This chapter starts with a funeral but there is no main character death
Warning: Rated M for a reason; language, mild violence, smut
Disclaimer: I own nothing
1. The Funeral
Nick stood in the cool early autumn wind, the sun trying its best to warm those gathered in the churchyard, but not succeeding.
He held on tight to his little sister's hand as he waited for his family and the other mourners to quickly discuss directions from the church to the crematorium before heading to their cars.
He followed his father to the waiting shiny black stretch funeral car they had hired for the day. They paused before getting in, and stood in respectful silence while his mother's coffin was loaded back into the hearse and the flowers rearranged down the inside of the window, before the back door was slammed shut.
The funeral director's staff climbed into the driver and passenger seats of the hearse and prepared to drive away. He felt his sister's hand shaking, and he looked down at the 9 year old and attempted to comfort her with a protective brother look, pulling her into his side tightly.
"Come on Natalie" Nick urged, leading her into the back of the stretch car after their father, Nicholas Duval Senior. The chauffeur nodded somberly, shut the door and went round the car to get in. He started the engine and the car pulled away from the kerb smoothly with a whine and then a gentle hum from the engine.
They had scarcely gone 20 metres when Nick's father addressed them.
"While I have you two alone, there are some things we need to discuss."
Nick held onto his breath and reached for his sister's hand. This sounded serious and he wasn't sure if he could cope with anything else today.
It's not as if a parent's funeral would be easy on anybody else either, but Nick already had to steel himself for talking to his Mother's family at the wake after the crematorium service. Since he had come out as being gay at age fourteen, his Mother's family had not exactly been accepting of it, preferring instead to refer to it as some sort of teenage phase he was going through.
They weren't overtly homophobic, just quite traditional and set in their ways and basically ignorant, for want of a better word. They seemed to think Nick was too quiet to be successful at gaining a girlfriend so he had given up on that sex for a while, trying out being gay for a bit instead, as if it were some sort of choice.
At least they were supportive of his singing and art, which was something, he supposed. He had just learned to avoid engaging them in any sort of conversation unless forced.
School was another matter, though.
"Friends" had turned out to be various degrees of homophobic from the "nothing has changed, honest" (but behind your back I'll insult you with everyone else and try to avoid being in a room alone with you in case you jump me) to the outright slurs of the ignorant wanna be bullies.
Nick had stood up to this though, he was not a tall boy but he could hold his own, thanks to the boxing lessons his Father had insisted he take. He had quickly adopted a "leave me alone and I won't mess with you" attitude.
This had been tested a few times, but after dishing out more than a couple of split lips, ripped shirts and black eyes, he was mostly left alone, which suited him fine until he could finish his A-levels and apply to university. He was pinning his hopes on a more accepting crowd in a situation where people chose to carry on with their education, rather than the mainstream school environment.
On top of that, before the multi-car pile up on the M25 motorway, caused by a tired lorry driver straying from his lane, that claimed his Mother's life on a routine commute to work, his parents had been going through a divorce.
They had remained civil with each other, they had just grown apart over the years since he and Natalie had been born, focussing too much on careers and money and neglecting to actually spend time together as a family, until they finally realised they weren't really a family unit any more.
The divorce had gone smoothly in regards to financial matters as they were effectively equal partners in their marriage, but the sticking point had come to location after the divorce.
His father was American by birth, growing up in some place Nick had never been in Ohio. His Mother was from the leafy suburbs of Greater London in England, where the entirety of his UK family still lived.
Following the divorce his Father would have no ties to the UK except for his job in the financial services. He had made his intention known to apply for an overseas transfer to a partner firm back in Ohio.
Just prior to the accident, arrangements were being discussed on visiting rights and shared custody arrangements regarding Nick and Natalie, with all decisions being put on hold until his Father's work situation had been clarified from the US.
Nick knew that this must be what his Father wanted to talk about, as there wasn't anything else Nick could think of that would need discussing on this day of all days.
Why it couldn't wait was a mystery to him though - surely a few hours couldn't have hurt? Unless the family already knew and would have let it slip. Yes, that's more likely, Nick thought, last to know as usual.
"I have some news about my job..."
3 6
Six weeks later, they were on a one-way plane journey from London Heathrow to Port Columbus International airport, accompanying their Father to his newly-purchased home there, preparing to begin the next chapter in their lives. Nick only hoped that it would be a good one, both for himself and for Natalie.