Chapter 13
The Funeral

Being with Jason was like an illusion to me, an illusion I never wanted to cease. When I was with him, I often mistaken myself to be hallucinating. Although Jason’s sweet kisses soon proved me wrong. The days went past with him, and then the rest of May flew by us… along with June. It was now July 4th and I wanted to address some important issues with Jason. I want us to be a real couple, I’ll say to him. We should get a place together. This was going through my head for quite awhile. Everything between us was… perfect. We both knew how we felt about each other and we couldn’t part. Even at night time… I’d get the feeling of wanting to cry because of how alone I felt without him. I started thinking about Jason again when suddenly I heard my nephew Lewis marching towards me, holding an empty batman cup. His little 7 year old face prayed for me to make him a drink.
“What do you want” I smiled, putting on my “baby voice”
“Cola… It’s in the fridge” I smiled and got the bottle of Cola out. I stopped and looked at Lewis.
“Did your mummy say you were allowed fizzy juice?” I asked, politely. Lewis never answered. Victoria doesn’t like the children having fizzy juice; she likes to stick with diluting juice or apple, stuff like that. Helps their teeth she would say to me.
“OK, tell you what. If I give you some cola, will you tell your mummy?” My voice still sounded very childlike.
“I promise I won’t” He smiled and flashed about four missing teeth from his upper set. I poured a small amount of Cola into his plastic cup and handed him it.
“Be careful, can you put that away once you’re done please?” I asked and e nodded in reply, still drinking his cola.

I walked through the Living room and into the Garden where my family were all sitting, sipping beers or juice. Mamie and my mum were both on a double-joined decking chair, sunbathing with the heat wave shimmering above them, Victoria was with her boyfriend Kevin and my brother Mickey were sitting the furthest away, they were all resting on a blanket, situated on the grass. Her kids were playing noisily around them. Everything was just right. Stacey wasn’t here, which made everything twice as good. I wished to myself for Jason to be here right now. This was my life, and Jason was more than a part of it… he is it!
“Ashleigh. What you doing?” Victoria asked, moving her sun glasses away from her eyes.
“I was just thinking. Where are my little girls?” I asked, hinting for her to show me the twins, Abbie and Aimee.