Baby Clifford

Funeral

*One Week Later*

Michael woke up by Luke shaking his shoulder. He stayed with the widower over night, to help him out and make sure that he didn't do anything he would regret later in life; while Michael's parents watched their one week old grandchild. "Come on Michael, get up. She would want you to be there." Luke sadly spoke. Tears flooded to Michael's eyes at the remainder and it wasn't just a nightmare. "I-I can't!" He cried and grabbed the pillow she used to sleep on and hold it tight to his chest. "Shh," Luke sat on the edge of the bed and held Michael as the new father cried into Luke's shoulder. "Shh, she's in a better place." Luke tried to comfort him. "Think of Melody, she can't loose both of her parents." He told his best friend and rubbed his back. "I can't do it alone." The green-eyed lad whispered in a cry. "Who said you had to had to do it alone? You have all of us. We'll help out with your little squirt." Luke smiled. "God help her," Michael mumbled as he dried his tears.

"Now, let's go eat, I'll cook." Luke told him as he pulled his friend up to his feet then going into the kitchen. "Your mum is still watching Melody isn't she?" Michael yawned and followed behind Luke as they walked into the kitchen. "Yeah, she'll be around, um, ten." The blonde replied before getting out the eggs. "Great, my mum should be dropping her off soon." He said took a seat on the table. "Are you ready for today?" Luke asked as he cracked an egg. "No, then again, I never would." The presently black hair boy answered. The blonde didn't reply for a while as be made scrambled eggs for the both of them.

"What do you think Melody will be like when she gets older?" Luke asked, changing the subject, as he served Michael then himself eggs. "Motherless." The father answered in a mumble. "Don't be like that; really, other than that what do you think she'll be like?" He asked again. The father of the new born, shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe quite." He duly replied and started eating. When they got done eating, there was a knock on the door and Luke opened it.

"Hi Gramdma Clifford," He smirked. "Hello Luke," She smiled with the sleeping newborn granddaughter in her arms. "Try not to wake her, the poor child could barely sleep a wink last night." Karen sadly cooed before handing Melody to Luke then walking inside the house. "Hi baby," She said and gently kissed Michael's temple. "Hi Mum," He replied, "how was Melody last night?" Michael asked. "She could barely sleep. I think she just missed her daddy. She kept me and your father up wanting something." Karen explained. "I'm sorry," He muttered. "It's okay, you did the same thing. You mainly wanted to cuddle though." She simply stated and patted his shoulder. "Well, I'll going to get ready and so should you two. I don't want to see you two in boxers and a t-shirt. See you later boys." She spoke before heading out. "You go get changed, I'll watch Melody." Luke spoke and Michael nodded before taking a shower and got ready. He came into the living room and took his daughter while Luke got ready. Melody was dressed in a baby pink onesie and peacefully slept on Michael's chest, getting some drool on his shirt. He softly pressed a kiss to her little bundle of brown hair.

This precious moment was ruined by someone knocking on the door. Melody was instantly was crying at the disturbance. "Shh, shhh," Michael stood and bounced her as he walked to the front door. "I know your tired, Liz had to be a big meanie and knock on the door." He said gently as he opened the door. "Good morning, Michael." Liz answered, seeing the new dad struggle. "Hi Liz. You know, she was peacefully asleep after a long night, but you had to knock." He joked, still trying to comfort the baby. "Oh, hush, give her here." She smiled and took a hold of the small baby. "Thanks for watching her." Michael said as he let her in the house and closing the door. "It's no problem." She simply said before heating up a pre-made bottle from the fridge. "How did you know what was wrong?" Michael asked when Melody became quite as she drank the heated milk. "It's a mother's instinct, Mikey. You'll get your daddy sences eventually," She explained simply. "Okay baby whisperer." He commented. "That's part of my job. I can still have it with Luke some days." She laughed. "That's 'cause Luke is still a baby." Michael spoke. "So are you Michael." She told him.

When Luke finally got ready, they hurried as they went to the funeral. It was a small one, just friends and family all filled with tears and some sharing memories of their friend or sister. Finally the man in charge of it told them all to sit down. Michael sat down next to all three of his friends and Ashton's wife, Ella. The man finally got to the part that made people look up at him. "Is there anyone that would like to say some kind words or memories about Haylie Clifford?"

A woman with mid-back dark brown hair with a long, skinny face and body stood up. She fixed her eye make-up beforw going up to the front. "Who's that, Michael?" Calum whispered, not really remembering the woman. "That's Kayla, Haylie's older sister." Michael whispered back. "Hi, for all of you that don't know I'm Haylie's older sister. Haylie was a quiet girl and liked to keep to herself and had more of a passion for band than me or my sister. She was much different than all of her family. She wanted to get out of the small town she lived in and become a writer, which she did. A few years later, she married Michael, and I'm so glad you've t-taken such good care of her." She cried as she lookex at Michael. "My little sister was a wonderful person that died too soon." She finished before going back to where she was sitting.

A few other family members stood up, one was her step-brother, Jake. "Uh, hi. I'm Jake Sigafus and Haylie, well she was different. She was stubborn at times, but she always looked up to people. I was one of them, she always was afraid, I'd kill one of her boyfriends especially Michael, but he's here now, so we're all good." That got a laugh from the audience. "Well, being serious, she needed more time in life. She was my little sister that I had to be a big brother to and protect her." People could see some tears form. "I'm glad that she knew that too. Now, she doesn't need me to protect anymore." Jake finished with a hint of tears in his eyes. "Should I go say something?" Ashton whispered, knowing Michael was in too fragile of a state to do it. The other boys nodded. Ashton fixed his tie before he stood up. "Well, I met Haylie about ten years ago." *Please relize this is like ten-fifteen years in the future* "And I gotta say the most remember-able things about her was when her, the guys and I all lived together and some days she would come down in only Michael's boxers and t-shirt, so we all would tease them and she would slap me on the back of the head.

"She was supportive in ways. Like she would make sure you talk to the girl on the other side you've been starring at the whole night, and that included her literally pushing you. Uh, she would get easily scared like one time we were watching a scary movie and she couldn't go five minutes without jumping or hidding her face from the TV." The crowd laughed. "She would then warn us that she would haunt us." Ashton tried to have a grand smile, but it turned to be a dull one. "I think she'll come to us when we need her. She'll be a kind ghost." He said before going back to where he sat.

*The burial*

The morning may have been a beautiful spring -even though it was fall- day, but it turned into a dark, raining day. All of the people blended in with the grey and black sky. The burial was when the most tears escaped from their eyes. No one spoke a word either.

When the dirt was even with the ground beside it and everyone else left, leaving Michael alone in front of a grave. He cried and fell to his knees in the mud and forehead on the grave. "You'll always be in my heart." He whispered and laid a single black rose on the grave stone. "I remembered this is your favorite flower. My heart will be that color to any girl that tries to be mine." He said before wiping his tears away, pressed a kissed to his fingers that went to the ground where 6 feet under was his wife, and stood up and went home with the grey, crying clouds behind him.