A.N.: Ok for those of you who are confused because of the lengthy flashback, I understand. I meant it to be one chapter but that did not work out, so just a little reminder. Mark is looking at the films in his room while remembering the past 2 years (that's all the italics, now we are back in 1996)
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Chapter 14: Dearly Beloved
Mark sighed; he had only just finished the last one about 4 hours ago. When he came from the viewing, it had been impossible for him to sleep until he finished. He was dressed and ready for the funeral but it wasn't time for him to go just yet. He hated this kind of time, where you can't start anything because then you'll be late, but if you leave now you'll be ridiculously early. Mark started to pace. Part of him wanted to pick the reel up off the shelf and play it but he was afraid he might just sit there and watch it over and over again. That's what he had done when Roger died. He had sat for days, watching clips of video, as if while he could see his best friend on film, he would be alive again. Maureen and Joanne had been the ones to pull him out of that stupor, forcing him down to the Life for coffee. Just thinking about Maureen made the tears well in his eyes. He immediately picked up his coat and walked out the door, heading for the funeral home. He would still be early, but the walking would help clear his mind.
It never seemed to fail that the funeral day was bright and sunny, and it seemed this day would be no different. Mark took a seat in an empty pew in the mostly empty church, hating the day for being so beautiful. A slow procession of black filtered in, people sitting in far corners of odd pews as if they feared human contact. The silence was deafening. Finally Joanne came in, her face tear-stained and her hand grasping Vanessa's tightly. They filed in next to him, Joanne beside him followed by Vanessa, the Johnsons, and the Jeffersons. However, Mark's parents were nowhere to be found.
"Hey," he greeted Joanne, his voice barely audible. She nodded in response, forcing a tiny smile before turning to stare blankly ahead. Vanessa sat attached to Joanne's arm, peeping around to stare at him. He tried to smile to give the poor child some form of comfort, but he was certain it looked much more like he was constipated. The tense silence in the room was suddenly broken by the sound of the priest sliding aside a curtain and stepping into the chapel. He walked to the alter, everyone's eyes following him. As he cleared his throat, Marks parents slid in beside him, his mom resting a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to make him feel better.
The priest began, "Dearly beloved, we gather here to say our goodbyes, here she lies; no one knew her worth, the late great daughter of mother earth…" Mark's mind began to drift to that last Christmas they all had together, over years of happy memories. Maybe this was why it was always so sunny for funerals; maybe God wanted him to remember the good. He turned to Joanne, and watched a small smile sneak across her face; she must have been remembering the same thing. But it was brief and the woman collapsed into sobs. Mark reached his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder, her tears seeping through his suit. A moment later, Vanessa climbed into Joanne's lap, crying as well. Mark just held his dilapidated family, trying to tell himself they would be ok.