Chapter 29

Cameron woke up before his alarm. He was wide awake. His brain just hadn't been able to shut off. He then heard a little voice whining. He walked over to the crib where Farrah was sitting up, clutching her woolen blanket. She looked up at her uncle with tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Cameron felt his heart split in two. He gently stroked her curly hair, "Hey... what's wrong Farrah?"

Cameron almost didn't hear the little girl's babbles. "Mama... Mama..." She held the blanket closer to herself, "Mama..."

"Hey... come here." He picked her up with the blanket still in her arms.

She lifted the blanket up and hit it slightly against his chest as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks, "Mama..."

Did she... did she know what was happening today? Cameron sighed as he held his niece close to just let her get it out. Farrah rubbed her eyes with her tiny fist. "I know..." She rested her tired head on his shoulder, "I know you miss your mama... I'm so sorry. I wish that I could bring her back..." He knew that Farrah couldn't quite understand what he was saying but she seemed to be calming down. She snuggled closer to him as she gripped her blanket.

About an hour later, Jonathan woke up and found Cameron and Farrah in the kitchen. Cameron was slowing walking back and forth as he tried to sooth the baby in his arms but she was just upset. "Cam?" Cameron turned at the sound of his brother's voice, "What's wrong?"

Cameron sighed, "I don't know what it is. Farrah's just upset." Farrah clutched her blanket closer to herself and let out another tiny whine, "I wish I knew what it was. I mean, I've changed her, I've fed her... I think she knows what's going on today."

"Cam, she's just a baby."

"Well, it seems she can tell that there is something wrong about today." He kissed her messy curls, "You should have heard her earlier. She kept calling for Fiona." Jonathan's eyes glazed over. Cameron sighed, "We gotta be strong today. Not just for show but for Farrah."

"You go get dressed and I can get Farrah ready." Jonathan said as he walked over to his brother and niece.

"You sure?" Cameron asked but Jonathan was already taking Farrah in his arms.

"Positive. Just don't spend three hours on your hair." The older twin joked.

Cameron cracked a tiny smile, "Now you know that that is impossible."

Two hours later, Cameron and Jonathan were both dressed in simple black suits and black ties. Farrah had been dressed in a black dress with long sleeves but with dark coat overtop. She also had her woolen blanket with her. As they stepped out of the apartment and were placing Farrah in her stroller, they were suddenly surrounded by a hoard of paparazzi.

"Cameron! Jonathan! What is it like to finally have your name cleared?"

"What is your relationship with Bennett Blanc?"

"Jonathan, what are you going to do now that you no longer live in your brother's shadow?"

"Cameron Black, who is the child? Is this another family member you've been keeping secret?"

Now usually, Cameron and Jonathan didn't have much problem with the press but when they tried to get close to their niece, that's where the line was crossed. "If you all would be so kind as to step aside from the stroller." Jonathan said in a calm but commanding voice, "Cameron and I have no problems with your questions but you'll have to understand if our niece doesn't feel the same way."

"If you'll excuse us ladies and gentlemen," Cameron added as he and Jonathan moved Farrah's stroller out of the crowd, "We'll have to talk another time. Have a nice day."

They got to the archive where the others were already there with everything set up for the wake. Despite the somber tone, the group gave the twins sympathetic smiles. Cameron picked up Farrah and walked over to Kay who was dressed in a long and loose fitted black dress. "Hey." He greeted as he kissed her cheek, "How are you?"

Kay shook her head, "I'm fine. I should be asking you that." She noticed faded dark circles under his eyes, "Did you get any sleep?"

"Not really." He admitted, "But it's fine. I'm really not that tired."

She nodded, still not convinced. "How's Farrah?" The baby blinked her eyes and turned her head at the sound of her name.

"I'm honestly not sure. She's just upset..." Farrah started chewing on her blanket but when Kay took a closer look, she saw that her eyes were slightly red and glazed over. "I think she's realizing that... they're not coming back." Kay felt her heart break for the little girl and she couldn't help but kiss the baby's forehead. Farrah's mouth turned upwards into a smile as she looked to Kay. Cameron felt his own smile form, "Hey... that's the first time I've seen her smile today." Cameron and Kay walked back over to the others. "Okay, so people should be starting to come for the wake by twelve."

"Marigold said she would be here a half hour early so Gunter and I could help her set up." Jordan explained. "She's pretty cool for an older lady."

