Today is Thursday, December 13th. It's been two weeks since I lost my great-grandfather to Stage 3C colon cancer, and it's been a rough two weeks. I'm not even sure I can focus on my reviews for finals without my thoughts drifting off to think about Van. We've decided to hold his funeral today at 12:30 in the afternoon. It's so goddamn cold out here, only about 42°F, so I have no choice but to wear a wool coat and Gobi silk cashmere leggings. We're all cooped up in the Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel in the meantime. God, I miss him so much! I don't know how I'm going to get through finals without him.

I'm all dressed up in black, including my coat and leggings. I wear two pairs of black barrettes in my hair, which falls to my shoulders in loose flaxen curls. My funeral dress is a black long-sleeved bodycon wrap dress with the sleeves being made of black lace, and I'm wearing black chunky heeled knit boots with socks underneath. My ears are adorned with black pearl stud earrings, which match my leather pearl choker that I ordered off of Etsy. Everybody else seems appropriately dressed for the occasion, especially Quilene. She's wearing similar clothes to mine. Jonah's also here, but he's wearing a black suit and tie and a long black trench-coat on top of his suit.

In fact, just about everyone I know is here. Al, May, and my little baby half-sister Xinyi are standing over next to Ed, Winry, and my cousins Yuriy and Nina. The adults chat amongst themselves while the kids distract themselves from this harsh reality by singing nursery rhymes. Mom's talking with Grandma Ruby and Grandma Sapphire, seemingly distraught over this whole situation, while Aunt Pearl is comforting Aunt Belinda who's crying her eyes out. Aunt Pearl and Aunt Belinda's daughter Hermione sits in an upholstered chair and drinks a Peppermint Mocha that she got from the Starbucks on 391 George Street, which is just five minutes away from here. Aunt Amy scrolls through her iPhone for something to cheer herself up, Aunt Peri and Aunt Nyoko walk around and observe their surroundings, Jasper and Frankie and their daughter Jesse are offering condolences to Aunt Maya while Jesse's kids talk with Professor Read and his family, and Uncle Greg and Aunt Margie talk with Professor Faulken and her wife and daughter. I don't see Uncle Steven or Aunt Connie anywhere around here, though Patrick says they're running a little late. I can also see out of the corner of my eye that the Barrigas and the Miller-Carpenters have shown up, with their kids in tow. Lars and Sadie chat it up for old time's sakes while their spouses take food and drinks from the refreshments table. I can see Lara excitedly talking with April and Reba about what's she been up to in fourth grade. The Off-Colors (at least that's what Steven and Lars call them) are also at the refreshments table, with Rhonda in particular rolling a fidget cube within the palm of her upper right hand.

I'm so busy noticing all these people in attendance that I don't even notice Professor Hillenburg placing his hand on my shoulder until I feel it on me.

"Your great-grandfather was a good man, Hope," Professor Hillenburg says in his effort to console me.

"I know, it's just..." I try to collect myself for a couple seconds. "I can't believe he's really gone."

"I can't believe it, either. I mean, I knew he wasn't going to make it much longer, but it still took me by surprise."

"So what now? Will the Introduction to Human Evolution class be cancelled this late in the semester?"

"I don't think so. Your Aunt Maya told me that she'd be more than happy to take over just for finals. I think she also said that she'd just have the students send her their Pinterest boards or whatever social media accounts they have for finals."

"I guess that makes sense. She's probably too sad to go over grades right now."

"I mean, I don't really blame her. She just lost her boyfriend to cancer. At least he and Trisha can be together again."

I sadly nod. "Yeah."

All of a sudden, the funeral director walks in and greets us. He's a sharp-dressed man, wearing a gray pinstripe suit with a hot pink tie and black leather shoes. He's got leathery brown skin and dark curly hair with some grays here and there. He's also got a pencil-thin mustache that's barely forming on his upper lip. His eyes are a dark, dark brown. I feel like I'm looking deep into his soul.

"Hello, Mr. Desrosiers," Professor Hillenburg greets back. "Is it almost time for the funeral to start?"

"It certainly is, Mr. Hillenburg," Mr. Desrosiers replies. "I'd like to ask that all of you come in and pay your respects to Mr. Hohenheim."

All of us walk into the room where Van's casket is being displayed, ready to say our goodbyes.

