She pulls the brush one last time through her red hair, clipping her bangs in place and smoothing it all down. Checking her all black outfit in the mirror, she nods, ready to go. Sliding her heels on, she makes her way to the kitchen, where her fiancé, Eddie, stood, leaning back against the counter.
"Ready?" Patricia asks, the sound of her heels clanking against the hardwood flooring ringing through the small apartment.
After releasing a shaky breath, the blond nods, standing up straight. He adjusts his tie nervously. "Yeah, c'mon." he walks over to her and takes her hand. "I wanna get this over with."
She gives him a small, sad smile, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "It'll be okay, don't worry."
He nods, but doesn't return the smile. And she doesn't blame him.
The car ride to the church is silent. A comfortable silence, but quiet all the same. The usual Sick Puppies aren't blaring out from the speakers as usual. He doesn't want to let go of her hand, and she doesn't blame him. The two intertwined hands lay in-between them until they arrive.
"Did they ask you to carry the casket in?" she asks him, glancing over at him from the passenger's seat. He nods grimly. After a few moments, she continues, adding, "Are you going to?"
Eddie hesitates before shaking his head no.
She sighs and opens her door, reluctantly tugging her hand away from his grasp. He doesn't move, hand laying limply on the consul. Patricia sticks her head through the open door. "You comin'?" Sensitive, Patricia. She reminds herself. We're going to his father's funeral.
But it was too late to take the phrase back. It didn't seem like it mattered, anyway. He didn't even look as he understood what she said until he nods, moving to get out of the car. He seems to be in a dream-like state, like when Sibuna pretended to be under Victor and Vera's control.
Patricia makes her way around the vehicle, taking his hand once again. He's the one who squeezes this time, and she bites her lip nervously.
"Hey, guys." Mara walks up, holding her black cardigan in her tan arms. "How're you doing."
"I'm fine." Eddie mutters, and both Patricia and Mara frown, and Mara goes to hug him quickly. Jerome comes up behind her, dirty blond hair as disheveled as ever.
"Are you guys going in?" She asks, pointing to the church. Patricia glances at her fiancé and the two both shake their heads.
"We'll meet you in there." Patricia assures. Mara and Jerome nod and head towards the church, Jerome's long arm slung over Mara's shoulders.
"Do you want to go in soon?" Patricia looks up at Eddie, and he shakes his head. "They want me to walk in with the casket or something." he sighs. "So I won't be going in yet."
"I'll walk in with you." she insists, and he doesn't reject her like she thought he would. Instead he mumbles something that sounds a lot like "thanks".
And so they stand in the entrance of the chapel, greeting friends and family as they come in, exchanging hugs and hello's and even money in Nina and Eddie's case (apparently they had some bet that Nina lost). And, finally, the organist ("An organ." Patricia scoffs when the first notes start. "How boring.") began to play, and Fabian, Alfie, Eddie's cousin, Clark, and Mick lift up the heavy casket, carrying it out to the alter. Eddie, Patricia, and Eddie's mother, Audrey, follow close behind, Audrey whimpering quietly. Fabian, Alfie, Clark, and Mick set the casket down and sit down with their significant others (Fabian with Nina, Alfie with his girlfriend, Chelsea, Clark with is partner, Geoff, and Mick with his girlfriend, Bianca). Eddie and Patricia sit down front-row, Audrey sliding in next to Eddie, dabbing her damp eyes with a handkerchief. And the priest begins the ceremony.
"We are here to honor the death of Eric Sweet..."
The funeral went as usual. Crying, random poems and lines from the Bible no one really listened to... And, finally, it was almost over. All that was left was the eulogies. One Edison Miller's/Sweet's (/Krueger's), to be exact.
He awkwardly steps up to the podium, at first slumped over, but then remembers to sit up straight. Dammit, Eddie. He thinks to himself. Stand up straight. Posture. This is a funeral, for Go.. sh's sake. He shakes his shoulders and begins to read what he has on the card. The church was deadly (heh) silent.
"My dad..." Eddie starts off slightly uncomfortably, itching the back of his neck nervously. He then heaves a sigh for the umpteenth time that day. "My dad was... My dad, I guess. Dorky and weird and random and strange and usually embarrassing... Actually, I didn't know him for most of my life. He wasn't around. I didn't really know him until about 9 years ago, when I was sixteen and I went to the school he was the principal was here, in Liverpool. And I hated him, at first. For leaving me back in America. And then I found out why he did it..." the word "Osirian" danced at the tip of his tongue. But he decided not to mention that when he first wrote this a few days ago. The Sibunas sitting in the pews shared knowing glances, though, and Nina smiles up at him. "And I guess I have a lot to thank him for. If he hadn't left and became the principal of that stupid school, I wouldn't have met a lot of people I don't know what I would be like today without." He glances over at his fellow ex-house mates, eyes lingering on a certain red head for a moment longer. "And now he's dead. Which kinda sucks. But we can't do anything about it, right? We just have to carry on." he smiles bitterly. "So, see you, dad." he raises a hand to the casket feet away from him. "I'll see you." And, with that, he steps down from the podium, the priest taking his place.
As he shuffles down to his seat next to Patricia and his mother, he feels tears forming in his eyes. He hurriedly blinks them away. No crying. He chastises himself scornfully. Not here. Not now. He takes his seat and lets out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding as the funeral proceeds.
After the funeral was over, everyone in the (packed) chapel make their way down to the cemetery, where Sweetie was to be buried. It was emotional and filled with even more crying. Eddie, once again, tried to hold back his tears at the sight of his father being slowly lowered into the ground. But that was soon over, and everyone made their way to their respective automobiles to drive down to the reception.
Eddie turns to Patricia while everyone begins to disperse. "Um, I wanna stop by home really quick." He explains, and then quickly adds, "Alone. You don't think you could get a ride with Nina and Fabes or something...?"
She looks at him weirdly but nods. "Yeah, of course." She pecks him on the cheek and walks away, calling after Nina and Fabian, asking for a ride to the restaurant.
He sighs and goes to his car, driving himself home, where he parks in the driveway, stuffing his keys in his suit's pockets and dashing up the apartment, to his and Patricia's room. He sits on the corner of their bed, head in his hands. It was there where Eddie Miller let himself cry for the first time since his father's death.
A/N: So. Little sad fic for you there. This came into my mind at my Great Aunt Millie's funeral yesterday. I cried so much writing this, to be honest. It reminded me of my dad's funeral, even if I didn't read a eulogy.
So I hope you enjoyed it... or at least liked it.