Vanilla

Vanilla : Chapter 19

"you look beautiful."

Sunny turned her head to see Aubrey standing in the bathroom doorway looking breathtaking in an all black suit. He had to go out and buy one because he wasn't prepared for a funeral, but he had no issues finding the perfect one, he knew many tailors and designers in Houston. It was the day of Rex's funeral and yesterday Sunny had spent all day talking on the phone with people, so Aubrey had time to go out and buy a couple things. He bought a tux, a new pair of shoes, and something else, but sunny didn't really pay mind to it. Rex was having his funeral on a boat of course, the plan was to sail with him one last time and sink his casket into the ocean. He told sunny he wanted to go that way because the ocean was a part of him and being buried with it was the only way he would want it to be. Sunny was dressed in a floor length black dress with her hair to the side. She wore Gold bands around her upper arm with minimal make up. She looked simple yet stunning. She turned to face him and took a deep breath, this was it..this was the last time she would see Rex for a while. The set up was gorgeous, All white chairs lined the front of the ship where Rex's Navy blue casket was placed. Bouquets of White Carnation flowers placed perfectly at each end of his casket with a breathtaking view of the Ocean in the background. Aubrey leaned down and placed a kiss to the top of her head before she walk off to the microphone, It was her turn to give a speech before they finally sank him into the ocean. It felt as everybody held there breath while sunny walked up to the white podium and adjusted the microphone

"family....family is a meaning that not everybody can say, because not everybody has family. i am just one out of that everybody. yet, i am not. Rex is my family and i feel as if because he is gone i have no family now. Richard Dixon, a man we all know and love, is lying here in this casket as we think to ourselves "how the hell did this happen""

The gathering of people laughed to themselves, feeling a relief that this may not be a ball into tears sort of speech. Aubrey smiled to himself as he saw relief on sunnys face as she continued to speak

"One of my favorite Memories with Rex was the day we got dog... his name is dog due to the simple reason that we couldn't think of a name for him. but Rex brought him home in a milk crate, he was filthy, dirty, starving and boy did he smell awful. Me and my brother gave a disgusting look at the dog yet Rex had a look of love plastered to his face. Marcus and I wanted nothing to do with dog but Rex forced us to feed him, bathe him, and keep him as our own. It took me and Marcus awhile to realize that Dog wasn't so bad. It just proves to show that no matter how poor you are, how dirty you are, how bad you smell...Rex doesn't judge. He saw something in dog that nobody else saw, including myself. Little memories like that are the ones i cherish the most, little memories like that are what makes me love this man here even more then i already do."

Sunny smile to herself, causing every ones relief to grow more. Sunny hadn't smiled since the day he died and seeing her cute dimples and gorgeous white teeth made Aubrey nearly die. His heart pounded against his chest as she laughed to herself a little.

"I remember the day he taught me how to change a tire, i remember the day i beat him in chess for the one time in my life, i remember the day he got dog, i remember the day he helped me with my English essay, i remember the day he let me steer derricks sail boat, i remember my first glass of wine i had with him, i remember the day he stole my heart. I remember the day that i fell head over heels in love with him, the day he became my best friend, the day i realized he was my father, the day i realized that i don't know how i would live without him...and here i am today, speaking at his funeral."

Sunny turned to his casket and walked over to it, leaving the microphone silent, Everyone was on the edge of there seat as she pulled a sheet of paper from her bra. She unfolded it and reached to grab his hand. It was cold and limp which gave her a rush of anxiety, She took a deep breath to calm herself before beginning to read from the paper

"its not right to let you die without knowing the truth, ive lied...we all have lied, so i have a list of lies here that i have said. and the truth behind them all."

at this point sunny wasn't even talking to the crowd, she was looking down at Rex with tears brimming her eyes, She clear her throat as she began to read

"When i told you Marcus' fish died for no reason, that was a lie, i squished him on accident because i wanted to pet him...sorry Marcus. The time i told you i didn't punch Ashley Johnson in the nose, that was a lie, i punched her in the nose because she was picking on me. The time i told you i got an A on my math exam, i lied, i got a D on it and paid some kid 20 dollars to let me borrow his test to show you the A. The time i told you i was fine, i lied, 99% of the time i felt like killing myself and im sorry. im sorry i lied to you Rexy, im sorry....i know that you aren't here, but i know your up in heaven and i hope you can forgive me for it. im sorry."

Sunny turned and walked back to the microphone with a few tears rolling down her face. At this point the people of the crowd were all crying, even Aubrey had a couple tears welling up in his eyes.

"as you can see people, we all make mistakes, we all lie, we all do things we shouldn't but i had a reason for all of my lies. A reason behind the truth....and my reason was Rex. I was to ashamed of myself to own up and i didn't want to disappoint him, i didn't want him to feel any type of regret toward his love for me so i lied. im not perfect, but Rex saw me as perfect and that's all that matters....Rex is my reason........Rex is my reason."

Sunny left the microphone once again and walked over to an all white Yamaha grand piano, She brushed her finger tips across the top of it as she sat down on the seat, placing her fingers in position. Aubrey gave a confused look as to what she was doing but he went with it anyway. Everyone knew she could play because they all had enthusiasm spread on there faces, everyone except Aubrey who knew nothing about her talents. She pressed down on the black and white keys, music filling the ears of the people, soothing them almost instantly. She continued to play as Aubrey watch her in shock, and then she started singing............

"im not a perfect person, theirs many thing i wish i didn't do

but i continue learning, i never meant to do those things to you

and so i have to say before i go, that i just want you to know

i found a reason for me, to change who i used to be

a reason to start over new, and the reason is you."

Aubrey's mouth dropped in shock, not only was her piano playing amazing but her voice was gorgeous. It was flowy and angelic. He never even knew she had talent to play piano let alone sing on top of it. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as her voice carried through like the wind. Aubrey's heart throbbed at how beautiful her song was, and at how amazing she placed the words together, his heart throbbed at how much she put into it and how much she made the artist who made the song look like dirt. His heart throbbed at the sight of her. She looked down at her fingers and smiled softly as she began to sing into the mic again, her voice filled his ears and filled his heart

"im sorry that i hurt you, its something i must live with everyday

and all the pain i put you through, i wish that i could take it all away

and be the one who catches all your tears, that's why i need you to hear

i found a reason for me, to change who i used to be

a reason to start over new, and the reason is you."

Aubrey swallowed as she looked up at him for a slight second then returned her gaze back to Rex, as she began to sing out the last chorus and ending to the song

"I found a reason for me, to change who i used to be

a reason to start over new, and the reason is you

i found a reason to show, a side of me you didn't know

a reason for all that i do......and the reason is you."