Sunshine After The Rain

Chapter Seven

The kids were outside the church in the yard with her mom. Before the crowds had arrived, everyone in her family and his said their own private goodbye to the open casket.

Laura wept as any mother would, suffering through a pain she hadn't fully allowed others to see. Though the two women rarely saw eye to eye, Sophie's heart ached for her.

Joel spoke to his son, reassuring him his family would be taken care of and wished him peace in the afterlife. Tears welled in his eyes, but only a few fell. Like Laura, he was strong willed and struggled with showing emotion around others. It made them look indifferent so many times in the past, but they were proud and composed people. Sophie knew they were both dealing with their own private, indescribable pain.

Lucas spoke words of regret to his brother, wishing they'd been able to find common ground in life, and expressed his regret of not telling him about the death of Arianna. He too made a promise to take care of Jason's wife and children, vowing to be there for them whenever he was needed for the rest of his life.

Sophie knew that Joel would be there for his grandchildren, but wouldn't be of much use to her, as he never had been in the past. Lucas' promise, she knew, was very much real. He'd been there every day all day since he walked into her life. Although he would go back home soon enough, Sophie knew he was the kind of man who would remain in her life long after the pain of this all faded and everyone found some version of normalcy in their lives.

Justin refused to look at his father. Instead he sat on the steps beside the casket, facing away, and spoke kind and not so kind words about how he was feeling about everything. When Sophie tried to give her son comfort, he ran off, forcing her mother to chase after him.

Though Ella still didn't understand death, despite every one of them trying to explain it to her, she still cried when she saw her father laying there, begging him to wake up and take her to the park.

As people arrived, her mom took the children outside while Sophie stood at the entrance of the chapel between Laura and Lucas. It was a strange experience having to accept condolences like this, being forced to stand in uncomfortable black heeled shoes for this long and trying to come up with something semi-personal to say, despite her not knowing who a third of the people were.

Sophie was set on not zoning out, regardless of her mind wanting to drift away to most anywhere else. The one time she had, Laura noticed and scolded her as if she were a child.

Most people, minus blood relatives, hadn't known of Lucas' existence, making this even more awkward for him. The relatives who knew him well enough did their best to cup his giant hands as they asked him how he was doing these days. No doubt most of them hadn't seen him since his daughter's funeral, for those who went to it.

"What time is it?" Sophie whispered to Lucas, leaning in so no one could hear.

Lucas hands were clasped together in front of him and he casually lifted the cuff of his shirt and glanced down at his watch. "Ten to two."

Ten more minutes. Just ten more before she could sit down and listen to a priest who never knew her husband speak of him as if they'd been best friends all of their lives, pawning off the stories they shared with them as if they were his own. Ten minutes before she'd have to listen to talk of Devine faith and all that jazz; something Jason only took part in on Christmas.

"I was so sorry to hear about Jason," a woman said to Laura beside her.

Sophie shook herself back to full consciousness to accept the next condolence, but when the women stepped in front of her, all she could say was, "I'm sorry," in muttered words as she looked down at the floor.