Where Will This Lead Me?//book 2

Remembering

After graduation was over, Carla and I changed into sweatpants, but kept our caps on. We then drove down to the cemetery. Cole deserves to graduate, here or not.
We got out of the car, and the eerie silence of the graveyard was almost too much to handle. I reached in the back seat and grabbed the small plastic box that Carla and i had been saving for today. We get out of the car, careful not to slam the doors, careful not to break the silence. I grasp on to the box, and hold it close. Carla and i slowly walk over to his grave. Four years later, it still doesn't seem real.
There it is. There's fresh flowers there. They must be from his parents.
We both take a seat on the soft green earth. Place the box right next it. Carla takes the cover off, and removes the purple cap, carefully placing the gold tassel on the right side. She puts it on the corner of the cold grey, granite. From inside the box I gently unfold the silk, royal purple robe and lay it out across the ground. This is all too much to take in. I turn and lay on back, like I'm laying down next to him. Carla does the same on the other side. We do this in complete silence. After a few minutes of staring at the sky, I hear a sob sneak out of me. Soon, they just keep coming. Carla comes over to me and places my head in her lap.
"Shh... i know its hard, it really is. But let's not focus on the fact that he's gone, but lets... let's remember." Her words take a while to sink in, but once they do, I know she's right. After all she's been through, I know that I can trust her when she gives advice.
"Okay..." I say and sit up, now leaning my head on her shoulder. "Ok, so this is going to be hard, but we'll get through it, okay?"
I nod in return.
"So, tell me, what's the first memory you have of Cole"
"Well," I stop and think about it for a moment. "Once, when we were... 3, I think, I remember our moms took us to the park and the ice cream truck came by. They bought us each and ice cream cone. Mine was chocolate and his was... vanil- no strawberry, strawberry. We ran over to the double slides, and each sat on the end of one. He didn't like his ice cream..." I start to giggle at the next thought."So he dumped it on my head and started eat mine." I'm actually laughing. I never thought I could think about Cole ever again without crying.
"Thank you" I say to Carla.
"No problem." She responds.
I take the gown and fold in back up, then she takes the cap and places it in the box. We put the lid back on, and walk away.