Thirteen Summers

one

T H I R D  P E R S O N

The first drops of rain fell shortly after they reached the gravesite, just a drizzle at first and then it wasn't long before they came in an angry downpour, just as they lowered her mother's coffin and only then did Josephine let the tears go.

The young girl had managed to keep them at bay for the entirety of the church service but as the realisation set in that Josie would never be that close to her mother again, she simply lost control over herself.

A fresh rose was passed to Josie and she briefly met eyes with her mother's best friend, Ella, who passed it to her with a sad smile. The older woman guided her to the front of the burial plot, holding a rose of her own.

Josie gently let the rose fall, she went first as her mother's only living family member, it was her right to do so. Her mother's best friend followed suit, a woman who might as well have been her sister, and dropped hers too.

It was only family and her closest friends who had that privilege and her mother was a private woman, not close with many so it came as a deep confusion when three unknown people came forward and dropped their own roses.

Josephine's eyes narrowed at them, a wave of anger washed over her, a scowl so deep was etched in her face and it didn't leave until they had finally left her sight.

"How can they be so rude?" She whispered, looking up at Ella, who returned her question only with the most melancholy look.

Eventually everyone left until it was only the two of them, Josephine kneeled down on the wet, muddy grass for what felt like forever until she finally had the courage to speak.

"Goodbye, Mommy."

Back at the house, Josie rushed past the many guests who were there back to her bedroom to change into some more comfortable, clean clothes, having ruined her tights by setting them on the wet gravesite ground.

For the first time ever, the house was full and it was loud. It was a large townhouse, cozy but much too big for only the two of them but the quiet was comforting and all she'd ever known and this noise, it felt wrong.

She decided to stay in her bedroom until later, when all the guests would be gone because Josie didn't feel like having to exchange pleasantries and deal with everyone's pity.

In her room, Josie wondered what life would be like for her now. She had no-one, no family anymore. The past couple weeks since her mother's death, Josie had stayed with Ella and she was sure that the latter would take her in but it wouldn't feel the same, she'd never feel that true motherly love again.

Hours went by and Josie went downstairs to get a drink, she barely had an appetite but the girl was quite thirsty, she hadn't had anything to drink since early morning, before the funeral.

As she made her way to the sitting room to see if there were any drinks leftover from the buffet, Josie realised there were people still there as she heard Ella talking.

Josie was even more disappointed when she realised who the people Ella was talking to were, the three disrespectful strangers from the gravesite.

"What are they doing here?" Josie asked, taking deep breaths as she tried to control her frustration.

"Josie, the-" Ella tried to explain but she was cut off as Josie faced the strangers and directed her anger towards them.

"It was supposed to be perfect, the roses were for family only." The young girl scowled at them, bunching up her fists.

"You ruined my mom's funeral."

"She was our mom first." One of them spoke, the only girl out of the three, with gritted teeth and puffy eyes.