"Family Means No One's Left Behind"~ A Greenflame and Children Story

Chapter Thirty Three: Celebrating Life

Kai's Point of View~
It was official. Sker was going to be laid to rest in the ground. We were going to wait for the funeral ceremony until the city started to function properly again. Until then, his body was going to be held in a funeral home to keep it preserved.

Our house was in ruins, furniture and walls were broken. It was time to get back together.

A few weeks passed and the house was starting to look better and the walls and furniture were mostly repaired or replaced. The city was repairing as well, which meant that Sker's funeral ceremony was drawing near.

Even though everything looked remotely the same, nothing ever felt the same and nothing will without Sker. Everyone was miserable and didn't go a day without having to cry. Skylor was the most miserable. She would break down frequently and would cry for hours. My heart couldn't take any of this. And when she was alone, she'd have a piece of paper and a pencil, trying to come up with a poem for the ceremony. The kids were not doing any better. They'd either cry until they couldn't breathe or they tired themselves out, but May felt the worst of them. She felt like it was partially her fault Sker died. She said he died because she waited so long before taking action. Skylor, Lloyd, and I did our best to assure her that Sker's death was not her fault. Lloyd was also upset. He was so upset about it that he ended up getting sick to his stomach and would be hovering over a toilet or trash can. He was stressed out about so many things. And as for me, I was tired. It was hard to get sleep after everything that happened. And even if I did manage to fall asleep, it'd either be for a couple of hours or I'd wake up in a cold sweat from a nightmare.

Right now, I was lying in bed with Lloyd while Skylor and the kids were in the living room. He told me that I should try and get some sleep because the ceremony was only a couple of days away. Lloyd was probably half asleep, but I was wide awake. I mean, my body was tired and my eyes felt heavy, but there were so many thoughts running in my brain that I couldn't fall asleep. I sighed and shifted a little in the bed. And I guess after that, Lloyd woke up. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and his soft lips make contact with my cheek. "Kai, you still having trouble sleeping?" He asked. "Yeah, but believe me, I'm trying my best to fall asleep," I responded. "I know you are. I know," Lloyd said. I turned around and now the two of us were looking at each other in the eyes. "I can't believe it's almost time," I said. "Neither can I, but there's no way of avoiding it or denying it. But either way, you've still got to get some sleep. Being deprived of energy isn't healthy for you," Lloyd said. I nodded and sighed. "Can you help me fall asleep?" I asked in my babyish manner. Lloyd chuckled and kissed my cheek again. "Sure. Now, I always fall asleep quickly when I'm thinking of anything that makes me happy or fantasies I have. How about you think about our wedding or honeymoon. Or even our first date! Think about how happy we were," Lloyd said. I smiled softly at those memories.

I remember what we wore and what we did at the wedding and honeymoon. "Yeah, those were amazing. Getting married to the two people I have fallen in love with and spending time with them were some of the happiest moments of my life," I said. "Then just think about how happy you were. I promise you that you'll be out like a light," Lloyd said. I nodded and yawned. "Goodnight, my flaming prince," Lloyd said. "Goodnight, my green burst of energy," I said back. Lloyd leaned in and we exchanged a quick kiss on the lips.

And with that, Lloyd turned back around and fell asleep almost instantly. I stared up at the ceiling and sighed. I closed my eyes and thought about everything Lloyd had suggested. I thought about the music there, how happy everyone was, how beautiful Skylor looked in her dress and how perfect Lloyd looked in his tuxedo. I smiled softly at those memories and soon fell asleep. Lloyd's sleep trick worked.

Skylor's Point of View~
I was sitting at the table while the kids watched a movie on the tv. None of them have been in the greatest state of mind. But they're doing their best to move on. Me, I'm also trying my best to accept everything and also move on. Right now, I'm trying to write a poem for Sker's memorial. So far, I've only gotten six lines written down. I've been working on this for about three days now, and my son's funeral is just in four days. I stared down at the piece of paper and sighed. C'mon, Sky. You can do this. Just concentrate and think. I told myself in my head. I took a deep breath and wrote down a few more lines onto the sheet of notebook paper. I wrote about the good things about Sker, how I'll miss him, and how I know he'd want, not just me, but his brothers, sisters, friends, and extended family to keep moving forward. My heart pounded inside my chest, and with every beat, it felt like it would burst. I could feel that same lump grow inside my throat. But I swallowed it and let out a shaky sigh as I continued to write.