Autumn

Chapter 1

Clara's pov

A funeral. A function I strongly disliked. Unfortunately, I found my self attending one in a few days prior from now. However, this funeral wasn't a normal funeral. In fact it was very special and meaningful, as it was the funeral of my own father.

I was crushed, but didn't know how to react to the tragic news. Was I supposed to feel sad, angry, hurt, in dismay, in awe or in utter bewilderment? I was like this because for years, he was mostly never around and would often visit once every two to three months or sometimes more than that.

After my mom and dad divorced, things were, quite frankly, never the same. My mom and I, including my younger sister Paisley, moved to Oklahoma, to have a fresh start and most importantly, start a new chapter in our lives. We have gained a liking for the state of Oklahoma and we have been living there for roughly, 4 years.

However, with the sudden news, we had no choice but to travel over 300 miles back to Arkansas to attend his funeral.

My mom, I would say, was the most affected, as I knew she still loved my dad, but to circumstances beyond their control, they were drifted apart.

It was like, a part of her heart was stolen from her and she was unable to retrieve it. Dad had been battling with cancer for quite some time now and it had worsened each day that passed by.

What took a toll on us, was that he was unable to spend his last moments with us and I knew he desperately wanted to do so.

He may have never been around much, but he loved us deeply.

------

It was the day before his funeral and we were packing the last remaining bags into the trunk of my mom's modern SUV.

We were settling in Arkansas for a few days. We weren't only attending his funeral, we were going to catch up with family members, who we haven't spoken to in ages.

Slamming the trunk shut, my mom sighed after all the work it took to pack, as well as to pack them into the trunk. Our now family of three, was no longer bubbly and full of excitement or talkative.

Our smiles were wiped away and replaced with an expression less face. Knowing what to do, without speaking, we double checked if we had everything before we entered the car.

My mom settling into the driver's seat and me settling into the passenger seat. My sister Paisley, sat in the backseat, her headphones fixed over her ears.

She was in a phase where, she didn't want to speak to anyone and I understood. We had lost our father, someone who she looked up to, despite his absence when he was here.

Resting my head against the foggy window, I released a trembling exhale. A wave of emotion was coming over me and I couldn't control it.

I was unaware that I was crying, until I felt the warm moisture sliding down my cheek. I quickly lifted my hand to wipe the stray tear before sniffing.

My mom glanced over at me before fixing her gaze back on the road. She gave a look of sympathy, mixed with sadness. Reaching over, she rested her hand on top of mines before giving it a gentle squeeze.

As a way to give comfort. My eyes overlooked the view that was presented before us, outside the window. It was rainy, umbrellas were out and the road was filled with puddles of water.

Despite the weather, downtown was quite busy and full with people.

Persons seemed happy, they were chatting away and filled with laughter. They were seated at the outside dining of restaurants, chatting away and sipping the beverage that was provided, also taking a bite out of their meal, melting into the delicious taste.