my sofa, wearing a black dress and little makeup. She had showered and curled her hair, she looked good. "Heya Millie, I'm sorry I've been away but I'm gonna try to do better. I'm going to try and be a good mother, I promise." I released my grip on Millie's hand and she ran to Becky, throwing her arms around her. "I'm so sorry princess..." She shook her head as she hugged Becky. "It's okay...you're here now..."

Becky
I held my daughter tightly as she just hugged me, I've missed her so much. I've wanted to come up here and see her but every time I've tried it's just been too much and I couldn't. "I've got something to do today, something important but we can spend the rest of the week together, I promise." She nodded, not breaking away from the hug for even a second. "I love you momma."

"I love you too Millie."

I watched as Seth walked upstairs, this is the first time I've been alone with Millie in weeks. "Why are you so sad?" Millie asked as she repositioned herself to face me. "Well you see I've lost some very important people and I really miss them honey." She frowned at me. "They'll always be with you, right here so don't be sad." She pointed at my heart and I just smiled at her. "Please don't be sad, they wouldn't want you to be sad."

"Okay you're right, I promise I'll try baby. I'll try to be happy..." She stood up on the sofa and she planted a kiss to my cheek. "I love you." Seth caught my attention as he walked downstairs, he changed into an all black suit and he'd showered because his hair was still wet. We're really about to do this, we're really about to attend Charlottes funeral.

There was a knock at the door which Seth went to get, he opened it and Sasha stepped into our house. I placed Millie down beside me and I just ran to her, wrapping my arms lovingly around her. "Becky I've missed you..." Her voice was broken and I just held onto her. "I know and I'm sorry, I've missed you too. I'm no where near okay but I need to try and heal."

"Ladies are you ready?" I looked outside and I saw a funeral car waiting for us. "Just give us a minute." I turned to Millie as Seth's mother came downstairs. "You be good for grandma, I promise I'll be back soon. I love you." I turned on my heel, walking towards Seth and Sasha as they climbed into the back of the funeral car.

"This doesn't feel right, we shouldn't have to do this, we shouldn't be attending our 18 year old friends funeral. They should still be here, this is so unfair." Sasha just managed to say before letting the tears fall freely down her face. "I know, but we have to do this...we have to say goodbye." I grabbed both of their hands and I got them to look at me. "I don't think this pain is going to get any easier and i think the memories of that day will haunt us forever, but Millie said something today that resonated with me. She said that they'll always be with us in our hearts and they wouldn't want us to be sad and she's right, we've got to try to live our lives. They wouldn't have wanted us to give up, Charlotte she made me promise to carry on so we've got to carry on..."

"You're right, but I just don't know how to move on..."

"I don't know how we move on but we've just got to try, because there are people that need us and if we don't carry on they won't be able to carry on...I've spent a month in a basement hiding from the world because I thought it would fix something, bring them back, make me forget about that day but that's never going to happen. So we've got to face it..."

"Time to say goodbye." Seth grabbed both mine and Sasha's hands as the funeral car came to a stop. "We can do this, it might help heal us." I stepped out of the funeral car first, followed by Sasha and then Seth. We walked into the church and there was a beautiful picture of Charlotte next to her casket. We all sat down and the ceremony started.

"We're all here today to say goodbye to our friend, daughter, classmate and to join together in peace, to celebrate her life. Now I'd like you to listen to some words from her father." Charlottes dad stood up and made his way to the stand, tears already falling down his face as he spoke into the mic.

"My Charlotte was so so perfect, she was kind and goal driven, the world was her oyster and she was ready until some cruel people stole that from her...She was a very determined young woman and if she had her mind set on something she would go for it no matter what, she dreamed about one day making it big and pursing her dream in wresting and my god I was so proud of her." He paused for a moment, just to try and recompose himself as he thought about everything he'd lost. "Charlotte was also a very caring young girl, she would do anything for her friends and family to protect them. She loved her friends, she used to tell me all about them." He stopped again, grabbing a tissue from his pocket to dry his tears. "I would like to thank you for coming today, Charlotte would be so grateful for everything you've all done for her. So thank you, we love you all..."

He walked down from the stand and into his seat, the vicar now stepping back up to the mic "If you would all like to join as outside for her burial." Me and Sasha stood but Seth stayed sat in his seat. "Ric he asked me to help carry her out..." We both just nodded making our way out of the church and towards the grave dug ready for her. Soon Seth walked out of the church, with Ric and four others carrying Charlottes casket. Sasha's hand found mine once they started to lower Charlottes casket into the grave. "Now I'd like you all to join me in a prayer, that in the afterlife Charlotte would be looked after and treated well and one day become an angel. Now we must ask for Charlotte to look after us and to help us whenever we need it, to show us the way in even our darkest of times. Amen..."

"Amen..."

The rest of the ceremony was hard to go through, with people talking about their memories of Charlotte but now it was just Becky, Sasha and Seth sitting alongside her grave with a beer in hand. "Happy Birthday Charlotte..."