Inevitable

lx: day-drinking

It was a beautiful service, heartbreaking yet beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen everyone put on braver faces together than during a funeral. Ella stood by her Dad the entire time with Connor and Blake by her side. Their entire family put on sad smiles on their faces every-time someone conveyed their condolences.

Until the time Grandpa Will had to say the eulogy. By the end, I saw Ella rushing away from the crowd. Connor silently followed her, because she had to say a few words too. She couldn't manage much, but whatever few words she spoke, I saw Blake almost losing control.

His grip on my hand tightened with every word his mother spoke but he didn't lose it. He kept it together, and somehow he's still keeping it together.

"You've barely spoken a word since yesterday," I tell him while packing our clothes.

"What's there to say?" He asks, tossing a rubber ball in the air which he found lying around.

I don't push him to speak. We're heading back to Brooklyn today. Blake insisted to stay, but both his parents said that we have to get back to our lives eventually. They would stay a couple of more days here but even they have to leave at some point.

Ella insisted her father to join them in the city but he refused. It sounds way too familiar to how Mom frets over Granpa being alone in Larkspur.

"Is there anything in the laundry or the bathroom that I need to get?" I ask Blake, ready to zip up the bag.

"Nope." He shakes his head, his entire attention on the rubber ball.

After I've packed our bags, I move to carry them out of the room but Blake finally gets up from the bed and takes ahold of one of the bags.

"I got it. Car keys?" He puts up his palm and I drop the keys in his hand.

I move to get another bag before moving downstairs where Grandpa Will is sitting in his rocking chair in the living room, a cup of coffee in his hand. After setting the bag by the couch, I move to sit adjacent to him.

"Hey." I give him a small smile. "How are you doing today?"

"Been better." He sips on the coffee. "Blake and you headed out?"

"Yeah. Are you gonna be okay?" I ask him the stupidest question.

"I like to believe so." He shrugs. "You take care of my grandson, okay?"

"Of course, Grandpa Will." I smile at him. "We'll visit you soon, okay?"

"You better. And make him stay away from that Natalie girl. I never liked her, and last I heard she was causing troubles for you. His Nana didn't approve either." He pats my shoulder lightly, his words causing me to grin widely.

"You mean Nicole?"

"Yes. Her." He shakes his head.

Blake appears in the living room so I stand up to give him space to sit by his grandfather. I take the keys from him to go move the luggage while they share a goodbye. After everything's tucked in the trunk, I lean against the driver's door.

Connor steps out of the house, waving me over. I move to him and he pulls me into a hug. "You've been a huge help these past few days, taking care of everyone."

"Please. I didn't do anything." I hug him back. "You take care of my favourite woman, cool?"

"Of course." He smiles. "Did your parents reach home okay?"

"Yeah. An hour back." I inform him.

My parents left for home this morning while Blake and I waited till the afternoon. The kids at home have rarely ever spent a day without both of them, so after a while they started getting restless.