God, this is all so depressing. Everything about this room just sucks your emotions right out of you. I've only been to two other funerals in the past, but I still get emotional at these things. I look down at Van's corpse in the casket. His face is all sunken in, and he just looks like a bag of bones and flesh even with a nice white suit and black tie on. His hair is all white, just how he looked when I last saw him alive. I can see that he's got foundation airbrushed onto his skin to hide any signs of decay. I can't help but feel bad while looking down at him like this. What a horrible way to go; killed by cancer that's spread all throughout your body.

Besides me and Jonah, everyone we know is in attendance. Our birth mud Malachite is here with their girlfriend Lily, as are our uncle Axel and his husband and wife and their kids. Al, May, and little Xinyi are also obviously here; as are Ed, Winry, Yuriy, and Nina. Also in attendance are Aunt Goldie and Aunt Maya, Mom, Grandma Sapphire and Grandma Ruby, Aunt Pearl and Aunt Belinda and Hermione, Aunt Amy, Aunt Peri, Aunt Nyoko, Jasper and Frankie and their family, Uncle Steven and Aunt Connie and their kids, Uncle Greg and Aunt Margie, Patrick's sisters and father, Spinel and her boyfriend Justin and her daughter Kimberlyn, Mr. Scheele and his family, the Barrigas, the Miller-Carpenters, the Off-Colors, and pretty much all of my professors (including Professor Hillenburg) and their families.

By the time Jonah and I take our seats next to Mom, the ceremony has already begun.

"Death... is often a bittersweet occasion," Mr. Desrosiers begins to speak. "Bitter in the pain it causes the deceased... and their families. Sweet to those who know the salvation that awaits them. And some may ask... what is death? Is it the end? Or is it just the beginning? And what is life? What is this thing we call life?"

The funeral director continues on with his speech (probably the sanctity of life and how one could view life), but I can't really hear what he's saying, mostly due to my thoughts wandering off elsewhere. I can't help but think about the finals. In fact, I'm supposed to be taking the final exam for my Greek Civilization class. I've already finished that final assignment for Professor Hillenburg, which is a huge relief. I managed to finish about a week before today, too.

Malachite and their girlfriend are the first ones to come up to the coffin. I can hear them murmuring something about William dying the same week as Van and how it must be some weird, unsettling coincidence. I'm not sure what's that about, but it sounds... interesting to say the least. They hover over Van's coffin for what feels like forever before going back to their seats. Next up are Axel and his family, then Ed and Al and their families, then Aunt Goldie and Aunt Maya, then Mom, and so on and so forth.

Finally, Jonah is the last one to get up close to the open casket of our great-grandfather, the man who had been there when we were born. Just seeing Van's face up close is enough to haunt his dreams for a week, even with all the mental preparations he's been making in the two weeks leading up to this. Jonah just stares at Van's face for up to a minute before sitting back down next to me. I can't read his mind at the moment, but I can tell just by looking at him that he's feeling the same kind of heartbreak I'm experiencing. I reach over and comfort him, not wanting him to feel alone.

With all the eulogies and the entirety of the burial process out of the way, Jonah and I proceed to go our separate ways. Before we get into our cars, our girlfriends come over and give us bear hugs. Jonah's worries and angst seem to melt away for a brief moment whenever Quilene is around. I love that she can just do that to him. Then again, that's also what I love about April. Speaking of, April holds her gloved hand in mine and then kisses me.

"So..." April begins to speak. "I guess I'll see you during the holidays, huh?"

I blush from head to toe. "Yeah. I can't wait to get these finals over with. I gotta finish them. I know that's what Van would have wanted."

"I know you do, but your mental health is also important right now. You shouldn't worry too much about how you're going to get through the finals. If you pass, you pass. If you fail, you fail. C'est la vie. Just try to focus on yourself."

"Okay, I will." I cup April's face into my hands and then pull her in for a quick smooch. "Merry Christmas, April."

April just smiles at me. "Merry Christmas, Hope."

With that, April gets into her navy blue 2003 Honda Accord and drives away, presumably back to Beach City. Jonah gets into his own car and follows her. I wait until Jonah and April are completely out of my line of sight before Quilene and I get into my car and drive off back to Rutgers, where we're supposed to be taking our finals.