"Why did they have to take our Dad?" 11 year old Clay asked his older brother.
Jimmy knew at 17, he couldn't cry, so he did his best to blink back the tears "Because they needed him."
"Why?" Noah, Clay's twin brother, asked, a tear falling from his eyes "I miss him."
"Me too buddy." Jimmy said, holding his little brothers tight "Me too."
Jimmy heard the door open downstairs "Clay, Noah; Uncle Luke is here, why don't you go down and see him?"
Clay and Noah hopped off the bed and ran downstairs as Jimmy stood up and walked to his parent's room.
"Mom." He said quietly, tapping on the door, when he didn't hear anything, he walked in.
Haley was sitting on the bed with her feet dangling, she was playing with her wedding ring on her finger.
"Almost ready?" Jimmy asked his mother, sitting next to her.
Haley slowly nodded, not taking her eyes off of her hand.
"Alright, we better get going." Jimmy said, taking his mom's hand and helping her stand.
Haley placed one hand on her 8 month pregnant stomach and another tightly in her son's.
"You look beautiful mom." He told her as they were walking down the stairs.
Haley had on a long black dress with her hair slightly curled, falling over her shoulders. Jimmy was right, she did look very nice……she had too. All of the people there today didn't want to see the broken helpless wife that Haley felt as though she was. They wanted to see a well-composed Martha Stewart mother, who, despite everything that has happened, still could look beautiful.
When Haley and Jimmy walked into the living room, her two other sons were sitting quietly on the couch in their suits "You two look very handsome." She said with a slight smile.
Clay and Noah smiled "Thanks." They mumbled.
Brooke put on a smile and walked over to her best friend "Ready Haley?"
"As I'll ever be." She replied as Lucas handed Haley her jacket.
Brooke and Lucas started to the car, leaving Haley and her three boys in the living room. Haley walked over to the couch and sat down in the middle of the twins, Jimmy sitting down too.
"Listen you three, I love you so much, and your dad did too. I want you to always remember that." Haley told her sons "I know the next few months are gonna be hard but we're gonna get through it together, I promise. You are the strongest boys I know, and you are the best thing in my life, your father's too. Just remember that, okay? I will always love you."
"Always and forever." The twins said in unison.
Haley smiled and hugged them all tight, before following them out to the car, and to the church where the service was going to take place.
At the end of the funeral, Haley was asked to say a few words, so she stood up carefully, and waddled up to the podium, her hands on her large belly.
"Thank you all for coming." She started "My husband, Nathan, was the greatest man I ever met. For those of you that don't know, we were best friends since before we could remember, then in high school, we decided to get married, and that was the best decision I ever made. He was such an amazing person, and the best father. I used to watch him with the boys all the time, and he loved them so much. He couldn't wait for a little girl, he was so excited last month when we found out it was a girl, he couldn't have been happier. So I hope she knows when she gets older, how much her father loved her, and how great he was. Thank you again for coming." Haley said, unable to say anymore.
Jimmy walked up to his mother and helped her back to the seats. She's been having complications with her pregnancy for a while now, but the doctor said everything should be okay, she'd just be in some pain for a while.
After Haley got back to the house later that night, and the twins were asleep, Jimmy walked into the living room, where Haley was sitting in silence, looking at a photo album from long ago.
"Hey mom." He said, sitting next to her.
"Hey baby." She said with a smile "How are you holding up?"
"I'm worried about you, mom." He told her truthfully.
"I'm gonna be fine sweetheart, we all are gonna be fine." Haley said, not knowing if that was the truth or not.
"I miss him." Jimmy said quietly.
Haley looked at Jimmy and pulled him close "I do too baby." She said, letting a tear fall for the first time since Nathan's death.
And if you were with me tonight, I'd sing to you just one more time. A song for a heart so big, god wouldn't let it live.