"Mike and I are in charge of the refreshments." Dina announced. "I'm also vice girl. Anything you might need... or want," She lifted up a black leather bag, "Is in here."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

Dina nodded. "Alright... " Mike challenged, "Do you have those flavour changing Tic-Tacs?" She pulled out the box of the Tic-Tacs he asked for.

Jonathan smirked, "A charger?"

Dina just grinned, "Outlet or USB?"

"Outlet."

She pulled out an outlet charger from her bag and handed it to the older twin, "Anything else?"

Jonathan's smirk only grew as he took the charger, "You still got it."

Soon people began making their way for the wake after twelve o'clock. Most were customers from Marigold's cafe who had known Fiona and befriended her. Others had been Shawn's coworkers and while they hadn't known the young doctor for very long, his absence had been very much noticed in their office.

When the clock struck one o'clock, Cameron and Jonathan gave Marigold the floor.

"I met Fiona eight years ago. She... she was one of the most wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." Marigold cleared her throat, "I don't know what came over me when I had offered Fiona a job and a place to stay but I thank God everyday that I did. Never once did she complain about work or the fact that we were living in a tiny apartment above the cafe." A picture of Fiona and Marigold was shown on the screen behind her. It was clearly from a few years ago. Fiona's hair had been longer and braided and Marigold's short hair had a very 2000s vibe to it. "Fiona soon became like the daughter I never had. She always had a smile on her face. She always treated people with kindness, even when they might not have made the best first impression... which brings me to Shawn."

That comment made everyone let out a chuckle.

"Shawn was a very fine young man. As someone who was lucky enough to see their love story unfold, I can attest that it didn't get off to the smoothest start." The image behind her changed to a picture of Shawn and Fiona on their wedding day.

"Mama! Dada!" Farrah called out holding out her arms when she saw her parents on the screen. Cameron held her closer but she was trying to wiggle out of his hold. She wanted her parents.

Marigold felt her eyes well up. She cleared her throat again, "He loved Fiona and he loved Farrah so much. He was a good man. He would have been one of the better doctors this world could have had. I remember Fiona telling me how protective he had become by the end of her pregnancy. She would joke by saying that judging by all the parenting books he was reading, it was almost like he was trying to be the better parent." She paused for a moment as Jordan changed the picture to the one of the day Farrah was born. Shawn had had his arm around Fiona and Fiona had Farrah in her arms, wrapped in a light pink blanket with little pink hat on her tiny head. "They loved this little girl more than anything in the world."

The pictures changed to Shawn holding Farrah in his arms who must have been less than six months old at the time. It was clear that in his eyes, Farrah was the most precious child in the world to him. The picture changes to another of Fiona holding a month old Farrah while standing next to a Christmas tree. It then changed to Fiona and Shawn during Fiona's pregnancy holding up a pink piece of paper that had "IT'S A GIRL!" written on it.

"I could go on about how much these two loved each other and how much they loved their daughter but I thought the best way to end my speech was to simply show you."

Marigold nodded to Jordan who presented a video that the two of them had put together. "Shawn! Get that camera away!" Fiona's playful voice could be heard as she pushed the one taking the film. Farrah's eyes lit up at the sound of her mother's voice.

"But Fifi, you look great!"

"Right..." She rolled her blue eyes. Except for her brown eyes, Farrah seemed to have gotten most of her appearance from Fiona. "I look like beached whale." She wore a blue maternity dress that clearly showed off her baby belly.

"All right, that's it."

Fiona furrowed her brows, making everyone, except for Cameron and Jonathan who were watching with intense focus and tiny smiles on their face, notice just how much she looked like them. "What do you mean?" The camera suddenly shook as Shawn flipped it to show him running over to Fiona and wrapping his other arm around her and attacking her face with kisses. "Shawn, what are you doing?" She shrieked with laughter.

"This is your punishment until you say something nice about yourself!" He said as he continued to kiss her laughing face. "Say you're a beautiful person!"

"What? No!" She laughed.

"Say it."

"Shawn-"

"I'm going to keep grossing out our daughter with this footage of us kissing if you don't say it."

Fiona let out another laugh, "Alright, alright! I'm a beautiful person!" She then turned and kissed his cheek, "But so are you."

"I am." He grinned smugly.

Fiona raised an eyebrow, "Oh stop, you're too modest." She turned her face to the camera and took it from Shawn, "If your father is still like this in twenty years, remind me to get a divorce." She chuckled.

