With Love
Funeral
The priest finished his speech and was regarded with silence. Nobody dared to move. As the coffins were slowly lowered into the ground people began to leave.
I fought back the tears that threatened to escape. I had to be strong.
I looked at the teenager that stood beside me. She was crying, sobbing actually as she watched the coffins enter the ground. I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, allowing her to cry.
A hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned to find my mother, Angela standing there. A small smiled was on her face but her tears gave away her sadness. I don't think I'll ever understand how hard this was for her. She had only recently attended the funeral for my father and now her son, my brother was beneath the earth.
She put her arms around the both of us and squeezed tightly.
Amanda started crying harder. I tightened my grip on her, letting her know I was there.
"Life is unfair." Amanda mumbled into my shirt.
I said nothing. Yes, at the moment life was unfair but there was always a reason things happened. Life had a strange way of doing things.
Amanda had lost her parents. Mother and father taken away by a drunk driver. They were now gone forever.
The drunk who hit and killed them. He was sitting in jail with a hangover. He was being charged with drinking and driving and two homicides.
I had lost my brother and sister-in-law. My brother was my best friend. He had protected me from many fights in high school as well as protecting me from the guys he deemed unworthy.
I had also recently lost my job. The clinic where I worked was cutting back and I just happened to be one of the budget cuts. I had been granted custody of Amanda, my niece and godchild.
We had both taken hits, her worse than mine.
Luckily my mother loved us both dearly. When informed of the situation I was ordered to move back home with her. I had agreed, only until I found another job and could afford a place of my own.
Much to Amanda's despise. She didn't want to leave her friends behind. I felt bad, taking her away from the comfort of her friends, but I had to do it. If Social Services found out I had lost my job she would be taken away.
When the coffins were finally in the ground we were the only ones still standing in the graveyard.
We slowly made our way back to the car. Amanda taking the longest.
I tried hard to smile as Amanda walked into the kitchen. She glared slightly, before sitting down at the table.
I sighed.
We would be leaving after breakfast, if I could find anything to make.
Most of my things had been sold seeing as they wouldn't be needed at my mom's. Everything else was boxed up and sitting in the back of my SUV ready to go.
Luckily I found bread, bacon and eggs still sitting in the fridge. The entire time I was cooking Amanda sat silently, glaring at the table.
"You're going to glare a hole through it." I joked setting her breakfast in front of her.
She glanced up at me through her bangs, "I'm not hungry."
"Then don't eat." With that I sat down next to her.
After a few minutes of the food sitting in front of her she began to eat. I was tempted to say something but didn't want her to stop.
The kitchen was silent, except for the sound of biting, chewing and swallowing.
"I'll do the dishes." Amanda muttered standing up.
I didn't argue. I just watched as she cleaned.
She started smiling as she stood in front of the sink. It didn't last, her smile was gone as quickly as it came and replaced with a frown.
I sighed and joined her at the sink.
She glanced up at me shocked.
"What? Can't I help you?" I asked drying off the wet dishes.
I didn't get an answer.
"You ready to go?" I asked as Amanda carries her finally bag to the car.
"I guess so."
"It won't be so bad. You'll make new friends." I mentioned with a slight smile.
Amanda shrugged and got into the passenger seat. I groaned and walked over to the drivers seat.
Forks here we come.
I fought back the tears that threatened to escape. I had to be strong.
I looked at the teenager that stood beside me. She was crying, sobbing actually as she watched the coffins enter the ground. I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, allowing her to cry.
A hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned to find my mother, Angela standing there. A small smiled was on her face but her tears gave away her sadness. I don't think I'll ever understand how hard this was for her. She had only recently attended the funeral for my father and now her son, my brother was beneath the earth.
She put her arms around the both of us and squeezed tightly.
Amanda started crying harder. I tightened my grip on her, letting her know I was there.
"Life is unfair." Amanda mumbled into my shirt.
I said nothing. Yes, at the moment life was unfair but there was always a reason things happened. Life had a strange way of doing things.
Amanda had lost her parents. Mother and father taken away by a drunk driver. They were now gone forever.
The drunk who hit and killed them. He was sitting in jail with a hangover. He was being charged with drinking and driving and two homicides.
I had lost my brother and sister-in-law. My brother was my best friend. He had protected me from many fights in high school as well as protecting me from the guys he deemed unworthy.
I had also recently lost my job. The clinic where I worked was cutting back and I just happened to be one of the budget cuts. I had been granted custody of Amanda, my niece and godchild.
We had both taken hits, her worse than mine.
Luckily my mother loved us both dearly. When informed of the situation I was ordered to move back home with her. I had agreed, only until I found another job and could afford a place of my own.
Much to Amanda's despise. She didn't want to leave her friends behind. I felt bad, taking her away from the comfort of her friends, but I had to do it. If Social Services found out I had lost my job she would be taken away.
When the coffins were finally in the ground we were the only ones still standing in the graveyard.
We slowly made our way back to the car. Amanda taking the longest.
I tried hard to smile as Amanda walked into the kitchen. She glared slightly, before sitting down at the table.
I sighed.
We would be leaving after breakfast, if I could find anything to make.
Most of my things had been sold seeing as they wouldn't be needed at my mom's. Everything else was boxed up and sitting in the back of my SUV ready to go.
Luckily I found bread, bacon and eggs still sitting in the fridge. The entire time I was cooking Amanda sat silently, glaring at the table.
"You're going to glare a hole through it." I joked setting her breakfast in front of her.
She glanced up at me through her bangs, "I'm not hungry."
"Then don't eat." With that I sat down next to her.
After a few minutes of the food sitting in front of her she began to eat. I was tempted to say something but didn't want her to stop.
The kitchen was silent, except for the sound of biting, chewing and swallowing.
"I'll do the dishes." Amanda muttered standing up.
I didn't argue. I just watched as she cleaned.
She started smiling as she stood in front of the sink. It didn't last, her smile was gone as quickly as it came and replaced with a frown.
I sighed and joined her at the sink.
She glanced up at me shocked.
"What? Can't I help you?" I asked drying off the wet dishes.
I didn't get an answer.
"You ready to go?" I asked as Amanda carries her finally bag to the car.
"I guess so."
"It won't be so bad. You'll make new friends." I mentioned with a slight smile.
Amanda shrugged and got into the passenger seat. I groaned and walked over to the drivers seat.
Forks here we come.