A Night to remember : Book 3

Chapter 33

****Max****

Mourning or not. Grief struck or not, Kira was breathtaking in black.

Everyone had made their way to the front foyer when we arrived at the funeral home. We went into a private room along with her mother and her brothers and sister to spend some quiet time with her father. It was an awkward and sad moment. I held Miliana in my arms and I slowly approached the casket. My heart and my feet felt heavy with each step as we got closer.

He looked so peaceful. Just like he did when he was in the hospital.

I was in awe of all what she had gone through preparing him for this. The ceremony, the eulogy and the casket, all the way down to the crisp Armani suit expertly tailored for his stiff body that left him looking so regal. The private moment felt stifled and so surreal as I watched her rub his hand and then lower herself to give him one last kiss on his forehead.

When we left the small private room, we stepped into a bustling swarm of business associates, colleagues and friends that offered their condolences. Because he was such an important figure, reporters and different social media outlets stood out front to snap pictures and report the events of the funeral.

The proceedings began with acknowledgements of a life well spent and honoring his memory, his hard work, dedication and love he had for his family and friends. Prayers were said and then shortly after her brothers, sister and then Kira gave tribute to their father. Her brothers are stoic and dry eyed giving a speech of an exceptional father often drawing laughter from their crazy escapades.

Kira, on the other hand lets her emotions free and its taking every inch of my will power not to go up there and hold her. Her stories painted the picture perfect father that left a legacy for them to continue. Her words were compelling, funny and all the same heart-wrenching. Her mother's eyes are red and shimmering with tears she's fighting like hell to keep from falling as her sons comfort her.

Kira continues and I'm just blown away by her stance and how strong she is being. You would think that with a crippling emotional moment like this would have crushed her. But it didn't. Even in that dark, shape forming dress that accentuates the growing bulge with our child, Kira looks absolutely stunning. I slowly chastise myself with the stirring in my stomach just drinking her in. This was not the place or time for perverted fantasies of my very pregnant wife.

I suddenly felt someone close and I looked up to see Rebecca slowly sit at my side. She pats my hand and gives me her condolences. We speak briefly before I turn my attention back to Kira. I can see a sudden tightness cross her face that just as quickly disappears. The air around me seems to cool as she continues. When she is done she takes her seat beside me. The funeral wrapped up as we said our final good-byes and tossed long stem roses on his casket and the ground swallowed him up.

We were never going to see him again.

As the evening progressed and we stood around with the few lingering guests, I could still sense the tenseness in Kira. At the near end stages of her pregnancy, I found her as of late, moody and irritable at times. It was more and more apparent as the evening went on and was even more apparent the moment I offered to drop Rebecca home. With that I got the strange feeling that Kira was not happy at all.

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Days after Gregory's funeral, things suddenly got more hectic and my time at the office became more demanding. Being Co-CEO of a multimillion conglomerate had its ups and downs and it was that a lot of time was spent away from home and from my girls. Kira, finally took to more bed rest and staying home as her pregnancy progressed. I was relieved mainly because she wasn't over exerting herself.