The funeral was four days later.
Ariel looked absolutely heavenly in her casket.
Mia and her two daughters attended.
Liam attended and cried.
Peggy attended and cried.
Jake attended, but still in shock, couldn't cry. He couldn't even speak.
Carter attended, but left halfway through.
Thea attended with a few other members of her family. They all sobbed at the innocent life lost. At the friend lost.
Kamrie attended, whispered to Ariel she was finally clean, before bursting out in tears.
The boys attended, all either sobbing or too angry or too confused or too in shock to cry.
Lila attended and sobbed the entire way through.
Jake spoke about the time she calmed him down by reading him a story. Calmed him down when no one else could. How she was like a little sister to him.
Kamrie spoke about the way Ariel inspired her to get clean and how she finally managed because of her first friend.
Mia spoke about the way Ariel came into the hospital for the first time and became her unadopted daughter that she loved dearly. She made it halfway through her speech before breaking down and walking back to her seat.
The boys watched as the casket was slowly lowered into the ground. The worst part of the funeral, though, wasn't any of that. It was Jaydon's reaction to be lowered into the ground.
"No, no, no! She doesn't like the dark; it's too dark for her! She'll be scared! It's too cold for her, she'll be cold! I can't let her be co-" Jaydon was cut off from trying to crawl into the grave by Lucas's arms wrapping around his waist to pull him off the ground.
"Come on, buddy." Lucas whispered through his own tears, pulling Jaydon away from the burial as everyone started heading back to their cars. They would meet up at the Steel house later for lunch and alcohol.
And memories. So many memories of the angel that had once run around the halls, laughing and smiling and being their beautiful little sister who didn't deserve what she got.
So many memories.