Seemed So Far

Garrett and I got off our plane and waited until everyone else got off. We walked outside and rented a fifteen passenger van. I drove since the guys didn't know where I lived. 

We rode in silence and I smiled at my hometown. I missed the smell and the sights. Garrett sat in the passenger seat and held my hand.

"You missed it," he said, squeezing my hand.

I nodded and saw him smile out of the corner of my eye.

"Hopefully we don't get mauled." Pat said.

We all laughed, "I'll be out of the way if you do." I said.

"Mean." Kennedy shouted.

I laughed then focused on the road while the boys talked. I smiled again when I pulled into the familiar neighborhood that you had to go threw to get to my street.

Once we left that neighborhood, I counted two streets and pulled on to the third. I let out a sigh when I pulled into the second driveway on the right. I turned the car off and got out, the guys following.

"Welcome to my home," I smiled.

"It's cute," Kennedy wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Mom did a good job," I laughed.

We walked up to the concrete porch and I pulled out my key, unlocking the door. I smiled at the living room and went over to lay on the couch. I breathed in the scent and sighed again. I missed it here so much.

Pat sat on top of me, making me groan. "Where are we sleeping?"

"There's two rooms upstairs," I huffed out. "Garrett and I get my moms room, two more people can sleep in my old room and two others can sleep down here."

They all nodded, going outside to get our stuff. 

The wake was later today at one so we had two hours to get ready.

I went upstairs and walked into my old room. I smiled at the pictures on my wall. I had one of Mike from when we went to Nature's Classroom with our school in fifth grade. I picked up the picture of my grandma when she was my age.

"Who's that?" 

I turned to Garrett, to see him pointing at the obituary taped on my wall. I set the picture frame down and walked over to it.

"My old babysitter." I smiled. "She babysat me for twelve years since I was born. She died from breast cancer when I was thirteen."

Garrett didn't say anything else. I turned to him, "You want to meet her?"

He looked at me confused and I grabbed his hand. We walked out the door and walked up the street. I turned right, still familiar with the way there.

We finally got to the cemetery and I walked to the section she was in.

"Hey Mema," I smiled. "This is Garrett."

Garrett stood next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. 

"Hi," he said.

I bent down and touched her tombstone.

Garrett told me we had to get back to get ready. I nodded and we walked back to the house.

"You wanna know what your mom said to me before she left?"

I looked over at him and nodded.

"She told me to take care of you."

I smiled, that was so like my mom.
She was always way to protective of me.

"She told me that because she knows I really care about you, and that I wouldn't leave you even if you wanted me too. That's what she told me"

I smiled again, kissing his cheek.

I pointed to the red house across from us went we got to my porch. "Mema lived there, she was my moms best friends mom. She was like my grandmother though"

We walked inside and got ready. I put on my black skirt that stopped just above the knee and tucked my white shirt in. I put my hair up in a ponytail and smiled at my appearance in my moms mirror. She always loved it when I put my hair up. I knew I was going to cry today, even if the people there wanted me to be happy. I probably would be exhausted from standing all day and putting on fake smiles for my moms friends.

I walked downstairs and meet five boys all the tuxes. 

"Wow. You boys clean up well," I giggled.

I walked over to Garrett and he kissed me. I smiled as I pulled away and we left. I had to drive again because I was bad at giving directions.

I pulled into the familiar parking lot, I still remembered it from Memas funeral. Nobody was here yet, only the people who worked here. The wake didn't start until one and we came at twelve thirty.

I stopped breathing when my mom came into view. She always wanted to be cremated but whoever planned this, planned for her to be buried.

The boys walked up to her, saying there blessings. Garrett held my hand and sat down in the front row with me.

"Are you gonna be okay today?" 

I looked at him, and he chuckled. "Sorry, stupid question." I laughed and kissed his cheek.

Thirty minutes later, people started showing up and I had to stand by my moms casket. I bit my lip the whole time. The boys sat in the chairs to my left against the wall. Garrett rubbed the back of my lower thigh occasionally, due to the change of height. When I turned to him, he would give me a crooked smile, and I knew I would be okay today. 

I turned my attention to the people coming in, I barely recognized most of them, having not seen them in a couple years. My mom never really went outside of the house until she hit forty six.

I shook a lot of hands and gave fake smiles. A blonde girl with a blonde boy caught me attention. I shook the two hands in front of them and then the blonde girl flew to me. The blonde boy smiled.

"Tori?" I said.

