A/N:Thank for reading. Enjoy!
"Is that the snow globe you had on the bookshelf in your bedroom?" Christian motions at the snow globe I've just removed from the box on the bed.
"My dad gave me this when I was ten. They had been calling for this huge snowstorm, but we ended up getting only a dusting. I was disappointed since I had already made plans of making snowmen and sledding with my dad. He left for a while, and when he came back, he had this. He gave it to me and said we can have a snow day any day with this. You think it's cheesy, don't you?"
"Not in the least. I think it's sweet. You should it put on the top of the dresser." I think for about it for any second before handing the snow globe to him. He moves to the dresser and carefully places it on the top. "Perfect. Why don't you take a break from the unpacking and relax for a while?" He picks up the now empty box, placing it on the floor before pulling me on to the bed with him. "I still can't believe you're living here." With my head resting on his chest, I look up into his eyes.
"Are you glad that I'm living here?", I ask.
"Very much." After spending yesterday and this morning moving things from the apartment I shared with Kate, all that's left is the unpacking phase. "Are you happy that you're here?"
"More than you know." I shift up in the bed and kiss him. "The funeral is at three tomorrow so I'm thinking about leaving work around one." Bryant asked me to attend the funeral of his mother who passed away last Thursday. No matter what my feelings are towards Bryant, I need to say a proper goodbye to his mom.
"I'll be there a few minutes before one." Christian and Bryant have butted heads, but there differences have been put aside in recent days. Besides having Taylor take Bryant home the other night, Christian ordered an arrangement to be sent to the church while Bryant said he was fine with Christian attending the funeral. Rachel, on the other hand, may be a different story. When Bryant called to tell me the funeral details, I could hear her huffing and puffing next to him.
"I hope that Rachel keeps her distance from me tomorrow. She may not like me, but she should be respectful and not start anything."
"If she has any decency she will.", Christian says. "If not for Bryant's sake then for his mother's. Look at me and him. We've called a truce even though I'm keeping a watchful eye on him."
"So am I. I'm not letting my guard down around him."
"When are you leaving for the funeral?", Kate asks the next day while I'm finishing up my work. I glance at the time on my computer and turn my chair around towards her.
"In about fifteen minutes or so."
"It's sad about Bryant's mom. She was always such a nice person in the times I saw her. Have you talked to him much?"
"Only when he called the day after she died to apologize for showing up at the apartment like he did and then when he called to tell me the funeral details." I turn back around and go back to my work but feel Kate's eyes still on me. "What?"
"I've been wondering what his reason was for coming to the apartment that night. What was it?"
"He said that he was distraught and wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't push the issue with him.", I reply.
"Do you think he might have had an ulterior motive like getting you to feel sorry for him so you two could get closer and so on? Ugh, I feel like a bad person for asking that. Ignore me." I close down my computer and swirl my chair back around to face her.
"You're not a terrible person. The idea crossed my mind. I didn't want to think of him using his mother's death as a way of getting closer, but I also couldn't ignore the thought. For now, I'm giving him the benefit and keeping my eyes and ears open. How's the new living situation with my mom?"
"It's going good. Elliot spent yesterday drawing up plans for a new project so your mom and I hung out and had a lazy day. I was in my pajamas until around one at which time I changed into another pair. We snacked on junk food and watched sappy movies during the afternoon and then played cards. Your mom is a pro at Go Fish."
"It's nice that you're getting along."
"Ana.", Tad, Bryant's father says as Christian and I make our way to the casket before the funeral.
"Hi." I step forward and hug him while Christian looks on. "I'm sorry about Vivian. I saw her only a few weeks ago at Bakeman's Resturant."
"She mentioned when she arrived home with our carry out dinner that she had run into you. You were one of her favorite people." His eyes move past me and land on Christian. "This must be Christian."
"Christian Grey.", Christian answers with a sympathetic smile. "My condolences on your loss."
"Thank you. Vivian was one of a kind. I'm going to miss her."
"We all are." Bryant rushes to his father's side and adjusts his tie. "The minister stopped me outside to go over some things for the service.", he explains to his father before looking at me and then Christian. "Ana, Christian, thank you for being here." I feel terrible for Bryant, but I'm not going to repeat myself and hug him like I did his father.
"The large turnout is a great representation of all the people who cared about Vivian. She touched many lives.", I tell Bryant and Tad.
"Indeed.", Bryant murmurs. "Christian, we received the arrangement you sent. Thank you. It was very kind of you."
"You're welcome." Awkward doesn't even come close to describing this moment. Christian places his hand on my arm. "Ana, we should get seated."
Ok. We'll see you later." After Christian and I find a seat in the middle of the church, I get the feeling that I'm being. Looking over my shoulder, I see Rachel shooting daggers at me from her spot by the wooden double doors. I refuse to engage in her games so I quickly my attention away from her.
