Black Excellence.

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝑊𝐸𝑁𝑇𝑌 𝑆𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑁

     Aaliyah Carter's Funeral

Rest in Paradise.
Gone but never forgotten💔.

Today was Liyah's funeral. As much as I hated funerals, I wasn't gonna miss hers. I never thought in all the years I have lived, I would lose my best friend. The one I grew up with my entire life. I was still processing her death. I couldn't believe it.

It was 12:54pm and we were all in the church. Her coffin stood at the front. A picture of her stood on the side and a flower wreath laid on top.

I heard cries coming from the back. The choir of the church sang hymns as each row came up to her casket, saying their last goodbyes.

I watched as Ms Loretta cried her eyes out as she leaned on her daughters casket. She was helped up and escorted to her seat in the opposite side of the bench.

It was my turn. My heart thumped out of my chest as James helped me up. I walked over to her casket holding onto James arm.

I leaned over and looked at her beautiful face that laid in the casket. I feel tears roll down my face uncontrollably. She was so beautiful.

After a few minutes I kiss her before walking over back to my seat wiping my tears. I feel James' arm around me comforting me as I tried to fight back the tears that came rushing out.

The priest came up to the alter and said a few words. It was coming to an end of the funeral meaning it was time for my speech.

I gathered my notes of the night before just in case I got nervous. The priest announced me to the front as the room claps.

I walk up to the front with James right beside me. I take a deep breath as I scan the whole
of the room.

"You got this." James whispers into my ear sending shivers down my spine.

I nod my head as I come forward towards the mic.

"Uh hello everyone. I should start of by saying thank you to everyone for coming out today. As you all know we've sadly lost someone very special towards us including me. Imma be real with yall. Me and Aaliyah were so close growing up. We experienced our first year of high school together to having our first boyfriends at the same time. Aaliyah wasn't like me who was quite antisocial. Nah she loved going to parties and meeting new people.

That's what I loved about her the most. She wasn't afraid to try something new. Even when she was at her lowest point, she still put a smile on her face. She smiled through her pain. But I loved her. She brought me warmth and always made me smile. It's sad yk. She was gonna be the godmother of my son. She was gonna be my maid of honour. And now she's gone.

I don't know how I will cope with her death. In fact I don't think I ever will. But that's the thing. Someone like Aaliyah is someone you don't move on from so easily. It takes time. But I'm prepared for when the grief really kicks in.

But as of today, we aren't gonna sit here and sulk all day. That's not what she would've wanted. So instead we are gonna celebrate her life.

For if there was one thing her death taught me, it was that death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live because in the end when you lose somebody, every candle, every prayer, is not gonna make up for the fact that the only thing you have left is a hole left in your life where that someone you used to care about used to be.

Aaliyah Carter's name will never be forgotten. Her spirit lives on inside all of us. I love you forever sis. Rest in eternal peace." I say with a slight smile on my face.

The whole room stands up and begins to clap. I chuckle as my eyes water again.

"That was amazing." James says as we walked off the stage.

I smile at him as I walk up to where Ms Loretta and my parents stood. Ms Loretta and I linked arms as we walked down the aisle towards the door. My parents and the others walk behind. Everybody clapped as we walked.

As we walk out of the church, I spot Dante and Terrence in the very last bench. My smile completely fades. My blood boils as Terrence smirks at me.

We all get into the cars and make our way back to the house for the after party.

I kept having flashbacks of Dante and Terrence together. How did they know each other? What the tf am I missing?

I rubbed on my stomach as James followed the cars in front of us back to the house.

James holds onto my hand as I sigh.

"You okay?" He whispers to me.

"Yea the baby is just not on my good side today." I chuckled.

"Damn I still can't believe I'm having a son. Imma raise him to be a king. He'll make us both proud." He smiled as we reached a traffic light.

I just stared at him as he continued ranting about the baby. I couldn't help it. I could feel my stomach fill with butterflies. The way he talked about our son was so attractive.

I'm so happy to have someone like him in my life. Through everything that we've been through he never once left. And I will always love him for that...