She pulled away with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry about your mom." 

I smiled squeezing her shoulder. "I'm going to miss Aunt Phily so much," she said softly. I nodded, looking down and back up again. I turned to my side, "Tori, this is my boyfriend Garrett. Garrett this is Tori and Brian, my cousins." Garrett stood up and shook their hands. Tori moved up to the casket and Brian hugged me tight.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in my ear. I squeezed his waist, he was probably as tall as John, maybe a few inches taller.

I smiled and he moved on to the casket. Garrett sat back down, returning his hand to the back of my thigh.

After shaking about thirty hands, I recognized a calloused one. I looked up and found a very light pair of blue eyes. My eyes watered and I hugged the old man. 

"Hi dad," I breathed in his scent.

He buried his face in my shoulder, "I've missed you." I laughed and let go, wiping under my eyes.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend Garrett and his friends, Kennedy, Jared, John and Pat." I smiled, pointed down the line to each of them. My dad shook Garrett's hand firmly and shook the rest of the guys' hands.

He kissed my cheek before going to sit in the front.

Garrett kissed my forehead, sitting back down again.

Three hours later and still shaking people's hands, something caught my eye at the desk in the lobby. I excused myself from the guys and walked out. I stopped when I realized what it was, actually who it was. 

The redhead turned to me, smiling and he closed the distance between us, pulling me in a hug.

I stiffened against him and he pulled away.

"Oh come on Marin, I said I was sorry." Mike sighed.

I crossed my arms, shifting my weight to my right leg. "Sorry doesn't make up for what you did Mike. You stopped talking to me for no reason and never contacted me again. You're supposed to be my best friend. Nothing is supposed to separate us. I had to leave because everything reminded me of you. I had to leave my mom when she needed me. I had to leave her all alone here because of you. I appreciate you coming here but don't expect me to forgive you for what you did." With that, I turned back around and took my place once again next to the guys.

"Who was that?" Kennedy asked. 

I relaxed at his voice, "My old best friend Mike."

"You alright?" Garrett put his hand on my lower back, rubbing there.

"Fine." I was, I had gotten to say what I wanted to say to him for years. He deserved to feel guilty for leaving me.

Ten minutes later, Mike walked up to me like everyone else did. I bit my lip, and moved away from him. He sighed and moved to the casket.

I breathed out when it was finally over. My dad said goodbye to me and the guys. He told me that I had a good one. I laughed when he talked about Garrett. 

Once everyone was gone, the boys walked up and said goodbye to my mom. I walked up with Garrett as they walked out to the car. I kneeled down in front of her.

Hey mom. Well, you're in a better place right now and all I can say is that I miss you. I'm sorry for leaving you and not being there for you. I heard what you said to Garrett and thank you. I don't think I'll be asking him to leave anytime soon. I love you and I'll see you again soon, okay? I sniffed, getting up and walking by her head, kissing her forehead softly.

Garrett grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. I gulped the lump in my throat but it wouldn't go away. The workers said to be there tomorrow at nine, I nodded and walked outside with Garrett. Once we got outside, I started balling. Garrett stopped, wrapping his arms around me.

"She was s-so cold," I cried into his chest. He shushed me, brushing my hair.

I calmed down after five minutes, wiping my nose. Garrett wiped away my tears and kissed me.

"It'll be okay." He whispered.

I nodded, hugging him before grabbing his hand and walking to the car. 

We arrived back at the house and I went straight upstairs after taking my shoes off. 

I changed into my pajamas from my suitcase and crawled into bed, playing on my phone for a little. I put it on the bedside table before turning over on my stomach.

I didn't move when I heard the door open and close. I heard Garrett getting changed and saw him go around to the other side of the bed, getting under the covers. He noticed I was wake when he turned towards me.

He gave me his crooked smile. "I love when you smile at me like that," I mumbled.

He moved closer, turning me so I was on my side and brought his lips to mine. I smiled against the kiss and crawled on top of him, straddling his waist. He deepened the kiss, and nibbled on my lip. I rubbed his chest and rubbed them up to his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He moved his hands under my shirt and onto my hips, causing a fire to start. 

I tugged at his bottom lip, earning a soft moan from him. I giggled and separated from him. I looked at him and he leaned up, kissing me again. He separated us this time and laid back down. I smiled and laid on top of him, still straddling his waist.

"I told your mom that I would take care of you."

I smiled, leaning up one more time and kissed him. 

I fell asleep to him rubbing my back.