AN: Ok don't hate me but I am putting off her dates for a little bit. More it just gives you all more time to go vote. At the moment dancing is in the lead. If you don't like that then let me know. I got a real interesting idea for her date from gunnymom who suggested a shooting range. I apologize in advance this is a sad chapter and I know people are going to be questioning what it's purpose is in the story but have faith. Also the title of this chapter is based on a book I was read as a child after my grandmother died. I was just barely five at the time and the concept of death was something I had not experienced outside of a pet. The book compared burial to being flushed. Ever since then the first thing that pops in my head when I hear that someone has passed away is them getting flushed. I could go off on this huge rant about how there are some really poorly written children's books on the topic of death but I won't. Some of the things Hunter does towards the end of the chapter are the things that I did at my grandmother's funeral. Oh and I have started another story called So Much More Than a Dream. Go check it out if you have not already. Enough of my whingeing and what not read, enjoy, review and vote.

Chapter 8 Mama Down the Toilet

I left early to go with Daddy to deal with funeral arrangements for Hadley. Well really I just didn't want to have to explain to the kids why I was crying. Aunt Lynda Daddy's sister had passed a way from cancer just after Hunter was born a little under three years ago. Since Hadley really did not have anyone else but us it fell to Daddy to deal with everything. Her funeral would be held on Saturday which kind of threw a wrench in my plans but Alcide was real understanding about it. Preston was too but he freaked me out when he asked if I wanted him to come. I mean seriously we had only talked for a while and not even gone out yet. In the nicest way possible I told him no, that I wanted to just be with my family. More than anything I wanted to see Hunter. I wanted to make sure that he was ok. Around four twenty we got the call that Remy's parents were pulling the plug so to speak. His mother did not want to prolong his suffering for no reason. Hunter had gotten to say goodbye but I don't think he knew how final it was. She also said that she was too old to take on the care of a toddler. So that is how we found out that Hunter would be going to live with Daddy for sure. He left after dinner to go pick Hunter up promising to let me know how he was. I was just getting into bed when he called.

"Hey Daddy how is he?" I asked plopping onto my bed.

"He is doing ok but I don't think that he understands what happened really. When I went to pick him up he kept asking when him mama was going to come get him. I finally got him to go to sleep in Jason's room about ten minutes ago. Baby girl I don't know how I am going to do this." He sounded worn out.

"It will be ok Daddy. How did you tell Jason maybe you could do the same with Hunter." I suggested.

"Maybe, I'm taking the rest of the week off to get him settled and deal with Hadley's stuff. When do you think you will be able to get here?" He asked hopefully.

"I can't really miss any more class then I already have. It'll probably be Friday when I can. Jason and I can deal with Hadley's things next weekend. I am sure I can get Alcide to help too." I joked trying to brighten his mood.

"I have no doubt that you could baby girl. You might find this funny the social worker gave me a picture book to read to Hunter that explains burial. It compared it to flushing a fish down the toilet." I could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Please tell me you did not read that to him." I said desperately.

"No I didn't. I thought it would make things worse." He answered honestly.

"That's good. Daddy I am real tired and I know you are too. I'll call you tomorrow ok." I tried to stifle a yawn.

"I can take a hit baby girl. Love you and get some sleep." He said goodbye. I put down my phone. I was real tried so much so that I was not as worried about sleeping in my bed.

I got through the rest of the week with help from everyone but Friday afternoon I was more than ready to head home. Jess drove back with so she could spend some time at home. She dropped me off and said she would pick me up on Sunday. I walked in to find Daddy and Hunter in the living room watching some cartoon I did not recognize. Dean was attached to Hunter like a magnet. If he moved Dean moved with him it was kind of cute. Daddy acknowledged me as I went past to drop my stuff in my room. I made us all a simple supper of bacon and eggs. It was nice sometimes to have breakfast foods for supper. After we ate in relative silence we needed to get ready to for the visitation at the funeral home. I donned a nice navy blue dress and flats. I helped Hunter get dressed too. He wanted me to sit in the back with him on the way so I did. The parking lot was rather spares went we arrived. Hunter about broke my heart when we walked into the funeral home.

