All In A Love Story

Saying Goodbye

"Nolan?" I say push the door to his house open nodding to his bodyguard as I walked up the steps, "Where is he?"

"In the bedroom Mrs. Grayson," he says folding his arms, "if you need me just yell."

"Thanks big Ed," I say walking down the hall, "I wish we met again on better circumstances."

"Me too, Mrs. Grayson."

As the days passed I stayed with Nolan, Daniel was with our children and Charlotte. Declan came over to get more details for the funeral as I tried my best to be there for Nolan. He was so heartbroken and depressed I did not want to leave him, but he had Big Ed protecting him now. The funeral was today, as I pull up to the Grayson Manor, I turn off my car and just sit there feeling tears rush to my eyes. As the feeling of grief hits me over the head like a ton of bricks once more, as I pull myself together I mutter to myself this simple phrase.

"Daniel is alive, our kids are happy and healthy. Yes, they'll miss their Uncle Patrick but, he's in a better place."

As I walk up to the house, I push the door open and come face to face with my younger sister, "Charlie," I say as I watch her glance up and look at the door that had opened. Once her eyes were on me, I could see unshed tears in her eyes without saying anything I walk over to her and wrap my arms tightly around her, "Oh Charlie."

"Declan and I got here as soon as Danny got more details," she says as I hold her my arms, I just stand there rubbing her back as she cried in my arms.

As I glance down the main hallway, I see Daniel turning on a cartoon for the kids as he talks with Declan who was holding Jake in his arms, he'd gotten so big already. This was not how I wanted the family together, there has been to much death already. Hopefully with the loss of Patrick the death would stop, because I don't think I can handle much more of the crying and burying of my loved ones.

"Charlie I'm going to call Dad and see if he can come to the funeral," I say pulling away wiping my sister's tears from her cheeks, "it'll be a hard day but, we knew it was coming. Patrick would want us to celebrate his life not cry."

"No, need to call me Amanda," I hear my dad say from behind me, as I turn I see my father standing in an all black suit.

"We should get ready," I say glancing at Charlie as I take her hand, "Daniel, can you come here please," I ask watching my husband excuse himself from Declan's side he walks over to Charlotte and I.

"I want Ellie to come watch the children, I don't think it is a good idea to have them all at the funeral," I say looking at my husband who pulls out his phone, Ellie is the most responsible young woman I know. She walks with Daniel and I on the force so we know our children will be safe.

"You and Declan need to get ready for the funeral too," I say as Daniel texts Ellie, he glances up at me. I take a deep breath as he pulls me to him, as his lips meet mine my eyes close, as I kiss him back my arms wrap around him. I hug him once I pull away, "I Love You Daniel."

"I love you too," he says as he takes my hand squeezing it, "Lets go get ready."

As Daniel, Declan, Charlotte and I walk up the steps I keep a tight hold on my husband's hand. This was really happening, we were going to be saying goodbye to one of our closest and dearest friends. As I walk out of my closet wearing a fitted black dress, I set down at my male station glancing at my reflection in the mirror I touch up my make up, placing a light color on my lips and putting in diamond studs earrings. I glance over at Daniel who was working on his cuff links and I smile a little, he always struggled with the cuff did not matter which arm.

"Need help?"

"Yeah," he says as he lets his hand drop from the cuff, as I walk over to him, I take the cuff link from his hand.

"Everything is going to be perfect today," I say as I hook the cuff link in place and reach for his suit jacket, "it'll be everything Nolan has planned and more."

"Yeah," Daniel says as he adjusts his jacket buttoning he center button, "although it's going to be hard to say goodbye to my brother."

"Patrick was a big part of our lives," I say looking at Daniel, "Yes, it's going to be hard. But, we have the kids, to come back home to."

Daniel nods and then looks at me as he takes a deep breath as I nod my head to his silent thought, "Text Ellie tell her to meet us at the cemetery. If it gets to much for Lily and Max she can bring them home. It might be good for Nolan to have the children around him."

"They deserve to say goodbye to their uncle too," Daniel says.

We walk to Lily's room, I go to her closest and pull out a black sweater dress. Daniel comes out of Max's room with a pair black pants and a black button down shirt. Then I head to the nursery getting a black polkadot dress for Hope out.

"We can change them downstairs," I tell Daniel as I walk down the steps seeing Charlotte, Declan, Jacob and my father all by the front door.

"Give us a minute," I say softly to them as I walk past, them. I walk over to where Lily and Hope are. I pick up my youngest daughter and look at my oldest, "Come on Lilybug it's time for you and Hope-bear to get dressed."

"Why mommy?" Lily asks as she follows me to Daniels office where he is already getting Max dressed, I reach over and take my four year olds hand.

"Baby girl, we have a very sad day ahead of us," I say placing Hope on the love seat in the office, as I watch her play with her toes I smile.

"What's happened mommy?" Lily asks as I help her out of the clothes she was wearing and into the sweater dress. Then I turn my attention back to my youngest, checking her diaper making sure it's clean. As I put the dress on Hope and pick my one year old daughter back up I take a breath.

"You know how daddy and I told you Uncle Pat went bye-bye?" I ask her as Daniel picks up our three year old son, Lily looks at us both and nods her blonde girls falling over her shoulders.

"He went to be with flash," Lily says referencing our dog who had passed right before Hope's birth and I nod.

"Yes sweetie, today it's time for us to say goodbye and when you see your uncle Nolan," I say feeling Daniel beside me as I shift Hope in my arms, "I want you to give him a big hug and a kiss."

With those words we were off to help Nolan through his hard day and with the kids, along with Charlotte, Declan, Jacob and my father. We all made it through and got to say goodbye to a brilliant man and brother.