ANGELA POV

I looked over Emilie's dress again. Her black dress brought out the greens in her hazel eyes and the sheer blondeness of her curling locks. She gave me a weak smile and I once again adjusted the ribbon holding back her hair.

"Angie, I'm dressed you should fix up Beth, Brian, and then maybe, I dunno get dressed." I smiled at her show of authority and planted a kiss on her cheek before turning to find Beth.

I walked into the family room to find the gang, Beth, and Brian sitting on the couch. Brian was teething on Darry's finger as they stared blankly at the news. Beth got up and spun in a circle to show me she was in the black knee length dress I'd laid out for her earlier. Soda stood up and spun also showing off his black ensemble and then paused at the end lying on finger on his lips as if shushing me.

"Ang, you need to get dressed." Darry reminded me.

"I can help if you need help." Two-Bit good-naturedly joked. I smiled and shook my head in unison with Darry. I then glided to my room and took out the black dress I'd taken from our house to wear. I shimmed out of the pajamas I'd been wearing for the past day and into the velvet dress.

I let my fingers softy trail down the sides of the dress to make sure the wrinkles were al gone until two hands collided with mine at my hips. A comforting pair of lips pressed into my temple. Darry then wrapped his hands around my waist successfully pulling our bodies closer together.

"You look great. I'm really happy your mine. I-I saved up a little money to buy you this little, um." He stuttered.

"Darry what is it?" I said leaning my head back onto his shoulder to look him in the eyes.

"I got you this… I really hope you like it."

He took one arm off of my waist, dug in his pocket, and deposited it into my left hand. I looked down to see one of the rings those Socs girls always wear. It was a light silver knotted ring. Around the edges it looked coiled and had little line designs. I flipped it over and saw it was engraved: 'amore prosperabitur' or love will prosper in Latin. I turned in his arms and kissed him before he could react.

We stood there locked in each other's arms until Two-Bit and Steve kicked the door open wolf whistling. I reluctantly pulled back from Darry to glare at the intruders. They stood wide-eyed, mouths agape at our entwined position.

"Darry you bad boy. Her mother's been dead for what, a day, and you already try and get in her pants." Two-Bit said puffing out his chest. I squirmed closer to Darry when he mentioned the death of my mother, but it wasn't too bad compared to before. Steve started laughing and called for Soda to come in the room and help them. Seconds later his blonde, tuff, mob of hair was visible pushing the laughing boys apart.

"Congrats. I would like to be a welcomin' the soon to be, Mistuh and Missus Darrel Curtis" Soda proudly stated in a thick country accent he made up from thin air. Darry smiled and kissed the top of my head before shaking his head and going over to swat the boys out of the room. He then closed the door in their faces as they pretended to whimper like dogs.

"Dare, we do have a funeral to head to…" I trailed off knowing that neither of us wanted to go. He sighed and plopped down on the bed resting his head in his tense hands. I went to sit beside him and rubbed his back soothingly. He huffed and turned to face me with sorrow filled eyes. I started to turn away from his intense stare, but he caught my chin.

"Angela, I really want to help you, but there isn't enough room in the house. You need to-you gotta, um, to head back home. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell you until it really needed to be done, but Soda said I should tell you and give you warning. So I decided I'd tell you after you understood how much I really do love you, which is a whole lot. That ring took two weeks worth of paychecks. Oh, I shouldn't have told you that. Another thing to add to the list of things I'm sorry for-" I cut his rambling of with a lingering kiss followed by another two pecks. I rose up from the bed and dragged him up with me.

"Darry, I still have my mother's house. That was the one thing I got in her will. I already knew you loved me, and I hope you know I love you too," I squeezed his hand, "if the ring was this much money take it back. I don't need objects to know of your love, I'm not that kind of girl." I smiled to finish off my little speech and opened up the door.

Darry pulled me back and pinned me against the wall before kissing up my neck, giving me a long kiss on the lips and running to go get the cars. Cherry Valance lent us her red Sting Ray to use. Two-Bit, Steve, Pony, and Jarrod piled into the Curtis rust truck that was being driven by Soda and Emilie, Brian, Brayden, and I climbed into her car. Darry was already at the wheel and waited peacefully until I have Brian buckled on my lap.

He looked in the mirror and winked at me before pulling out of the driveway much slower than Soda. Brayden and him filled the car with useless chitchat until we got to the graveyard. The rest of the gang were already lined up at the freshly dug hole and had the ashes. Soda handed them to me when I got out of the car and handed him Brian.

I looked down at my white knuckles gripping the ashes and my old life. I was the new Mom. I'd make things better. I'd be there for the kids. She would've been if she could've controlled it. No one can control everything though. Darry coughed and Emilie sniffled uncontrollably until Darry picked up her shaking frame. Beth came closer to me as if hoping to see our mother's last smile in the shining metal surface.

I sniffled and bent down, careful not to flash anyone, and placed her remains in the ground. Steve came forward with a few of the wildflowers that were growing all around. He let them drift down into the grave before stepping back to his place in the line. Beth came forward and mumbled incoherent words before picking up a handful of the dirty beside the hole and dropping it down. Everyone followed suit.

When it was my turn I stepped to the very edge of the now half filled grave and said the last words I could ever think of saying to her, "This is not the end." She wasn't done with life. The alcohol was a pause, but she would have come back if she had the time. I robotically bent down to pick up my handful and toss it over the metal container. Darry coughed and I abruptly turned on my heel ready to go.

Without looking back I trudged to the car as my legs started to feel like lead. I heard someone call me back, but I was done. It wasn't the end for my mom maybe, but it was the end for me. I was supposed to take her place. I had always trashed her and thought I was a better mother than her. With her gone, I was actually in that place. Things seemed harder to do now.

Darry grabbed my swinging right arm and pulled me back a half step. I flung my whole body around. Hair obstructed my view, but I could still see the small blobs of the gang and my family.

"You are not going to walk out on them now. I know you thought you could do it before now. I know you can do it even now. I felt this same way; everything will be okay. We will prosper. I promise you baby." He brushed the hair out of my eyes and kissed my forehead before taking my hand and whistling for the gang to come. We walked back to the car somberly and ready to face the rest of life.

TIME SKIP!

Back at the house Emilie was like a dog. She walked around everywhere making sure things were still to her liking. Beth sat down on the couch staring straight at the wall angrily. Whenever someone interfered with her view she would yell at said person. Brian was asleep in his crib. I was looking through the newspaper for a second job.

"Angela, time for work!" Emilie sang to me. I closed the newspaper and grabbed Beth.

"Snap out of it, you're in charge dearie." I patted her head and walked out the door to my job at the Dingo as a waitress.

FLY ON,

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