"Sookie can we go see mama now?" He asked innocently. I tried my hardest not to cry. Daddy had attempted to explain what happened to his parents but Hunter didn't understand why his mama and daddy weren't coming home. In his misguided attempt to explain Daddy said that it was like they went to sleep.

"Hunter remember what we talked about earlier?" I asked him in return. I had tried to fix what he said by talking about angels and god but I don't think it made any more sense.

"Uh but I want Mama. We can go wake her up." That did it a few tears escaped down my cheek. Daddy had to take him while I composed myself.

It was a rather small gathering of our family and some of her friends and coworkers. Gran and Jason showed up with just about as many baked goods at he could carry. People from church had been dropping them off with Gran. It was one of those things that I will never understand or at least I hope I don't. Why do people think that cookies and carolers will make you feel better? I get that maybe it will take some of the burden off people so they don't have to cook but that was one of the things I do to relieve stress. Remy's parents came for a little while but left a soon as they could. Hunter was real upset when they left. He asked them where his daddy was. Hunter and I spent most of the evening coloring and playing with some of my babysitting gear. I had a huge tote full of games and stuff that I took with me whenever I would babysit. Hunter's favorite thing in my bag was some homemade play dough. I had made it earlier in the week from a recipe that used Kool-Aid. It gave the play dough a great color and smell. We made green dogs and trucks and all sorts of things. At eight he was getting sleepy and I was more than glad to leave. Hunter fell asleep in his car seat on the way home and Daddy had to carry him in. Dean had taken to sleeping in Hunter's bed at night which I think was helping him a little. At least it gave him something familiar to expect. Daddy offered me a beer after he tucked him in.

"No I think I am going to follow suit and go to sleep. Don't stay up to late we got to get going tomorrow by ten." I said giving him a hug.

"I know baby girl. I just want to take the edge off. Having to listen to people console me about my dead niece is just not something I ever thought I would have to do." He wrapped his arms around me in return.

"I don't think that anyone ever thinks about this sort of thing till it happens." I pulled away. He nodded as I went to the stairs. I took a shower and put on some flannels I had. I was asleep before too long.

Daddy got me up eight thirty the next morning. We worked as a team to get Hunter fed and dressed as well as our selves. We were out the door and in the truck by nine fifty. Of the few funerals that I have been to in my short life the weather has always been cloudy or raining, but not today. The sun was shining with all its might unlike Aunt Lynda's. The eulogy was interesting and sad.

"Hadley was a vivacious young woman who died too soon. At times we question what God was thinking when he takes the people we love before we are ready to say goodbye. And sadly sometimes we don't get the chance too. We need to feel thankful nonetheless that we had the chance to spend time with them and love them." The Minister had me crying almost as soon as he started to speak. The think that stuck out the most to me was a quote that the he said from Lemony Snicket. "It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things." The Minister said some more words about Hadley and then opened it up to the rest of us. Gran and Daddy told a couple of stories about her as a child. One from Daddy was about how Hadley used to dress me up like a doll when we were little and how no matter what we were imagining she was always the mommy. She would pretend to cook and then make me pretend to eat all my veggies. It was how he knew that she would be a good mother one day. At the end of the service we loaded into the cold black limo to follow the hearse to the cemetery. The procession may have been short but it was still something to see. We place flowers on her casket and released balloons as a way to say goodbye. Hunter had a hard time letting go of his balloon. It was another thing that he did not understand. He cried more that day about his balloon then his mother which I guess is a good thing. Hunter did get quiet when they were lowering her casket. I think that was the first time he understood how final death was. He knew that she was in there and had asked the Minister if they needed to put holes in it so she could breathe. When he was told no he got a real quizzical look on his face and then said ok.