The Ghost Of You

Chapter Ten

Atwood, Colorado Saturday, July 6th

I was staring at myself in the new full-body mirror I had gotten Mama G to replace the one I had broken. I was adjusting my tie. Today was Hannah's funeral, Lily and I decided to wait until after the funeral to come up with a concrete plan. Mostly because Hannah has not been able to contact me since we went to Donna's. Lily asked her grandmother about it and Donna assured us it was normal. It apparently took a lot of energy on both sides to do what she did, Hannah was most likely recovering her strength, not being strong enough to talk to me in my dreams again yet. Lily had me texting her every morning to make sure I didn't have any dreams. We decided it would be a good idea if Lily just stayed with me for a little while so she could be there when Hannah contacted me again. That way she would be able to at least hear my side of the conversation and I wouldn't have to recite everything to her. I'm hoping I will talk out loud the whole time and I can try to just communicate like shes there with me and just isn't able to hear Hannah, but we'll have to figure that out when the time comes. Donna agreed to tell Lily's parents that Lily was staying with her for a week, helping us in our plan.

Now I was focused on getting ready for Hannah's funeral. It was so hard to focus on what I was doing, my hands shaking as I try to button up my sports jacket. The only suit I had was the tux I wore to my senior prom. 

"Do you need help?" I looked up and saw Lily watching me struggle with my button.

"Um" I didn't really want to ask for help. "I think it looks better unbuttoned"

"Here" she said walking up to me and helping me button up my suit. 

"Thanks" I said letting her help. When she finished buttoning my jacket she looked up at me. I looked down at her, our faces only inches away. I could feel her breath on my face as we looked into eachothers eyes. 

"Y-you're w-welcome" she stuttered out quickly backing up. I cleared my throat and quickly walked over to the mirror again to give myself a once over. 

"You look nice by the way" I told Lily looking at her behind me in the mirror.

"Thanks, you too" she said, looking down at the floor. I walked over and sat on the bed. I patted the spot next to me telling her to come sit. She walked over and sat down looking down at her hands.

"This is going to be hard for both of us" I said, grabbing one of her hands and holding it in both of mine. "But we have each other to get through this. Hannah wouldn't want us to cry, we have to try and stay strong for her."

"I know, and it will be easier with you there, today is just going to really set it in stone. She's really gone after today" Lily said, I could see her eyes start to water.

"It will be okay. We still have my dreams to talk to her. Before we finish her unfinished business we will make sure to say goodbye, yeah?" I said, trying to keep my own tears down.

"Right, well we should probably get going. I figured I would drive us" Lily said as she stood up off the bed, still holding my hand we walked over to the door and out to her car.

"Thanks for driving us" I said as I got into the passenger seat.

"Of course, figured we should stay pretty close to each other today" Lily said starting the engine and giving me a soft smile.

When we got to Marks house there were cars all up and down the street. We had to park a good distance away, it was hard getting out of the car. We both had to take deep breaths but we managed to walk into the house, hand in hand. When we walked in no one was in the house. We walked towards the noise and saw everyone out back. Lily had given my hand a tight squeeze and we walked outside. There were wooden chairs set up in even rows and I immediately knew the came from Carol's antique shop, and knowing Carol she probably donated them to Mark for today. There was a makeshift stage at the front of the chairs with a big picture of Hannah, probably her senior photo, on a tripod. There was a podium with a microphone, I'm sure Mark borrowed it from the police. Then in the middle of the little stage there was a fancy glass table with a small rectangular box, the top of the box had a lid with two pink roses and butterflies on the roses. It definitely not the urn he had bought from Carol so i wondered where it came from.