Between The Yees And The Haws

Edward

Name: Edward
Age: 23
Occupation: Mapmaker
Created By/Modeled After: Aidan Jenkins

"I can't think of the right words to describe Cletus...I can't think of anything right now, to be honest." Ar said sadly, tears welling in his eyes. He rubbed them away quickly. "He was a great man. A real happy guy." He said. "Such a bright light...snuffed out so soon." He started to cry. "I'm really sorry, everyone."

"That's okay, Ar." Saddle patted him on the back. "I'm sure he would appreciate you comin' up here and givin' a few words. Would...would anyone else like to say a few things?" She asked.

Everyone at the funeral was silent. It seemed surreal, this service. Everyone just assumed Cletus would live forever. The way he lived, it was as if he was immortal. Always taking risks. Except for one risk, which was too late to take.

Edward sat in the very back. Vivian tried to get him to sit a bit further up, to which he refused. Cletus wouldn't want him up there. Not after what Edward had done to him.

Edward did love Cletus. He's loved him for as long as he can remember. But he was scared to have something come out of it. Edward was always too scared to commit to anything. But this, he knew, was going to change him.

Because you never know when it might be too late.

"I...I'll go." A voice said from the group.

"I was hopin' you would, Mont." Saddle told him. "You was his best buddy."

"I was...once. Yeah." Montgomery said, getting up. He walked to the front and looked down at the wooden casket in front of him. He shook his head.

"You...you ain't dead, Cletus. You ain't." Montgomery started to cry. "Cletus...I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I wasn't thinkin'...an' I was hurt..." he sighed. "And I'm makin' excuses, ain't I?" Montgomery wiped his eyes. "You was my best friend in the whole wide world, partner. I'm gonna miss you." Montgomery put his hand on the casket. "I'm so...so sorry."

Vivian tapped Edward's shoulder, turning his attention away from Montgomery.

"You always did love him, didn't you?" She asked him. Tears streamed down Edward's face.

"I did, Vivie." He leaned into her, crying into her chest. She stroked his hair.

"Sh, it's okay, buddy." She tried to comfort him. "I think he knew."

"Did he?" Edward asked, his cheek against her collar bone.

"I think so, yes." But she didn't know. She hoped he did. Cletus wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but when you spend that much time with another person...he had to have known, right?

Vivian tried her best to keep her composure. It'd be hard to comfort Edward if she was crying, too. She noticed Ar get up and leave, causing her to raise an eyebrow. He was just leaving? When the service hadn't even ended yet?

Edward pulled away from her chest, still crying. Vivian wiped away some of his tears.

"Cletus...he always had trouble with movin' on, didn't he?" She asked Edward. He nodded. "But I think...I think that this...he would want nothin' more, Ed." She told him. "Honest."

"How can I move on, Viv?" He asked her impatiently. "I'll never move on. Just moments before he left us, his heart was broken. An' it was broken by me. How the fuck am I supposed to move on from that?" Edward cried.

"I know, darlin'. I know." She put a hand on his shoulder. "But you know Cletus. He just wants you to be happy. That's all he's ever wanted." She said, tears filling her eyes.