"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." - Dr Seuss

If there was one thing that Felicity hated, it was to dress her five years old daughter in black. The little girl's blond hair were in a messy bun, and her arms crossed in front of her. She looked like her father when he didn't have what he wanted, but much cuter.

Gracie loved bright colors, flowers and butterflies. She wanted to wear the yellow dress with the pink butterflies, not the black dress her mother was handing her. She was chewing her bottom lip, knowing that sooner or later, she would have to give in, but a part of her was hoping that her mother would give up.

"No." she repeated for the tenth time "It's hideous."

"Gracie, please."

"Mom, please."

"I swear to God, if you wear it, I'll buy everything you want at the toys store. I swear Gracie, just do that for me."

"No."

"You have five more minutes Grace, after that I will put it on you myself."

She left her daughter room and went to the living room where her eighteen months old son was playing, already dressed. Diggle was sitting on the couch, the boy on one knee, whispering in his hear.

"Oh, you're here. Didn't hear you coming in."

He nodded and kissed the little boy temple, trying not to let his feelings take over. He felt like he had never been this sad, even when his brother died, even after everything he went throught, losing his best-friend, his partner, his brother was just too much.

"She doesn't want to wear the dress." muttered Felicity "Moira said..."

"Felicity, I really don't think Oliver would have wanted you and Gracie in black at his funerals."

"She wants to wear the yellow dress, it was his favorite."

"Then, let her do so. Moira won't be upset, and even if she is, who can blame a five years old girl wearing her daddy's favorite dress ?"

"No one."

"Exactly." smiled Diggle "Go get your girl ready, we're already late."

When Felicity got into Gracie's room, the little girl had her dress on, was putting her shoes on. She was smiling softly, but didn't dare looking at her mother until she had finished with her shoes.

"I'm sorry." whispered Felicity as her daughter wrapped her arms around her legs "I'm so sorry Grace."

"It's okay mama."

"You really are the sunshine baby, you know that ?"

"Yes."

"Your daddy would be really proud of you, you have been really strong these past days, you helped me a lot, and you had been really patient with your brother. I'm proud of you."

There was something in her daughter's eyes that Felicity couldn't understand, it was a mix of innocence and happiness, as if she was playing the memories in her mind. Grace was looking at her little brother, holding his hand and kissing his face every once in a while.

"We're going to see daddy." she said, thinking that neither her mother or Digg could hear her "Promess you gonna be good, 'kay ?"

The ride to the Queen Mansion was mostly quiet, Diggle was holding back his tears, his hands wrapped way to tight around the wheel, and Felicity was watching her daughter and son interact, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Can you take the kids to the playroom ?" asked Felicity when they got in the living-room "I think Thea and Roy are waiting there."

"Where are..."

"I need a moment alone."

"Okay." answered Diggle "Don't do anything you would regret."

She tried to smiled, but she just cried more, and Grace hugged her again. Teddy was half asleep on his uncle's shoulder, he was way too young to realize what was happening around him. Felicity had known since the beginning that it wouldn't be easy, that every day with Oliver Queen as her boyfriend would be a fight. But he had fighted by her side, and they ended up married with two kids, living an almost normal life.

"Go with Digg baby." she told her daughter, pushing her to her friend "I'm right behind you."

Thea was sitting on the floor of the playroom, twisting the hair of a doll around her fingers when she heared her niece's voice. She looked up to see Roy taking the girl in his arms and hugging her.

"Daddy is gone." she said "My daddy is dead."

Roy kissed her cheek and kept her in his arms before sitting next to Thea. Diggle had already joined the young woman, who was now holding her sleeping nephew.

"Roy." called Thea

"Yes ?"

"There are clothes in the drawer over there, can you..."

"You want me to put my black dress ?" interrupted Gracie "Mama said it was okay if I wear daddy's favorite dress."

"Oh, baby, no, it's for Teddy."

When Felicity joined her family a moment later, Teddy was awake and wearing a blue shirt. She stopped at the door when she saw her son playing with Thea's hair, and the ghost of a smile on her sister-in-law's face. He was laughing, and everybody was crying silently.

"You know what were my last words to him ?"

Felicity and Thea were walking behind Roy, Diggle and the kids, the two woman needing each other comfort. Thea squeezed Felicity's hand and shaked her head no, she felt like no more tears could roll down her face, she wanted to stop crying, but she couldn't.

"He was bleeding, it just wouldn't stop, the bullet had damaged too much I guess. He was looking at me, telling me that he loved me, that he would just sleep for awhile, and I told him that I would never forgive him if he did. He smiled. He just...smiled."

Tell Gracie...and Teddy I love...them...Thea...I'm...proud..of her...I love...love...you Felicity...I...

"He smiled a lot when you were around." breathed Thea, whipping her tears with the back of her hands "I remember just after Grace's birth, he came to me because he was scared, he didn't know how to do the whole...parenting thing. I...He told me that if something happened to him, he made swear I'd keep an eye on you and Grace. He said that he didn't deserve to be happy, that sooner or later, it'd be taken away from him. It's not fair, it's...I miss him..."

It was just family.

She knew he didn't want people he barely knew at his funerals. She knew that where he was, he was watching them, smiling.

She had heared Moira whispering to Thea about the kids clothes. "I thought we agreed on black."

"For Pete's sake." was all Thea answered before sitting down between Roy and Grace.

Just before the priest started, Grace got down the chair, and walked toward the coffin. Roy tried to stop her, but Thea and Felicity told him not to. The little girl unfolded the piece of paper she had been holding for hours, and looked at him with a smile.

"Daddy. I know you're gone, and I miss you. But it's okay. I know you are an angel now."

A laughed escaped Felicity's mouth, she was picturing Oliver as Cupid.

"My daddy is in heaven now." added Grace "I love you daddy."

I wrote it a while ago, and I forgot about it. Now I'm sharing this sad story with you all.