Chapter Fifteen - Afterlife

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Chapter Song - The Last Light by Lily Kershaw

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Chapter Song - The Last Light by Lily Kershaw

Black dress or black dress? 

I stare at the two slightly different black dresses laid out in front of me. One is more of a silky fabric and the other is cotton, both are knee length and appropriate for a funeral.

A funeral is today's activity. 

Most Thursday's are filled with rushing Hallie through the morning, making sure she's dressed fed and then at school on time for class. Then I get back home and play with Bridie until she gets bored with me and decides to watch Bluey. 

Going to my fathers funeral is not how i'd love to be spending my time. Having to go to a city hall held funeral since he has no family written down on proper documents to hold a funeral service for him. So out of the kind heart of this cities government, they throw a fun little funeral service so anyone who knew him can bid a goodbye. 

I'll probably be the only one there, unless my father met others in the 15 years I haven't heard from him. Or didn't hear from him. Past tense. 

This reminds me of Mrs Mimi's funeral, although her's was packed with people from the neighbourhood. People loved her, everyone new her, she was a friend to all who needed one. 

My father wasn't loved by many, only me and my mother. No one knew who he was and he didn't have any friends. He's a forgotten. 

A person who lives in this city, but doesn't have a name, relationship or known part of themselves people recognise. They're forgotten and buried in a graveyard that will slowly rot over, and their name will deteriorate because no one comes to visit them. They sit alone in their death. 

The forgotten.

I pick the silky one because it's closer to my hand. I brush through my hair and clip a few strands to the side with a bobby pin. 

My face is decorated with minimal makeup, along with a light swipe of neutral lip balm. Because I feel numb now. I cried for the past two days, but today I woke up and felt nothing. No urge to cry, nor any urge to hide in bed. Nothing. 

Maybe I cried it all out. 

The girls and Danny have been amazing the past two days. Danny took a few days off work so he could do some heavy lifting that I'd usually do as my job, just so I could lay in bed and do nothing. Literally nothing, all I've done is laid in bed or the couch and scrolled aimlessly through the T.V channels. 

I slip on my plain black heels and grab my black coat, slipping it on as today - of course - is a cliche rainy day. 

I do one more once over of myself in the mirror and make my way downstairs, where Danny, Hallie and Bridie wait in the kitchen. The girls are eating breakfast while Danny flips through the paper. 

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