"You wound me Fiona."

She rolled her eyes, "You make it too easy."

"Your mother's lucky I love her." He said to the camera, "It won't be long now Princess, we're meeting you in less than a month."

"And given by the way you've been sitting on my bladder, you better be real freaking cute." She grinned.

"Fifi, it's us, of course, she's going to be cute." Shawn said before Fiona stopped the video.

Farrah tried wiggling her way out of Cameron's grasp again. When he held her back bringing her closer to him, tears started to form in her big brown eyes. In her mind, her parents were right there. Why wasn't she allowed to go to them?

Marigold spoke one last time, "Fiona and Shawn were two genuinely kind and decent people. What hurts most is that their lives were cut so short that they didn't even get the chance to see their daughter turn a year old. I have not known Fiona's brothers for very long but they seem to care for Farrah just as much as Shawn and Fiona did. They will be missed. I will miss them. Thank you for listening." Everyone clapped quietly as Marigold made her way back to her seat

The rest of the wake went relatively smoothly. Kay noticed Cameron in a corner of the archive, slowly pacing back and forth with Farrah in his arms, trying to calm the fussing baby down. Farrah was holding back her cries but tears where streaming down her face. Cameron was whispering something to her as he tried to gently wipe away her tears. Kay walked over to them. "Hey." She whispered, not wanting to draw attention.

"Hey." He replied.

"Do you need anything?" She asked

Cameron shook his head, "I don't know what it is. Farrah's just been so upset today." He pressed his mouth together, "Is it bad that a part of me was hoping she wouldn't realize that today was going to be different?"

Kay shook her head, "She can recognize them as her parents... no matter how happy she usually is," She stroked Farrah's cheek with the back of her finger, "She's still a baby who's lost her parents and she doesn't realize they're gone yet. She misses them." Cameron nodded. He had a somber expression, "But hey." He looked at her, "You're doing everything you can to make sure Farrah has a good life."

"I guess."

"I'm serious. You may not realize it but not everyone would do what you're doing. You didn't even have to think about taking her in."

Cameron felt his lips twitch upwards, "Would you stop making me sound like such a saint?"

Kay let out a light chuckle, "Oh, you are no saint Cameron... but you are a good person." She leaned in and placed a light kiss on his cheek, "You sure I can't get you anything?"

He shook his head, "I'll be fine."

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Cameron furrowed his brows at the question. "You haven't, have you?"

"I guess I haven't."

"Let me get you something."

"Kay, you don't have to-"

"It's fine." She smiled, "Let's get you something." Cameron nodded as he followed her.

Jonathan met him halfway, "Hey, do you want me to take Farrah for a little while? You've had her all day."

Cameron sighed, "Yeah... thanks Johnny."

Cameron handed her over to his brother. "Hey there Farrah. You're gonna hang out with Uncle Johnny for a bit." Farrah wrapped her tiny arms around Jonathan's neck as her fussing continued. "I got her Cam." He said as he stroked his niece's back, trying to calm her.

Cameron went back over to Kay and wrapped his arms around her, "Cam?" She whispered as she reciprocated the hug with her good arm. He didn't say anything, he just held her tight, "Cameron, are you okay?"

"I'm fine... I just..." He let out another sigh, "I just need a minute." She gave a somber look as she just held him. He pulled back but kept his arms around her, "I didn't think today would be so hard..."

"It just means you care Cam." She said, attempting to fix his tie.

He took her hand in both of his, "Thank you for being here."

"Of course," She said incredulously, "I wouldn't have missed this." He kissed her hand. She noticed his eyes start to water. She moved her hand from out of his hands and placed it on his cheek, "Hey... it's okay if you're upset..."

"How... how am I missing someone I never got to know?"

"Because you did know her." He gave her curious look, "Because you know Farrah." He let out a broken chuckle, "I'm serious. I bet that the older that little girl gets and the more you learn about her... the more you might learn about Fiona."

He pulled Kay in for another hug and gently rested his head on her right shoulder, "I hope you're right."

We're in the homestretch people! There is one chapter left of 'A Bundle of Secrets'! Can you believe it's actually happening? I honestly can't! This is going to be the first time I've ever finished something in terms of writing!

Don't worry! I haven't forgotten about 'A Coffee Connection' but I just got this surge of inspiration for this chapter and I just had to write it down and before I knew it, the chapter was written!

Hope you guys liked it! The sequel is coming along soon; I just need to name it! XD