his funeral would make him look down on me in shame.
“When we face the most troubling times of our lives, we must remember that God has a plan for us, even if we can’t see that plan,” he said. The pastor continued on, discussing the afterlife and how we should rejoice that another of God’s children had been called home.
I didn’t see anything to rejoice over, especially not when I’d lost the last member of my family. I was completely and utterly alone. Not even thoughts of my time with Luke could console my aching heart. I wanted to crawl into a hole and just die.
When the pastor asked if anyone would like to speak a few words about my dad, Luke squeezed my hand and stood. The pastor moved away from the microphone to let him speak.
“When I met Joe Wells, I was just a punk kid who only cared about seeing how far I could get with his daughter,” he started. I blushed furiously. “But when our relationship ended, as most teen romances do, my relationship with Joe only grew. He was like a father to me, but he was also one of my closest friends. He was more than just a good man—he was an amazing person as a whole. He believed in second chances and seeking out dreams. He taught me to believe in happy endings.”
I was shocked by his speech, especially since it was the beautiful opposite of my inner thoughts. Luke returned to my side without hesitation and I grabbed for his hand again.
“Joe’s family has prepared a video slideshow of photos they would like to share,” the pastor informed us.
I wanted to demand Luke take me home, but he gave me a gentle squeeze and we watched the show together. Pictures from my childhood flashed in front of us. The photos I’d pulled out of the box in my bedroom, plus some I didn’t submit. I glanced at Luke but he kept his gaze straight ahead. A photo of Luke’s senior prom, arm draped over my shoulder while my dad made a face beside us. A picture of Dad pretending to strangle Luke caused laughter to filter throughout the crowd. My high school prom photos, the ones Luke and I had pretended to be happy in. I pushed down the lump in my throat.
When the funeral service ended, I let myself be led to the car. We were hosting a small reception at our house. It never dawned on me that I wouldn’t want to deal with so many people. The house was already crowded when Luke pulled his car in the drive. I swallowed the lump in my throat and opened the passenger door. Luke was there in an instant to help me out. I wanted to thank him but I couldn’t form the words.
The inside of my house had been transformed into a social gathering with people I was sure I’d never even met standing around eating food and chatting. It was all so normal, so very much like a party that I couldn’t take it. I made a beeline for my room but I was stopped by two older women wearing ridiculous hats.
“Mallory Wells, is that you?” the one with a yellow hat asked me.
I couldn’t help but notice that with her yellow hat and dress, she looked like a marshmallow Peep.
“Why, it’s been years since you’ve been back, hasn’t it? At least you came for your daddy’s funeral service,” she remarked.
I was about to punch an old woman in the face when Luke saved me.
“Ladies, is this Easter? It is customary to wear dark colors in respect for the deceased. And may I say you both look like you’re attending a party instead of a reception to mourn the dead. I’m sure Joe is up in Heaven, thankful for the two of you,” he said as he pulled me away from them and toward my bedroom.
I could imagine my dad laughing at the old biddies. It brought a smile to my face.
“Thank you,” I said once he shut the door to my bedroom and cut out the world outside.
“Anything for you, Mal,” he said.
I had him alone, and I knew I needed to be honest with him. He moved in for a hug but I pulled away.
“Luke, we need to talk,” I started.
His laughter surprised me.
“I hope it’s not the same talk we had a few days ago. I think Joe would frown upon us,” he said, jokingly.
I realized