One by one, people filtered into the reception hall. The funeral service concluded not even a half hour ago and here more would offer condolences to the Summers girls and their families.
Buffy and Dawn had stood by the entrance greeting everyone with Joyce's remaining relatives: the girls, their husbands and their children.
"Buffy, are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Willow asked. She had watched the toll this day had taken on her friend and often tried to relieve Buffy of the mundane tasks. "Because if you say the word, I will be happy to take your place. Well, not too happy, because this is a funeral and Joyce was such a lovely-"
"Wills?" Buffy cut her friend off as Willow had a tendency to ramble. "I got this. Go save me a seat. Spend some time with Oz and the kids." Willow softly smiled to her best friend and went back to her family.
It amazed Buffy how much everyone has changed since high school. Here they were, ten years past graduation and each of them had families of their own. Willow and Oz with their two-year-old twins, Seth and Tara. Xander was married to Dawn and was expecting his first baby. And then there was Buffy...
"Buffy," her husband whispered taking her out of her daze. She focused her attention back to the arriving guests and shook their hands whilst listening to them tell stories of her mother.
Buffy was just about to zone out once more, when she heard the high pitched shriek of someone outside. "Ugh! Can you believe this?! Mud on my brand new stilettos!" By the tone of the voice and materialistic manner of the person, Buffy grinned knowing quite well who was behind the door.
"Geez, Cordy, can't go one day without thinking about yourself?" Xander mused when his ex-girlfriend Cordelia Chase entered the building.
"Remind me again why I dated you, because it certainly was not the charming personality," Cordelia replied taking off her gloves and handing them to her husband, Doyle. "Xander and mini-Buffy, this is Doyle, my husband."
"We know, we were invited to the wedding," Xander reminded her.
Cordelia rolled her eyes and focused her attention on Buffy and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry about your mom, I really liked her. She was always kind to me, even when I wasn't the nicest person to be around."
"Really? You, not nice? I'm shocked," Xander said sarcastically which earned looks from Cordelia and Buffy as well as a slap on the chest from Dawn. "Ow!"
"Thanks Cordelia, that means a lot," Buffy said. Since Cordelia briefly dated Xander sophomore into junior year, Cordelia became a part of the friend group up until she left for LA following their graduation. Though they did not keep in contact as often as Willow, Buffy, and Xander did. Cordelia was still regarded as a friend, at least by Buffy and Willow.
Cordelia's eyes followed over to Buffy's husband and then to her son. "Oh my god, look how big he's gotten. I remember when he was just a baby. How old are you now?"
"Twelve," Liam answered. He was bored out of his mind and desperate for some escape. He had been standing by his parents side all day and listened as people would talk to his mom. Finally, someone had something to say to him.
"Now do I feel old or what?" Cordelia said turning her attention back to Buffy. "Oh well, Doyle and I better find somewhere to sit. These shoes are not going to clean themselves."
Buffy laughed as Cordelia walked over to Willow and Oz before focusing back to the door and the incoming guests. As less and less people started to arrive, Xander and Dawn decided to head over to their friends while Buffy waited for the last few stragglers with her husband and son.
"Buffy, I'm so sorry we're late. Something came up on our way over and Jenny and I-" Giles began as he adjusted his glasses and scarf.
"It's alright," Buffy assured him. While Joyce may have been many people's second mother, Buffy's second family was Rupert and Jenny Giles. She grew up next door to the Giles' and they even taught her in high school. "Trust me, I know you two aren't the type to flake on an event like this."
"Um, yes," Giles said, still not yet grasping the lingo Buffy had used since her teen years.
"Anyway, the reason we were late was because-" Jenny began before getting cut off.
"Mom, I hope you don't mind, but I parked the car at the other end of the building. There was nowhere else to park," her son explained.
"Buffy you remember our son, Angelus," Jenny said taking off her coat.
"Of course," Buffy gritted through her teeth. "How are you, Angelus?" Despite being only two years apart in age and their parents being friends, Buffy could not stand the older man. Even in high school they despised each other.
Angelus pursed his lips. "I've been better. Not exactly how I expected to spend my first day back home. I had to leave my fiancée alone, at my parents place, after being forced out of there myself."
"I'm sorry that my mother's funeral inconvenienced your return," Buffy spat. She was not in the mood for his antics, especially not today.
Angelus' eyes softened. "Look, Buff, I didn't mean it in that way..."
"And in what way did you mean it?"
"I think it's best, if you calm down," Buffy's husband intervened. He could practically see the steam emanating off of his wife. She was emotional and he didn't want anything else to ruin her day. It was already bad enough they were warning his mother-in-law.
Angelus turned his attention to the man beside Buffy. "And who are you?"
"I'm Riley Finn, Buffy's husband," he explained wrapping his arm protectively around his wife and son.
"So that means, this must be the kid?" Angelus surmised.
"Liam say, 'Hi'," Buffy instructed.
"Hi," Liam said listening to his mother's orders.
Angelus nodded his head in acknowledgment of Buffy and Riley's son before saying one last thing to the couple. "By the way, I am sorry to hear about your mom. I would have come much sooner if I had known."
"Thank you," Buffy said as Angelus and his parents left to go find seats. Riley took Liam over to Xander and Dawn after the exchange with the Giles'.
Buffy peered out the doors one last time for guests and that was it. She had to said goodbye to the life she once had and hello to the next however many years she had left without her mother.