Incognito Inkäg'nēdō

- Twenty-One -

Overdose.

Andrew overdosed on coke.

It's hard to grasp onto the idea of that being the type of person my brother was. He was so leveled headed. If he had a problem it would or should have been with drinking but even then it wasn't something he did all the time, just when he was having fun.

Drugs though, as far as I know it's never been an issue. At least I thought so.

Andrew was going to school to be a Teacher, he was so close to being done. He worked part time construction and pools, he was a hard worker and everyone loved him.

"Andrew was an exceptional young man, an incredibly hard worker, and always there for his sister when she needed him. He was the rock of the family and he would have loved the new addition to the family." My mom cries into the mic on the podium in front of the church. She rubs her hand over her barely visible baby bump.

He didn't even know she was pregnant, she was so caught up in her own bullshit that she didn't even have time to tell her own son that she was expecting again.

I truly hate her sometimes.

"When Andrew was just a boy, he used to wake me up in the middle of the night just to ask if I'd cover him up, then we'd have 'I love you most' wars before he'd finally go back to sleep." She uses a folded tissue to dab at the corner of her eyes. "I'll never forget the smile on his sweet little face, it basically took up the whole thing." She laughs through a cry.

"The last few years haven't been the best between us all and it breaks my heart that I'll never be able to make it up to him. Instead, right now at this very moment from here on out I'll be a better mother. Arden and my new baby deserve the best."

I really wish she'd stop talking.

"I love you, Andrew. May your soul rest in peace, Baby."

She walks around the podium, and when she takes a seat beside me she loops her arm through mine and rests her head against my shoulder.

A few others take a stand at the front of the church and say their piece. Once it's over my brother is loaded into the back of the hearse.

With a long line of cars we follow it to the cemetery.

I stand there in front of his casket. On one side of me is my mother, on the other Side is Mason. He hasn't left my side throughout this whole thing and I'm beyond grateful for that.

After a while they start lowering his casket into the ground and this is when it starts becoming all too real. This is when it finally hits me that I'll never get to see my brother again.

I'll never get teased by him, I'll never get to hug him, talk to him, or just be in his comforting presence.

I turn and cling my shelf to Mason as I bury my face into his dress shirt. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer into his side. "I'm so, so sorry." He whispers into my hair.

I stay in his arms till people start heading out.

"Are you ready?" He asked when it's just him and I left. I shake my head, "You can go ahead and go, I want to stay a little longer. Will you stay with me, one more night?" I ask, and he nods. "Of course. Just let me go home and get more clothes and on my way back to your place I'll get us food."

"You're the best, thank you, Mase." He hugs me goodbye before walking back to his truck.

I sit under a tree and watch three men throw dirt over Andrew, burying him six feet deep into the ground. I wish we cremated him so I could have him with me. I hate the thought of leaving him here all alone.