𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐘 for the Brown family. Everyone was meeting up at Phyllis and Leroy's house for Selene's funeral. Graham unbuckled Noelani's seat belt and helped her out the car. "Nana! Papa!"
Five year old Noelani ran over to her grandparents, who were standing on the porch and Graham closed the back door of the car.
"Hey pretty girl," Phyllis says, lifting Noelani up in her arms. Leroy turns and looks at his granddaughter, "Hey Papa baby!"
Noelani reached her arms around to Leroy and he took her from Phyllis, who smacked her lips. "You gone leave me for Papa NiNi," she questioned her.
She buried her face into her Papa's neck, smiling. They laughed at her as Leroy rubbed her back. "She know where to go!"
"Hey Mr. and Mrs. Brown," Graham greets, reaching for a hug. Phyllis hugged him and he rubbed her back.
"Hey baby, how are you?"
They pull away and Graham sighs. "As good as I'm gonna be at a time like this," he says.
Phyllis nods and holds both of Graham's hands. "This is the hardest day for all of us especially losing a child but Graham remember God got us," she tells him.
Graham smiles, "Yes ma'am," he replies.
"Exactly he's gonna get us through these tough times but of course we're gonna have our grieving moments," Leroy adds.
"Cause that was my baby— I will never stop grieving over her but I will put my faith in God to keep us going," Phyllis tells him.
Graham simply nods. He didn't have any words at all. "Is Madison coming," Phyllis asks.
"Yes ma'am she should be pulling up any minute I just got off the phone with her," Graham states as a couple of Selene's aunts and uncles comes over.
Graham dapped up Selene's uncle, Tony, "It's been a while since I seen you... how's everything going," he asks Graham.
"I'm ok how are y'all," Graham questioned.
"Good good!"
"Phyllis you ready girly? The funeral director said he's ready whenever we are," Aunt Caroline speaks.
Noelani looks up from her Papa's neck. "Yes we can get ready to go— Graham check on Madison, we are going to pray before we leave," she says.
"Hey Noelani," Aunt Caroline speaks. Lani waved before wrapping her arms around Leroy.
Caroline laughs, "She actin' shy today looking just like her mama," she says, tickling the side of her stomach.
Graham stepped aside and called Madison. "I'm turning on the street now," Maddy answers the phone.
"Alright we about to have prayer and then we're gonna leave," he tells Madison.
"Okay go ahead I'm here," she says.
"Alright," Graham replies before hanging up the phone.
Leroy holds his wife's hand as they walk off the porch. They go over to the funeral director, "Hey Mr. and Mrs. Brown I'm James Norwood and I'll be your driver and funeral director," he introduces himself.
They both shake his hand and Noelani looked at the guy. "Nice to meet you... Leroy," he says.
"Phyllis."
The guy explains the service and he allowed them to pray before heading to the church.
____
It was time to view the body of Selene Tracee Brown. The funeral directors allowed the friends to go first, now it was the family's turn. Leroy was comforting Phyllis as she cried silently. Graham, Noelani, Madison, Dylan, and Cadence sat behind Selene's immediate family.
The last row in the family section came around and viewed, before showing love to Phyllis and Leroy. The people two rows behind went up and Graham looked up, raising his eyebrow at someone.
In the line stood a light skin man, holding the hand of a child. He noticed it was Jeremaine, Selene's ex-boyfriend. This made Graham uneasy.
"Who invited him," Anthony, Selene's brother, whispered loud enough for Graham to hear. Ant looked back at Graham for a second causing Graham to shrug.
Jeremaine walked up to the casket and looked down at Selene for a while before bending down. Phyllis looked up and started shaking her head aggressively, "Get him away from my baby," she whispers to her husband. Leroy finally noticed Jeremaine and stood up quickly. Anthony stood up and walked up to Jermaine with his father. Leroy put his hand on his back, "You can't be here bro," Anthony spoke lowly.
"I can't say goodbye to my girl," Jeremaine questioned Ant.
"No."
Leroy cleared his throat, "Young man you are disrespecting her and her family by being here, please just leave peacefully son."
Graham watched intensely as Jeremaine stepped back, "I cared for yo' daughter and y'all still treat me this way..."
Jeremaine shakes his head and looked back at Selene, "I love you baby."
Anthony stared at him in disgust, wanting to punch him. Jeremaine pulls the toddler towards him and walked off, leaving them standing there. Jeremaine walked past Graham's row, staring at him and Noelani.
Leroy put his hand on Anthony's shoulder and says, "Leave him alone we are here to celebrate the life of your little sister. Go sit down." Anthony sighs as the next row stood up, making their way to the front. Anthony sat down beside his little sister, Michelle.
Graham put his arm around Noelani and she leaned on him. Madison rubbed his back and he looked over at her. "Don't pay that any attention," she whispered to him and he simply nods.
After the service, Phyllis invited Graham, Madison, and the kids over to her house. "I didn't want to have a big gathering because I'm just not in that state of mind right now," Phyllis tells them both.
Noelani, Dylan, Calvin, Lillian, and Cadence were watching Wonder Pets on the television in the living room. "I understand Mrs. Phyllis you don't have to rush yourself," Graham replies back. "Exactly you don't owe anybody an explanation and they should understand," Anthony adds.
Phyllis nods as she opens the fridge, "One thing I will say is seeing that boy in that church really upset me especially knowing he never did right by my babygirl."
Madison sat down at their dining room table with Graham. "Baby just leave that alone," Leroy walks into the kitchen from the backroom. She sighs, looking over at Leroy. "But he did that on purpose and I don't even know how he got the address," she speaks up.
"I told them to respect me when it came to attending Selene's funeral... they all didn't like her anyway so why would they terrorize us by showing up?" Phyllis started crying and Leroy came over and pulled her close to him.
"He's just trying to get a reaction out of us," Leroy tells her. "And we aren't even gonna give him that satisfaction. Let God deal with him."
A pregnant Michelle plopped on the couch and spoke, "Yeah ma, Jeremaine isn't worth it. He's feeling guilty now that's it." Anthony smacked his lips and shook his head. "And bringing the child up in there at that," he chimes in.
____
𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦. 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦.
