It was a beautiful sunny day. Clear skies, not a hint of rain. It would be a perfect day, if not for the funeral service. Mark wanted to just dismiss the whole ordeal. But he couldn't. That wouldn't be right, even for the likes of him. Mark was determined to put a end to his resentment, here today, it would all be over. He was starting a new life. And leaving behind the old one, the pain, the anger. He was letting it all go. But in order to do that, he needed to get through the day. Which was easier said then done.

If not for Jeff being by Mark's side, he doubted he'd even be contemplating this matter, what reaason would he have to?, if not for Jeffrey. He probably wouldn't have even bothered showing up. He would have no motivation to let all of it pass. To unload his heavy heart, was something that Jeff inspired him to want to do. Jeff has changed his life, and for Mark it was for the better. He wanted nothing more then to feel the love that filled his heart, today. Nothing but love. Jeff's love.

Jeff walks up to Mark, places his hand slightly on the small of his back.

"How you doing, everything alright?." Jeff asks.

Mark looks up from the opened grave.

"I'm doing fine, thank you for being here."

Jeff looks up at Mark, those beautiful eyes shining up at Mark, almost mesmerizing him.

"I would do anything for you, Mark. You should know that, by now." Mark smiles in return, grabbing Jeff's hand, gently and without shame.

"I know that, I do."

"Good, I'm glad you do. I'm here for you." Jeff plainly stats. - "I know you are." Mark replies, warmly.

Mark watches as the few people arrive for the service. One lady had a umbrella, apparently unware of today's weather, hanging underneath her arm. Mark grabs his tie, fixing it's crooked state. He was starting to feel nausated. He loathed funerals. He was just waiting for the chance to leave.

As per usual, thoughts of his parents, flooded his mind. He couldn't stop them, it seemed his whole young life, flashes before him, in hundreds of long lost memories. Some even involved Paul, but those he tried to subdue. But his parents, his little brother, they remained.

A sunny summer mid-day afternoon, Mark was in his play clothes, his shirt hanging from his hips, tied there so not to lose it. His mother already complained to him that he's already lost four shirts since the summer vacation started. She warned him that if he was to lose one more shirt, she would just have to have him go to school shirt-less. Mark knew that the school wouldn't allow him to do so but he still didn't want to lose another one, for fear of what she would do. Or what his father would.

He was running down to the pond, hoping to get out of sight, before Glenn took notice and ran after him to join. Something that Mark was trying to avoid. But alas, his mother knew where he was going too, and she yelled out to him before he got too far away to hear.

"Take your little brother, Mark. He could use something to get that energy out of that little body of his." His mother shouts from the backyard, where she was hanging clothes out on their clothes line.

Mark rolls his eyes, as any little boy of age eleven would, whenever a parent told them to look after a younger sibling.

"Oh, mom. Do you I have too? He's already gone swimming." Mark protests.

"That was yesterday, and it doesn't matter if it was this morning. I've told you to allow him to go along with you, instead of arguing with me, just do as I've said."

Mark turns around, grudgingly. Before he could get one more protest in, his mother says the most fearful words that a boy could hear. "Or, would you rather discuss this with your father?"

Mark looks around the yard, wondering if his father was coming around from the front and happening to hear their conversation, and interested in what was being discussed. But it was just him and his mother. Glenn was somewhere, either in the front yard with their father, still trying to fix their car's engine, or in the house.

Mark shouts out his name, his mother gives him a glare. "Go inside and find him, Mark. Or should you just forget about swimming all together?" His mother was a tough cookie.

Mark stomps his feet in the dirt, before passing his mother. "Don't you track dirt all in the house, Mark." She warns.

Mark found Glenn sitting down on the living room floor, indian style. He was playing with some toys. "I guess you're having fun?"

Glenn looks up at him, curious. "What is it?" He asks.

Mark didn't want to tell him, he knew Glenn would throw the toys down in a heart-beat. Running out the house before Mark even turned his body around. He loved swimming.

Mark grits his teeth. "Mom wants to...know..if...you..wanted...to ...go ...sw...im..ming..."

Glenn looks up at, his head off to one side. "What?"

Mark blows out a large huff of air from his mouth. "Do you want to go swimming." He shouts.

Glenn smiles widely. Mark rolls his eyes and off Glenn runs past him, screaming and hollering, nonsense. Mark slams his arms to his side and slowly heads out the house.

By the time he was outside, Glenn was already half way through the yard. Their mother shouting at him to stop and wait for his big brother.

When Mark got to his mother, still hanging her clothes to dry. She turned to him.

"Now, you know the rules, Mark?" - Mark knods, repeatedly. He was well aware of them. "Yes, ma'am." He replies. "And don't forget to hold his hand." - "Yes, ma'am. I won't."

As the scene vanished from his mind, he felt his eyes watering. He looked around, his vision slightly blurried. He wipes at them, and he feels someone's hand on his arm, gently squeezing it. He looks around himself for a moment before looking next to him, it was Jeffrey, he was looking up at him, silently. He squeezes his arm once more in reassureance.

"You okay?" - Mark looks down, his eyes burning now. He knods his head. He whispers that he's okay. Jeff leaves it alone, he was there and that was enough.

Mark wipes at his eyes, once more. The sun was glaring in his direction. He grabs his sun-glasses from his front suit jacket pocket. He places them on, looking just up a head of him. He notices a young man, big build, long hair to his shoulders, he was standing several yards a-way near a tree. Mark was curious as to who he was here for. The man seemed oddly familliar. Mark kept his attention close to this man through-out the service. He didn't know why he felt this way, and when the man turned to leave, Mark felt a sudden tinge of apprehension. He wanted to go to this man, stop him from leaving. He wanted to call out, yell to him to stop.

Don't go, Glenn, don't go.

Mark waits for everyone to leave, Jeff was up ahead near the cars. He finally had a moment to himself. He walks closer to the grave, he didn't rightly know what to say or do. So he took a deep breath out trying to think of something to say, thousands of thoughts raced though his head that he could say. But only one seemed fitting enough. So he grasps his hands together in front of him. Just then a thought crossed his mind of him as a small child, praying at dinner. He smiles. He takes a few seconds for composure before looking down at the covered resting place. It was now time, time to say goodbye, once and for all.

Jeff waves goodbye to the last few people, he turns around, stares up towards where Mark stood, in front of the grave site. His head was bowed low. Jeff didn't want to disturb him, so he proceeded to take a sit down on the motorcycle, waiting patiently.

Mark threw the rose, on the grave. He felt better. He might not have forgiven him in life, but he is forgiven now, and that's something, at-least to Mark. What more could be done?

"I hope you find peace." He whispers before turning away.

He stares around for Jeff, he spots him messing with the antenna on the bike. He wipes his hands on his pants, he smiles. His heart filled with warmth. He couldn't wait to get home, have a nice home cooked meal, bathe and to bed. He sure felt blessed.

TBC

Shout-outs: Thank you to everyone still keeping up with this story, I know I go months without updating. I hope you like this chapter. And anything you can critique about my work, let me know about in reviews.