Blake and Aimee

Chapter 56: Aimee

The last time I wore all black was for mine and Blake's first date. Ironically, I am now wearing it for his funeral. Dad drove me to the ceremony, he asked if I wanted him to stay but I said it was alright. A part of me just wants to be alone, alone with Blake one last time. Even if he only appears as a memory now. It's cloudy today, not enough to rain but enough that the cloud cover blocks out the sun. Blake liked this kind of weather, he was always complaining about the sun. Seems fitting don't you think?

When I arrive at the cemetery, there are a group of people standing around, most I have never seen before. Most likely grandparents, uncles, aunts, and some who seem to be younger cousins. I see in the corner, Blakes friends from Ireland are here again. They spot me and smile sadly. I smile back. It's funny how everyone comes together at funerals. Seems like such a morbid reason for a family reunion. I don't know what Blake would have thought of it, whether he would have cared or not. I guess I will never know for sure. I walk through the crowd and turn to face everyone. My hands are trembling, yet as I look down at them shaking I smile. Blake's hands shook like that all the time. I unfold my paper.

"Blake meant something different to all of us. He was a son, a nephew, a grandson, a friend." I glance over at Sam, Mark, and Ian. I can see we are all crying. "I remember he made me promise him not to cry at his funeral." I wipe the tears from my cheeks, "I told him I couldn't promise that. But Blake, I don't know if somehow you can hear me. I mean, I know we are both atheists and all, but if for some lucky reason we were wrong, and you are here, somehow, some way; then I want to say that I couldn't promise you that I wouldn't cry at your funeral. But I can promise I'm not sad. I'm hurt, and grieving. But I am not sad. Because your life, the time I spent with you, Blake that is nothing to be sad about. I am happy that I was given the opportunity to love you and I will thank every star in the universe for it. Because you were worth every second of it. The only thing I can say I'm sad about is that the rest of the world will never know what it was like to love you, and I pity them."

I walk away from his coffin, as they lower it into the ground. We all take turns throwing dirt over it, and after everyone stands around and talk about Blake. It's almost nice, hearing all his different stories, memories of him from when he was a little boy until now. His friends all talk about the parties they crashed and the girls they hooked up with, we laugh over it. Which I think is best, to keep all the good memories about that person. Because I don't know about everyone else, but I know that's how I would want everyone to remember me by. To be remembered by what was good.