Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Leave a review, please! Thanks! Enjoy!
"Are you sure you don't want me to go?" She asked from the doorway of my bathroom.
"Yea, I'll be somewhat fine. Besides you can watch from the eight channels that are covering it." I said putting gel in my hair.
"I just feel bad that you aren't going to have any support."
"I have all the support right here." I said looking into her eyes through the mirror. "I just…I need…I need to do this alone."
"Ok." She said walking out of the room to fetch her ringing phone.
I slid the black tie around my neck and tightened. Putting the jacket over my shoulders, I looked in the mirror.
Alexis came up behind me, "Hey, that was Lanie. They found a body. I need to get going."
"Ok. Be safe." I said pecking her lips.
"Ok. Call me when you get done." She said grabbing her coat from the bed.
After Alexis left, I quickly grabbed a cup of coffee and grabbed my coat. Soon, I left my apartment and was en route to my mother's funeral.
I was standing in the doorway of the funeral home, welcoming guests and receiving their condolences. Paparazzi and media were outside trying to capture my father and I. The wake was being held here and then we would go to the Trinity cemetery where we would lay her to rest. My father and I would also be giving our eulogies.
Everyone stood around talking after I greeted everyone. I was talking to my mother's best friend when overheard my father speaking to one of his friends. He was talking about his campaign at my mother's funeral.
"Excuse me." I said to the woman while she was in mid sentence. "Can I have a word with you?" I said to my father.
I dragged him to an empty office of to the side.
"You're unbelievable! Talking about your campaign at her funeral! At least give her some respect!" I said yelling at him.
"Japser…"
"No! You took her from me! She was my mother and you…took her…killed her. I can't see my mother again because you killed her to prove a point. I can't even have an open casket funeral for her because her body is mutilated from the crash!" I said throwing a right hook that connected with his jaw in rage.
He stumbled and fell back into the wall. I walked up to him and held my forearm against his neck.
"I should kill you. Kill you like the animal you are." I said in a whisper. The tears brimming in my eyes. "But, I'm better than that. Better than you." I said letting go of him, throwing another punch at his cheek. The pain surging through my veins. "We're not family anymore. From now on we are business partners, I only come when you absolutely need me to. Don't contact me or Alexis, get Ted to." I said turning towards the door. "Stay away from my family."
I left him in the office, he was trying to stop the bleeding from the slight cut on his lip. Before stepping into the next room, I straightened my tie and raked my fingers through my hair, putting a straight face on.
After the wake, the funeral party traveled behind a police escort to the cemetery. The women and men in black surrounded her coffin that hovered over the hole in the ground. I stood at the head of the cedar box and took out my eulogy.
"Thank you for all being here today, to mourn the loss of my mother. It means so much to me that I know I have this big of a support system." I said even though all of them were here for the photo opportunity. "I have put a lot of thought into this service. But now I realize that she wouldn't want us to mourn; she would want us to celebrate her life. She helped so many people in her life, created many foundations and charities, and was a great mom." I took the paper and folded it, slipping it into the pocket of my jacket. "When I was nine, my Grandfather, my mother's father, passed away. I remember my mother tucked me in that night. I was crying and she just looked at me and said, 'Jasper, don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. I thought she was amazing for coming up with something so poetic. Later, I found out that it was a Dr. Seuss quote. But, I think that that quote symbolizes today." The lump in my throat grew bigger. "I love you mom." I said dropping a lump of dirt over the coffin; that they had lowered while I spoke.
Soon, everyone began filing there way out. My father was one of the first ones to leave. I stood behind watching the workers fill the hole. They soon left and I sat down next to the pile of fresh dirt. I stared at the tombstone, seeing my reflection it the fresh, clean stone.
It was getting cold, a few snow flakes had started to fall. But, I remained on the ground next to her.
"Mom," I said my voice cracking. "I'm sorry that he did this to you. This is all my fault. You didn't deserve this. It should have been me in that town car. It should have been me." I paused putting my head in my hands, the tears rolling down my cold face; the snow fall getting faster. The sobbing continued for a short while until I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I looked up at her and she looked angelic. The tiny white flakes delicately laying over red hair. She was beautiful.
"It's not your fault." Alexis said sitting down next to me, threading her fingers with mine.
"If I hadn't investigated…"
"Jasper, you can't blame yourself for your mother's passing. Your father did this. He did. Not you." She interrupted.
I stayed silent.
"Do you mind if I…" She said motioning towards the tombstone.
"Go ahead."
She cleared her throat, "Mrs. Bracken, I'm Alexis. We never really got the chance to talk before but, I need to thank you. Because you gave me the best person I could ever want to share my life with. You gave me love." She said looking straight to the tombstone as if it was really my mother.
"C'mon, I don't want you getting cold. You could get sick." I said standing and helping her up in the process.
We walked out of the snow-blanketed cemetery hand-in-hand. Taking one last look behind me.