Raylee Nash was fresh out of college and devastated to learn of her mother's death. She travels from Calorforinia to Arizona to where her mother lived. She's left to take care of everything her mother owned including a flower shop in town and now sh...
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I smile watching Parker walk out the door with daisies for his mom.
"So Parker huh?" Maxine smiles.
"I met him yesterday actually. Once I bumped into him at the bakery and then last night I saw him at the bar and we talked and shared a drink. He actually followed me home last night to make sure I made it in the house ok." I said.
"Well, that was very nice of him. I've known his family for quite a while and he seems like a good kid." Maxine smiled.
"He was taking those daises to his mom said she's upset about my mom so when we make these arrangements we need to let her know," I said.
"When are you wanting to do that?" Maxine asked.
"Can we go over to the funeral home now? Mom just wanted graveside rights and we can do that with a few people cant we?" I ask.
"I think we can sweetie. Its only 4 pm lets close up shop and head on over there and get this done." Maxine said.
We counted up the till and put the money in the safe and locked up for the day. I followed Maxine over to the funeral home in mom's truck so that way we wouldn't need to make an extra trip back to the shop to pick up a vehicle.
"I hate doing this and I'm nervous," I said blowing out a breath of air.
"I can do most of it, sweetie." Maxine grabs my arm and we walk inside.
"Can I help you?" A lady smiled.
"Yes! We need to make arrangements for Sarah Nash." Maxine said.
"Right this way Edward is in his office." She smiled and led us to an office where an older gentleman was sitting at a desk.
"Good evening ladies how can I help you?" He asked.
"We want to make arrangements for Sarah Nash," Maxine said.
"Are you family?" He asked.
"I'm her best friend but this here is her daughter Raylee." Maxine smiled.
"Nice to meet you both. What are you wanting to do service wise?" He asked.
"Momma just wanted graveside rites so can we just do that?" I ask.
"That can be arranged. We need to have you guys pick out a casket and then we can come up with a payment plan." Edward said.
"No payment plan I have the money. But silly question but can I see her?" I ask.
"Sure we just need to get her ready give me a min." He gets up and walks out of the room.
"Maxine, will you view her with me? I just need to say goodbye." I sniff.
"Anything you need sweet girl." She said.
Edward walked back into the room. "While they are getting her prepped let's go take a look at caskets."
We follow him out into an open room where caskets are on a show floor like you would find cars. It's weird and I've never had to do this before but here we go anyway.
I look around at them and then I see a white one with pink carnations on the inside cushioning. "This is it!" I said.
"Its beautiful Raylee and your momma love carnations." Maxine smiled.
Edward walks over and gets a number off of it and writes it on a piece of paper he is holding. "If you ladies are ready we can take you in now. Eli has her ready he is one of our undertakers," he said.
"I'm ready." I sigh following him into a room and as I'm walking in I look up and there lays my sweet momma on a metal slab with a sheet covering her body up to her head. I don't even remember walking the distance to her but before I know it I'm looking down at her face. I didn't even see the creepy Eli standing there watching us.
Tears are blurring my vision so much that I can't even see. I lean in and give her a kiss on the side of her head. "I love you momma and I'm sorry." I cry.
Maxine wraps her arm around me and cries too. "She's in a better place now Raylee just remember that and no longer suffering."
"I know she is but I just want her back." I sniff leaning in to kiss her one more time before turning away and walking out the door.
"Thank you guys so much for letting me say goodbye. When do you want to handle the payment? Now or after the services.?" I ask.
"We can do it now if you wish," I said as he leads us back into a room and he's adding everything up.
"Are you sure such a young girl like you can pay for this?" He asks.
"What does my age have to do with anything? I said I can pay for it and I can. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't have any money." I huff.
Maxine places her hand on my arm. "Sir as you can see shes very upset over losing her mother whats the price? We would like to get this over with."
"I'm sorry I misspoke. The total is fifty-five hundred. That's for everything." He said.
I hand over my card to him. "So when can we do the service?"
"We can arrange it for the day after tomorrow say around 10 am that ok with you?" He asked.
"Yes, that's fine with me," I said.
Maxine glares at him. Can you get her a fingerprint of Sarah for a necklace? She would like to have one of those."
"Yes, ma'am I can get that for her. Will there be anything else? What about flowers?" He asked.
"I own a flower shop so that won't be necessary," I said.
"Oh, which one?" He asked.
"Kabloom it was my mother's shop that Maxine and I are going to continue to run," I said.
At that moment I had made up my mind that I would be staying in cottonwood and keeping my mother's pride and joy alive and running and would do whatever I could do to make this happen.
We headed outside to our vehicles when Maxine grabbed me and hugged me. "I'm proud of you Raylee and your mother would be too."
"Thanks, Maxine that man pissed me off and lit a fire under my butt in what I want to do." I smile.
"Let's get home and I will see you in the morning." She smiled and got into her vehicle.
I jumped up in the truck and headed home for a quiet nite.
