Beautiful Boy

funeral

amara haven

"You should wear that little black dress you have," Mum said at breakfast.

"Which one?" I asked.

She chuckled, "The skater type one with the lace."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, remembering the dress she was talking about, "Right."

She gave a sad smile, "And Kinsley, why don't you wear that long black dress."

She nodded, "It's hanging on my door."

"Where's Val?" Mum asked.

I, too, noticed she wasn't with us for breakfast.

"I'll find her," I said, standing up.

I headed to the garage, having a feeling she was hiding.

Mum and Kinsley continued a conversation as I slipped out of the house into Dad's garage.

The lights were off and it was silent, everything left the way Dad had it.

"Vally?" I called quietly.

"Here," I heard a little croak from the corner.

I walked over to her.

She was sitting with her knees to her chest and her head in her lap.

I sat down next to her and placed my arm around her shoulder, resting my head on hers.

She suddenly moved onto my lap, hugging me and crying softly on my shoulder.

I stroked her hair and kissed her head.

"What's up, Vally?" I asked softly.

She looked up at me, her nose and cheeks red and her eyes full of pain.

"Why do we have to have a funeral?" She asked, laying her head on my shoulder.

I stroked her back, "We have them to honour and remember whoever passed away."

"But why do we have to remember our pain?" She trembled in my arms.

I hugged her tighter, "I don't know, Val, I really don't know. I don't want to have to have the funeral either, it's killing me."

She nuzzled into my neck.

"But hey," I said, moving her back to look at her, "Let's get the funeral done and over with, and then we can go to Dad's favourite coffee place across the bridge, okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah, okay."

"Why don't you put on that lovely black dress you have, and I'll do your hair for you," I suggested.

"Will you do it in that hairstyle that Daddy used to say looked pretty on me?" She asked.

I wiped her tears, "Of course."

~

We arrived at the funeral home first, followed by David and Karen, then the rest of our family.

"We are so so sorry for the loss," David said, giving us all a hug.

Karen nodded, repeating his actions with us.

"Thank you so much for coming," Mum smiled sadly, "We've missed you guys."

"Yes, we've missed you too. Just the other day we had Daisy and Jasper wondering why we never see you," David turned to me, "They miss you."

I was taken by surprise.

It was as if being surprised had taken me and run off to another country.

"T-they do?" I questioned.

"Mhm," Karen nodded, tucking herself under David's arm, "They were on Nic's ass about it!"