"Babe, come here for a minute," Bruno called, while I was in the kitchen making us sandwiches. I was just adding extra peanut butter to Bruno's. I mean, the Hooligans didn't call him Peanut Butter Gene for nothing. Putting the two sandwiches on a napkin, I walked and sat down next to him. "Here you are my love. A peanut butter sandwich, on three pieces of whole wheat bread," I smirked, trying to do my best British accent. Even though he smiled, it didn't reach his eyes. I could feel there was something wrong. "Everything okay Bru?"
Bruno's POV
I just didn't know how to tell her this. She was in such a chipper mood and I would hate to destroy that---especially being that today was a couple days from her birthday. My heart was beating so fast, I was pretty sure she could hear it. She grabbed my sweaty hands and rubbed them with her thumbs. "What's wrong," she whispered. I took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. "Briana. I love you so much," I finally said, as she stared deep into my eyes. "I love you so much more," she said, softly playing in my hair. "Your mom stopped by the studio today, and she just sat in while the guys and I were jamming." Briana smiled, and that just made it even harder. "She loves you and your music, so I'm not surprised if she was screaming all of the lyrics." I looked down, and grabbed her hands. It was quiet for a moment. "Bruno," she called, making me look back up at her. "Sorry. She pulled me to the side and told me to tell you that Mr. Street, he uhh," I trailed off at the wrong moment, and my eyes started to fill with tears.
Briana's POV
I felt like I understood what Bruno was trying to tell me, but I just needed to hear it because I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. However, from his body language, I think my suspicions were correct. He was on the verge of crying, and he mentioned my dad's name. A lump in my throat started forming. "He what, Peter? What did he do," I choked out, trying to calm my emotions. We made eye contact, and that's when I knew. "I'm sorry," was all he said, before pulling me into a hug. He was crying, but I was waiting for him to tell me that it was a joke. I pulled away from, and pulled out my phone. "So, you're telling me that if I dial his number right now, he won't pick up?" Deep down inside, I knew Bruno would not joke around about death. My heart was beginning crumbling piece by piece, and I was on the verge of breaking down. My fingers punched in my father's number and pressed the call button. "Bri, please," he pleaded, but I was going to prove that my father had not left me. After about the third ring, it picked up and my eyes widened. "Hey dad," I spoke, with a huge relief and frowned at Bruno. The frown went away and the tears finally came down when my mom spoke back. "Hey ma. Please tell me that's not true. Bruno sa-" I dropped the phone and just froze. Bruno just held me, while I cried until I couldn't cry anymore. Some kind of early birthday gift this was.
The Funeral...
The church was so packed until the ushers were bringing in spare folding chairs for people to sit in. The funeral was taking over about three full parking lots, and the thought of how many people loved my father just made me smile. Bruno and I, along with the rest of my family had already made the dreaded walk down the aisle, to where my father was laying at peace. Now it was time for family and friends to share memories of him. To my surprise, Bruno was the first person to get up.
Bruno's POV
I wanted to be the first to show the utmost respect to Briana and her family. I made my way to the pulpit, and stood in front of the microphone. Clearing my throat and blinking back tears, I began to reflect on the times that I shared with Mr. Street. "Hello. As many of you may or may not know, I'm Bruno, Briana's fiance. I first met Mr. Street when I began dating his daughter. He was the perfect example of what a man should be, and how a man should treat a lady," I took a moment to calm the lump in my throat, and collect my thoughts once more. Briana's mother was giving me a soft smile and a nod. "To be completely honest, I was completely intimidated by him. I kid you not! Every time I came to their house, for every step I took to the front door, I would pee a little," I joked, making the audience laugh some, which made me smile too. "Every time I came to visit, I would pack a whole new outfit." I looked down and saw Briana and her mother laughing, and it made me smile even more. "All jokes aside though. Keith was like a second father to me. Well done Mr. Street," I concluded, wiping a tear away, and taking my seat as they clapped. Briana gave me a heartfelt hug, and I hugged her back.
Briana's POV
After I shared a hug with Bruno, I made the walk up the steps to the microphone. I was trying so hard to keep my voice steady. I opened my mouth to begin my speech, but I just started sobbing. There were murmurs from the crowd saying "It's okay baby," or "take your time." After a few moments, I had calmed down a bit. "Hi. I'm his only daughter, and he would let the whole world know that I was his one and only princess. My dad was the happiest person that you would ever see walking down the streets. He may have had all of the weight of the worlds on his shoulders, but that never stopped him from hearing you rant about how bad your day was. I actually wrote a poem that I wrote for him." I looked to Bruno and took a deep breath. He gave me a corny thumbs up, which made me giggle a little. I unfolded the scrap of paper that the words were written on, and began to read them aloud.
"It's never the right time
To say goodbye.
I will miss you, Dad,
And here is why.
You taught me so much:
To show no fear,
To always have fun,
And face the day with cheer.
You were always so able,
So fast and so strong.
In your little girl's eyes
You could do no wrong.
You would always listen,
And you never pried.
You were the arms around me
When I cried.
You never looked for praises,
And you were never one to boast.
You were always there
For those you loved the most.
You worked so hard,
And those strong working hands
Led me through life
And helped me understand
That life can be hard,
And tough, and sad,
But through it all
I had my Dad.
And because of you,
I understood
That life was actually
Pretty good.
I believe in you
And will follow your path,
And when things go wrong,
I'll look back and laugh.
I hope you can hear me
So I can let you know
That you were and will forever
Be my superhero.
So yes, today
I am full of sorrow,
But I will smile a little more
With each tomorrow.
So please, Dad, go
Be at rest
And know to me
You were always the best.
I love you so much and miss you every day!"
I folded the paper back up, and placed it in my dad's cold hands, and hurried back to my seat.
After The Funeral...
Bruno's POV
I hated so much to see Briana cry, and knowing there was nothing I could do to help. After attending the burial and spending time with her family, we had come back home. She was curled up on the couch petting Geronimo. I had fixed us some peanut butter sandwiches, and kneeled in front of her. Her eyes and nose were still red, but she gave me a little smile. "Bruno. I really appreciate you coming," she said, giving me a huge hug, and I hugged her back. "Of course, Bri. You know how much I loved your dad." She hugged me tighter, and pulled away. "What am I go- he was supposed to walk me down the aisle once we got married, and he was gonna do the robot to embarrass me," she cried, and some tears fell down my face. I pulled away from the hug and wiped her tears. "He'll be watching you from Heaven, baby girl. He'll still be intimidating me from up high. I can literally still hear him saying keep your tallywacker away from my daughter." She giggled and tugged on my ears. "I love you Bruno," she whispered, snuggling close to me. "I love you too, Briana."
