Slowly we watched her start greeting people she new as they came up.
Some introduced themselves as people who worked with her dad, others were her friends from her school, her dads friends and her teachers and coaches.
There was a few people that she introduced us to, such as her soccer coach and a few people who asked where she would go after this.
The prayer soon started, making the five of us sit.
She held my hand tightly.
The prayer didn't last long, they asked all of the guests if anyone wanted to say anything.
A few people spoke, her dads best friend and boss, and then they basically dismissed it, telling them the times to go tomorrow and thanking everyone.
I looked to Paige, seeing her staring straight forward.
"Paige?" I spoke, making her eyes move to me.
"You okay?" I asked slowly.
"I'm okay." She spoke back quietly, making me slowly nod.
People started coming up to her, hugging her, which made her stand.
Her coach hugged her tightly, some of her teammates following behind as he turned to us.
"I'm her soccer coach, James" he smiled, shaking our hands.
"I'm with the kid a lot, I know her well, if theres anything you need to know about her, I'll gladly tell you or help you even, just give me a call" he spoke, giving me a piece of ripped paper with his phone number on it.
"Thank you" I nodded to him.
"Anything for my girls" he nodded back, hugging her once more before leaving, the small group of girls following him.
Soon the building was empty and we were the only people still here
We sat in the kitchen, eating little subway sandwiches and snacks that caters brought.
But she stared at her food, clearly in thought and not touching it.
"You need to eat" I spoke to her once the guys got up to her seconds.
"I- I don't think I can" she spoke quietly.
"Talk to me." I told her firmly.
"There's like a lump in my throat and I don't have to throw up- I just don't think I can swallow with it there and it won't go away." She told me.
"You have to cry." I told her, knowing the feeling she was talking about.
She shook her head firmly, swallowing.
"Paige-" "please don't make me cry" she spoke, catching the guys attention.
"I've cried so much the past week- and I just want to be able to be okay, to be happy that my dads okay- I want everything to be normal" she moved to her feet, her hands going into her hair.
"Paige" Ashton spoke slowly.
"Everything has to be normal- I'm not going to cry, my dads dead, this is over, tomorrow it's actually over- everything is going to be normal" I listened to her voice crack over and over.
"Everything is not normal, Paige" I spoke, making her stop dead in her tracks.
"And it's not going to be normal for a long time." I finished.
"We all have to adapt to each other completely, you have to grieve and you need to go to counseling-" "I don't need counseling" she cried out to me.
I stood, gently holding her face with my hands
"Baby you listened as your dad died." I whispered to her.
"You watched the same man shoot me- you saved my fucking life without hesitation." I told her, watching tears steady fall.
"You and I are both going to counseling, because you're not the only one having bad dreams." I told her honestly, seeing a completely different facial expression come into view.
"I'm just as scared as you are to sleep. I'm struggling to find an appetite, I dream about the man that walked into the building minutes after I spoke to you and your dad. I dream about going from holding you and protecting you- to you putting your body over mine, holding pressure to a bullet wound- you protecting me." I spoke to her firmly.
"I'm not alone" she cried, making me pull her head into my chest, feeling her hug me.
"No pretty girl, you're not alone in the slightest."
