Marissa was in the kitchen pouring a glass of milk for Gabby when Miranda walked in.
"Do I look okay?" the little girl asked nervously.
Miranda was wearing a white floral dress under a thick blue cardigan.
"You look beautiful." said Marissa.
She brought the milk over to Gabby who was quietly waiting for her on the bench by the breakfast table.
"Try not to spill it on your pretty dress." Marissa warned, before turning her attention back to Miranda.
"But is it okay for today?" Miranda asked uncertainly.
"It's perfect." said Marissa. "It's just what your mommy asked for."
It was over a week since Jesse turned up with the bad news.
Bianca was dead and today was the day of her funeral. It was going to be a joint ceremony with Erica. Bianca however had left a request to the mourners; no one was to wear black at her funeral, instead they should wear flowers.
Miranda was still quite quiet so Marissa bent down and stroked her cheek.
"It's going to be okay." she whispered sadly. "Can I get you something? Do want a glass of milk too?"
Miranda shook her head but gave Marissa a small smile.
"But when this is over you are really going to adopt us?"
"I'm going to try." insisted Marissa.
…
Four days after Jesse showed then the coroner's report both Marissa and Reese decided they needed to talk to the kids about their future. With Reese beside her they broke the subject of adoption with all the children. They could see all three kids were as scared for their family as they were stricken by grief. AJ yelped with delight at the thought of Miranda really being his twin. Gabby too seemed happy that Mamma 'Rissa would be her real mamma now. Marissa worried most about Miranda's reaction, but after a moment the little girl just hugged her tight.
Adoption however was a slightly trickier problem with the courts. Marissa hoped she could use her contacts to try and push it through but she was a divorced single mother and no relation to the two girls. They weren't going to make it easy for her. Reese's own pleas on Marissa behalf only led Caleb, who had offered to act as her lawyer, to comment on the dubious nature of her own claim on the girls. The judge they spoke to said they wouldn't rule on the adoption until after Bianca's Will was read. There was a lot of speculation in the press about how much money would be in trust for the Miranda and Gabby and who would have control of Bianca's billions; an attorney or the girl's guardian. The judge saw the sums of money involved in the estate as an issue when it came to custody of the children. He couldn't understand that Marissa didn't care about the money at all.
Caleb would be reading both Erica and Bianca's will after the funerals.
…
Back in the Montgomery-Tasker kitchen Marissa was getting a hug from a girl she hoped soon to be able to call her daughter.
Just then the doorbell rang.
"That will be Nana Krystal, with our ride." said Marissa straightening up. "Will you be okay to watch your sister? And then I'll see what's keeping AJ."
Miranda nodded.
"I can watch Gabby."
Marissa kissed the top of her head, and kissed Gabby for good measure before heading through to the entrance hall.
"I'll get it." Reese called, putting in an earring while hurrying from her room to the front door, beating Marissa to it. Reese looked striking in a colourful floral gown.
Marissa lingered to welcome her mom, but it wasn't Krystal on the doorstep. It was another woman.
"Maggie!" Marissa gasped.
Maggie was dressed in sombre black and looked tired from her flight.
"I had to come," she said, "For Bianca. I hope that's okay?"
Reese and Maggie shared a hug before the new arrival crossed the floor to hug Marissa as well.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." she said as they hugged.
"Thank you." said Marissa.
Reese was giving her sympathetic smile as well.
"Well it's good to see you… cousin," said Marissa pulling out of the embrace. "Do you have somewhere to stay?"
"Thank you… cousin." said Maggie. "But it's okay, I've booked a hotel in town. At a time like this you need your space."
Marissa nodded.
They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a moment; Maggie clearly had something else on her mind.
"I know this a hard day, but I was wondering as well if there is any more news of David?" she asked.
"Nothing." said Marissa stiffly. She didn't want to talk about dad right now. Not today.
Maggie nodded taking the hint.
Marissa turned to Reese.
"The girls are just in the kitchen. My mom should be here soon with the car. I need go and find what's keeping AJ." Marissa eyes then drifted to Maggie dark outfit. "And we need to find you a different dress for the service." she added.
Reese came up and put a hand on Maggie's shoulder. The doctor, for her part, was looking a little confused.
"I got it." said Reese supportively. "And don't worry about the dress I have something Maggie can borrow."
…
Marissa found AJ sat on his bed starring at his closet. He wasn't dressed.
"Come on, Buddy." said Marissa trying to stir him. "You're not ready yet."
"I don't want to go." he said quietly.
Marissa took a seat beside him.
"You have to go." she said. "Don't you want to say goodbye?"
"No." he said flatly. "Uncle Jack and Reggie and… and Spike's mom aren't here. They don't want then to be dead. I don't want Binks to be dead either!"
Marissa put her arm around him and pulled him to her side. Marissa had hoped that Kendall or Jackson would be coming home for the funeral. It was a slightly selfish wish. If they spoke up on her behalf about the adoption it would make things easier. But both Jackson and Kendall were obsessed with the idea that Erica and Bianca were both still alive. They refused to come home. Why would they want to mourn at the grave of someone they didn't believe was dead?
"Do you know how much I want them to be right?" sighed Marissa. "Do you know how much I want this to all be some bad dream that I wake up from before it's too late? If they are right then that is the best news in the world! But if they are wrong they are going to regret for the rest of their life that they didn't get to say a proper goodbye. And the thing with goodbyes is, they can be turned right around and become hellos again if it comes to that. Right?"
AJ didn't respond.
"Hey," insisted Marissa. "You know Bianca didn't want us to be sad today. She wanted us to celebrate her life. That's what today is; a celebration!"
"But I am sad." said AJ.
Marissa kissed the top of head.
"I know." said Marissa. "But please come with us. It won't be a proper goodbye if you aren't there too."
AJ pulled a face.
"I… I… I…" he stammered and Marissa realised something else was wrong.
"What is it?" she prompted.
AJ looked to the grey suit that was sitting on the bed beside him. It was one his dad had bought for him. All his other suits were black. Uncle Stuart had loaned him a bright floral tie to go with it.
"My suit doesn't fit right." he said quietly.
"Well, you have had a growth spurt." said Marissa. "Is it really that bad?"
AJ pulled on the jacket to show her and the cuffs were halfway up his forearms.
"Hey, it's okay. You must have something else." she said getting up and rummaging through his closet. She found a pair of chinos and held them out to him.
"You can wear these with your red wool sweater" she said. "That will be bright and colourful and still go with the tie."
AJ took the clothes from his mom.
"So are you coming to the funeral?" she asked.
"Only so we can say goodbye properly." he said quietly
Marissa hugged him.
"Thank you." she said. Surprised at herself for not noticing how tall he was getting. Her son was almost as tall as she was now. "And at some point it looks like I'm going to have to take you kids clothes shopping."
Marissa sighed at the irony of such a domestic concern on a day like today. She always thought when the day of the funeral came it would feel like the end of everything but life goes on even when you don't expect it to.
…