The first thing that he noticed was the flowers that filled the room.
It was obvious that Kath had been the one to order all of the flowers and Gareth couldn't help but smile and stop for a moment and with one slender finger he pointed out each type of flower to Tim and translated its meaning.
"Flowering almonds means hope." He started; his voice barely above a whisper. "That small cactus is there because they represent warmth. Coreopsis represents always cheerful and that hibiscus over there represents delicate beauty."
"Flowers have a meaning?" Tim asked, arching an eyebrow.
Gareth nodded, his eyes going everywhere but the casket where his mother lay.
"Trees also mean something." He added softly, taking one look at the casket before he then looked away again.
"The wood for me mum's casket is cypress…and that stands for mourning, death, and despair."
"Damn…" Tim said softly, rubbing the back of his head slightly. "That…That's pretty heavy, Gareth."
Gareth nodded, looking down at the ground as he shrugged.
"S'true though." He said. "Kath told me so."
Tim nodded and he then walked up and tapped his arm lightly.
"You ready to see her?" he asked, all ready walking towards her.
Gareth said nothing, looking down at the ground as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
Tim shrugged and he was soon looking down at the casket and he crossed himself as he shook his head for a moment.
The woman lying in the casket and the woman in Gareth's picture were two completely different people almost. The cancer had taken its toll on her body and she was thinner and paler than she had been in the picture; despite the makeup put on her corpse to try and make her look healthier. Despite all of this, Tim could still see where Gareth had gotten most of his looks from.
A tear hit the back of his hand and Tim blinked and put a hand to his own face before he then realized that it wasn't from his own eyes.
Gareth stood next to him, his face blank as he looked down at his mother. Silent tears rolled down his narrow cheeks, landing with soft plops onto the basket and Tim's hand.
"Hello, mum." He whispered softly, slowly reaching out to lightly touch her hair. "I…I'm sorry that I couldn't have been there to stop da'…"
He was forced to fall silent as his throat tightened and he choked softly before wiping away his tears with his sleeve, giving her a small smile as he wrapped an arm around Tim's middle, ignoring the man's stiffening up at this intimate contact.
"This is me mate Tim, mum!" he said with a smile. "He used to work with me back at the office. He sometimes is a right twat but..." He turned to look at him, giving Tim a warm smile. "He's a good friend."
Tim's cheeks started to burn and he coughed as slowly he maneuvered so that he was out of Gareth's hands, adjusting his tie as he cleared his throat.
Gareth did not notice this however as he slowly removed his hand from his mother's hair and leaned forward, kissing her cold forehead before pulling back and crossing himself, sighing as he turned to Tim.
"Now we just have to wait for me family to arrive." He said and Tim noticed a complete change in the way that Gareth held himself.
His eyes seemed to hold some kind of resolve in them as Gareth reached out and took Tim's hand.
"Come with me to the back? I want to talk to you in private." He said, looking over at his mother for a moment to show that he did not feel his mother's body meant privacy.
Tim looked down at their hands for a moment before he then slowly nodded, following after Gareth numbly.
What on earth had gotten into him anyway?