We're left alone with his ashes.
The crashing waves beneath us sort of keep me buoyed up, keeping me focused. I can feel a slight spray of salty water, and I feel so alive.
"Bye, dad." I say.
"I love you." Corinne sniffs.
"We'll miss you." Callum adds, leaning against me.
"Thank you." Charley adds and together we sprinkle the ashes over the sea. They float down, drifting before settling on the ocean.
I know this is the way he would have wanted it. Mum's ashes had been dropped in the exact same space and I like to think of them, together, floating in the sea, free at last.
We sit on the grass afterwards.
As the sky darkens, Charley stands up.
"Ready?" He asks.
"Let's go." I whisper, taking Corinne's hand.
And we walk away from my dad.
My friends don't question my tear-stained face. They just smile sympathetically whilst I lie on my bed and cry. I've been holding in tears all day, trying to stay strong for my younger siblings.
When I'm exhausted, Brooke brings me a hot chocolate and a hug.
"I'm sorry; I'm not the best chef." She says, grinning.
"Better than me." I smile ruefully.
When I'm done, we all sit upstairs and binge watch Stranger Things and Doctor Who on the massive TV screen. They're the only things we can agree on- just. Armed with buckets of popcorn and cans of coke, we last well into the night and fall asleep on the sofas, waking up at ten.
"Lucky it's Sunday." Sierra yawns.
"You want to go swimming?" Evie asks.
"Sure." Lily replies. Everyone agrees and we all disperse downstairs to get changed.
"You got swimming stuff?" Brooke asks me, peering round my door.
"Yeah, Emily gave me some CHERUB stuff and I've got my own."
The pool is within easy walking distance and when we arrive, it's relatively empty.
"We get free use of the leisure pool whenever we like, it's the best one with slides and stuff." Sierra explains as we change.
Diving in, I'm comforted by the water. I glide under the water and tickle Brooke's toes gently.
"Jeeeeez!" She screams, jumping up in the water. "I hate you!" She yells jokingly, splashing over to me.
I swim deftly away, but she grabs my foot and pulls me back. "Come on. For your punishment, you have to go down the slide of doooom."
"What?" I ask teasingly.
"The slide of doooom!" She repeats, splashing water in my face.
We race up the stairs to it and hesitate at the entrance.
"It's the tallest we have, and the oldest too." She explains, leaning over me in a what seems like caring way.
Laughing, she pushes me and I shoot down the slide, backwards and out of control.
I scream as water rushes up my nose and almost kill Evie as I rocket out of the other end.
"Blame Brooke." I say after I've snorted the water out of my nose.
"I always do." She grins mischievously, her snub nose wrinkling with malice.
She shows me a trick- hiding in the bit under the water slide's exit to ambush her as she comes out.
