The funeral is tasteful;the room packed with people who loved Collin. Lincoln drove me so we could both support Aiden.Multiple members of the office are here, along with his friends and family.
Lincoln looks around the room and leans in to whisper to me.
“I knew he had a lot of friends, but Jesus Christ.”
I shrug my shoulders and look at the new and familiar faces alike.
“Does it make you think about who would be at your funeral when you die?” I ask, looking at him seriously.
He doesn’t make a joke or look at me like I’m crazy when he says it.
“That was actually my exact thought. I didn’t know you were just as fucked up as me, Pen.”
“I think I’d be able to at least fill the first row. I don’t know about you, though.”
His mouth gapes open and he knocks me with his knee and I wince.
“What’s wrong?” he says, looking down at me.
“Started a new workout tape,” I lie. How my legs still hurt nearly five days later is beyond me, but I was squeezed in tight in that small little hole.
I point to his forehead.
“What happened to you?”
He touches the bruise on his forehead.
“Tiki boat with the twins.”
“Been there,” I reply.
The service is about to start and I look down our row, seeing a pretty brunette I haven’t met before. She’s laughing at something in the program before covering her mouth and the service starts.
Collin’s family and friends share fond memories of him and I find myself getting choked up just because of their emotions over how much they loved him.
I want to be loved and missed even a fraction of what this man was.
It’s my first funeral, and I didn’t know what to expect, but it was actually a sweet farewell to the man I once knew as kind and loving.
People are starting to file out of the reception.
“I have to go talk to the lawyer about some of the will stuff. I’ll see you tomorrow at work, Pen,” Aiden says softly.
Lincoln and I nod.
“Want to get a drink?” Lincoln asks.
“Please,” I sigh, feeling the weight of the funeral creeping up on me.
We pass Zach on our way out, who looks irritated, but that’s not unusual before loading into Lincoln’s car.
He doesn’t ask my opinion on where we should go, which I shouldn’t be surprised by. But what does shock me is where he chooses. It’s close enough to our building that we can walk home, but it’s definitely more of a dive, and tonight is karaoke night.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he replies, getting out of the car and I follow him.
We both look out of place, me in my black cocktail dress and him in his suit. He tosses his jacket in the back and rolls up his sleeves as we go inside.