"Are you ok?", Christian asks, leaning closer to me.
"I'm fine." I nod at Rachel who's saunters past us on her way to the front of the church. Bryant's eyes harden when he sees her. She leans in and whispers something in his ear only to have him appear even more upset. Moments later, the minister arrives at the front, and Bryant and Tad take a seat on the front pew. Instead of sitting with the family, Rachel sits down in the third row.
"Today we're here not to mourn Vivian Holt. We're here to celebrate her.", the minister says from behind the podium. "We may shed tears over losing her, but let's also smile at the pleasant memories she left with us."
The rest of the service is filled with stories of Vivian told by those who knew her best. Ann Dorset, her best friend of over twenty years tells how they never went a day without talking whether in person or on the phone. Bryant recalls the day he was taught by his parents how to ride a bike. He fell a few days but the encouraging words of Vivian and Tad gave him the strength to keep trying. Tad is the last one to speak. He speaks of the great love of his life who even though she initially turned him down finally gave in and went on a date with him. The rest as he says is history.
Following the service, everyone makes their way to the cemetary for one final goodbye. Bryant and Tad each say a few words and place a single white rose on top of the casket. Bryant lingers for a few minutes by the casket before moving back beside his father and the rest of his family.
"It was a lovely service.", Christian whispers as the mourners begin getting into their cars. His hand hasn't left mine the entire time, a fact that I'm grateful for.
"It was exactly what she would have wanted." He reaches into his coat pocket and looks at his phone, mumbling under his breath. "What is it?"
"The computers crashed briefly at the office. They're back up now, but there's a chance some things were lost. I have to go and check things out."
"All right. I should say goodbye to Bryant and Tad." A light mist has started falling on us as we walk to Bryant and Tad who are thanking the departing mourners for paying their respects.
"Thank you both for being here today.", Tad sighs while wiping away a tear.
"Yes. It was nice to have you here.", Bryant says. He looks briefly at Christian before looking at me. While Bryant's talking, Rachel waltzes past us towards her car which she drove to the cemetary instead of riding with the family.
"Again I'm sorry for your loss.", Christian tells them.
"I know Vivian's smiling down. She loved you both very much.", I add.
"Yeah. My mom had a heart of gold and only wanted the best for people.", Bryant murmurs.
Christian drops me off at Escala on his way back to the office. I immediately head into the bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. The ringing of my phone interrupts me. I look at the screen and see that it's Bryant. Maybe he's only calling to say thank you for attending the service, but he said that earlier.
"Hello.", I answer.
"Ana, hi. I'm sure you're busy, but I wanted to tell you again how glad I am for you being there today. It helped knowing that one of Mom's favorite people in the was there." I pull my hair out of the ponytail it was in and then sit in the chair next to the dresser.
"You've already thanked me so there's no need to thank me again."
"Still...Uh...", he stammers. "My mom saw how wonderful you are even when I was too blind to see it myself. I sometimes wonder if she was disappointed in me."
"Bryant, don't say that. Your mom was proud of you."
"You're way too kind. I'm talking about how I screwed things up with you. She made it very clear how I ruined a good thing by taking up with Rachel. Ana, I can't tell you enough how sorry I am for hurting you. I had a good thing and destroyed."
"I don't want to rehash things. I've moved on and don't want to look back on the past." I was afraid this would happen. I need to put a stop to it.
"I see how happy Christian makes you. It sucks that he's able to make you smile in a way that I was never able to. Yet, I need to accept that. You deserve that happiness." Wow. I'm taken back by his words. He's wishing me well. "Christian's a lucky guy."
"Not that I don't appreciate what you're saying, but can I ask what changed?", I ask.
"I broke up with Rachel the day after my mom died." That explains their distance at the funeral. "We had been fighting more and more. I realized what we had wasn't love. It was lust. When I was at their house the night she died, my mom listened as I told her how I was thinking of breaking up with Rachel. She told me even though she hadn't connected with Rachel, she wanted me to be happy no matter what. When I got to your apartment, I saw for the first time how much you and Christian care for one another. Then he had his guy drive me home. I was shocked, but it gave me a chance to see that he's a nice guy. Rachel was waiting on me when I got to our place. She was as supportive as she could be. I went to bed that night with my mom and her words on my mind. The next morning I told Rachel it was over. Needless to say, she wasn't happy. She tried to get me to change my mind, but I didn't. I told her she could attend the funeral but only as a friend. Nothing more."
"Bryant, you deserve to be happy as well. I truly mean that."
"Thank you. I've taken enough of your time, but I wanted to get my feelings out. Goodbye Ana."
"Bye Bryant."