Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
As soon as the words left his mouth, I felt Amari tense beside me.
“Before I begin, I would like to thank you all for coming here today to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of my wife. Thank you for the sympathy and support you have shown my children and me during our time of need. I can’t begin to tell you how much I wish my wife were here. Standing right here by my side, witnessing how loved she really was.”
Amari scoffed out, “Unbelievable” under her breath.
“I spent twenty-two wonderful, blissful years married to the woman who was my soul mate. She was only thirty-nine years old and had so much more life to live. I never imagined I would be a widower at fifty-eight years old, having to spend the rest of my life alone when we should be spending it together. I vowed to always keep her safe. To always protect her.”
“Liar,” Amari blurted a little too loud, catching the attention of the people sitting around us.
“Amari," I warned, looking over at her. She scowled, narrowing her eyes at me as he continued his speech. “Enough,” I added in a demanding tone. She just shook her head with a disgusted look on her face. Peering back at our father.
“I know my wife is looking down on us today with nothing but love in her eyes. Thankful for the years we shared and the children we made. Proud to have called us her family. To have—”
“Jesus… I’m sorry, Mamá. Please forgive me, but I can’t listen to this any longer,” Amari interrupted, standing abruptly, pushing her way out of the pew. Immediately making her way toward the side exit.
I stood, trying to grab her arm, but I was too late, she was out of reach. “Amari,” I called out after her.
“Please, forgive my daughter. She is hurting badly. She not only lost her mother, but her best friend, and we all grieve in different ways.”
Amari stopped dead in her tracks, her body stirring with emotions she couldn't control. Her chest heaved as her hands worked into fists at her sides. As if reading my mind, Michael stood to go comfort her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her to the door. She leaned into his embrace, breaking down as they left together.
Never looking back.
My father nodded to one of the guards to follow them out, and then locked eyes with me. Both of us concerned about Amari’s outburst, not knowing what fueled it. I sat back down and he continued with his eulogy. Sharing memories of the love he had for a woman he would never see again. At one point he had to stop, bowing his head on the verge of shutting down. He pushed on, and with each word that left his mouth, my heart broke for him a little more.
The rest of the service went on without a problem, filled with nothing but sadness and tears. Amari was already in the limo when we walked out, waiting for us to go to the cemetery to officially lay our mother to rest.
We drove in silence, all of us lost in our own thoughts. Staring out the windows as the rain came down mimicking everyone's despair.
“Alejandro, it’s okay to cry,” Sophia whispered, rubbing my back as we stood in front of her grave.
I reached over and held her hand, squeezing it in reassurance. Watching through my dark sunglasses as they lowered my mother into the ground. My father was the first to throw a single white rose onto the coffin. Making the sign of the cross, walking away from his wife for the last time. Tears running down his face as he got in his limo.
I wrapped my arm around Amari, supporting her as we each threw in another two white roses. Sophia and Michael followed. Amari was physically falling apart in my arms, and I couldn't do anything to take away her pain. I couldn't bring back our mother. Her eyes held so much sadness, anger and disgust, all mixed together.
Not knowing who it was for.
By the time we made it back to the house, it was packed with mostly everyone who had attended the funeral. If Amari heard “I’m so sorry” one more fucking time, she was going to lose it. She was hanging on by a thread that was ready to snap at any second. I paid close attention to her the entire afternoon, making sure that Sophia or I were near her at all times. Making her eat and be somewhat social. When all she wanted to do was go up to her room and drown in her sorrow.
I wish I could tell you I was expecting what happened next…
But I didn’t.
Not for one goddamn second.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” the wife of one of my father’s associates consoled him. “I can only imagine what you’re going through.”