Don't Leave Me (A Bajan Canadian Fan Fiction) (Watty Awards 2013)

Chapter Seven: I Found You Baby

Chapter 7

The funeral was small. The only people that attended was me, Rebecca, Matt, the priest, four coffin bearers, Sadie's parents, Rob, Jerome, and Quentin. Quentin came for support, as did Jerome. He came the furthest then all of us.

Sadie's mother, Joleene, held onto Matt and her husband, crying hard. Sadie's father, Travis, had tears streaming slowly down his face.

Rebecca had a black rose tucked back into her hair, wearing a black, knee high dress and black flats. Sadie's mother wore the same, except the sleeves were longer as was the dress.

All the men except for the priest wore a black suit with black ties.

Tears were shed as the coffin bearers started putting Sadie into the ground. Matt ran up to the hole. I had to ran up to him before he jumped in.

He fell onto his knees crying. Rebecca had to help me get him back to the chairs where everyone sat.

Matt hugged onto Joleene, who hugged him back. Rebecca put her head on my shoulder, putting her forehead into the crook of my neck.

At the end of the service, Rebecca, Jerome, Rob, and Quentin came back to my house. Sadie's parents were going to Joleene's mother's home for the night.

We all sat around. Rebecca was curled up on my lap wearing one of my old t-shirts and sweatpants.

Quentin and Jerome were on the couch faces opposite us. Rob and Matt were on the floor. Matt played with the bottom of his fleece sweatpants.

Jerome looked at his feet, bouncing his legs. Quentin stared out the window. Rob was biting his lips.

Rebecca played with fingers softly, her head against my bare chest. I kissed her head softly.

"Anyone want some food?" Jerome asks. We all grumble some yes's. Jerome grabs my phone and calls for pizza. After he puts in an order for one large cheese, a large supreme, and a pepperoni, he hangs up and set my phone on the table.

I turn my head towards Quentin and Jerome.

"Thanks guys for coming here. Means a lot," I say. Jerome nods and Quentin smiles slightly. Rebecca cuddles more into my chest as the doorbell rings.

Rob stands up and walks to the door. He opens it and the pizza guy stands there. It, coincidently, was one of the coffin bearers.

"Three large pizzas. One cheese, one supreme, and one pepperoni yes?" he says. Rob nods and pays for the pizza.

"Thanks," he says.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Matt," the man said. Matt nods as a tear falls.

"Thanks Gared," he says. Gared nods.

"Have a good night everybody," he says before closing the door behind him and leaving my property.

"He's a good kid," Matt says, spinning and facing the TV as Rob turns it on and sets the pizzas on the table.

"Yeah he is," Rob said, "I think he was from my school once upon a time." I nod. Rebecca stands up and grabs a slice of cheese pizza. Before she sits down I get up and grab a supreme pizza slice. Everyone grabs their pizza as the TV played. Oddly, it was on the Disney Channel. The doorbell rings again. Quentin, since he was the only one with a t-shirt on besides Rebecca, gets up and answers.

A tall man holding a little girl stood there. He mumbles something to Quentin. He looks at Matt, who was staring at his pizza. Quentin bites his lip before turning to face Matt.

"Matt there's someone at the door for you," he said. Matt snaps his head up and set his pizza in the box. He stands up and walks to the door.

"What's up?" he says, wiping a tear from his face. The man mumbles stuff to Matt before handing him some papers and a small suitcase. He hands the suitcase to Quentin, who was still standing next to him. The tall man goes on to explain more things we can't hear.

The four of us are staring at the four of them. Jerome looks at me, his eyes asking what was happening. I shrug. The little girl was placed into Matt's arms. The little girl had a long cut on her face when she looked at me. Rebecca turns to me with a confused look on her face.

The man tips his hat before leaving Matt and Quentin at the door. Matt turns to me and motions for me and Rebecca to come over to him. Quentin goes to put the little girl's suitcase by the couch and goes to sit down. Rebecca and I get up and go over to him.

"This is Reegan," Matt said, smiling. Rebecca looks at me as I look at her. She's smiling a toothless grin. I give her one back.

"The foster parents she was with hurt her. So the agency tracked me down and gave her to me,"  Matt says. Reegan holds Matt's neck with one arm and reaches for me with the other. Matt gives her to me.

"Hewwo," she says. I smile.

"Hi. I'm Uncle Mitch," I say. She smiles and pokes my nose, then reaches for Matt again.

"And I'm Daddy," he says. I smile as Rebecca hugs me. Reegan looks at Rebecca.

"That Mommy?" she asks. Matt shook his head.

"That's Aunty Becca," he says. She nods her head.

"Are Aunty Becca and Uncle Mitchy married?" she asks. Rebecca laughs.

"Not yet sweetie," she says. Reegan nods her head.

"Want to go meet Uncle Jerome, Uncle Rob, and Uncle Quentin?" Matt asks. Reegan laughs and nods. We follow Matt and Reegan as they walk to the other people in my house. How the agency found my house I will never know.

"That's Uncle Rob," Matt said, pointing to Rob. Rob smiles and waves. Matt turns.

"That's Uncle Jerome," he said, pointing to Jerome. Reegan reached out her arms to him. Matt walked over and set Reegan down in his lap. She pinches Jerome's nose. He laughs.

"He has a big nose, Daddy," she said, looking up at Matt with her big green eyes. Matt laughs and picks her up.

"I know he does. Helps him sniff out food," he says. Reegan laughs as does Jerome.

"No it doesn't. Helps me sniff out lady baccas, if you know what I mean," he says. Me, the guys and Rebecca laugh. Reegan held onto Matt confused.

"What's a bacca?" she asks. "And what's a lady bacca? Is it like a man bacca?" Matt laughs softly.

"A bacca is an animal thing from the movie Star Wars," he said. Jerome looked offended.

"We are not animal things thank you very much," Jerome says. Reegan laughs.

"And that's Uncle Quentin," Matt says, finally getting to Quentin after a few jokes with Jerome. Quentin waves.

"I HAVE FAMILY!" Reegan yells. We all cheer with her.

"How old are you Reegan?" Rob asks her. She holds up 3 fingers, then puts them down, then puts up 4 fingers.

"I four Uncle Robby," she says. Rob laughs.

"You're pretty loud for a four year old. Pretty brave too. If I was your age I wouldn't want to be in a room with big people. But you're a tough cookie," Rob says. Reegan's eyes widen.

"I'm a cookie? Daddy, they going to eat me!" she yells. Matt picks her up.

"You aren't a cookie, baby. You're too cute to be a cookie," he says. Reegan smiles and pokes his face.

"Tank coo daddy," she says.

I love her already.