***Deklyn's POV***

All my friends were at my home when I finally made it back. The air was thick with grief. No doubt that each of my childhood mates were carrying the weight of my loss.

My parent's had made our home a place of refuge for each one of us. They were good parents and well respected within our group.

"Hi guys." I announced as I exited the back doors onto the patio.

I was immediately greeted by smiling faces. Their features were marred in sorrow.

"Hey." They spoke.

"I went to the lawyers and called the funeral home already. Everything is pretty much handled." I explained.

"The funerals will be held on Tuesday, 10:30 am at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Mom and Dad had everything prearranged." I continued.

I noticed Elik sitting by the pool with his feet splashing in the water. I had an unnatural desire to be next to him.

I walked slowly to stand beside him. I removed my shoes and socks, rolling up the bottoms of my jeans. I lowered my self to sit beside him and placed my feet in the cool water.

***Elik's POV***

I had been wondering how Dek was holding up. When he appeared on the patio I could see the strain of reality weighing on his shoulders. Like yesterday, I just wanted to ease his discomfort.

He came to settle beside me next to the pool.

I lightly bumped his shoulder with my own, just to let him know I was there for him.

"How you holding up, babe?" I asked.

"It's a lot. But, I'm just working thru it." Deklyn answered honestly.

"Anything we can do to help?" Chance offered.

"Soon. Right now, I'm just taking it minute by minute." Dek responded.

"Anything you need, we are here." Yani promised.

"Have you eaten, Dek?" I asked.

"Not since this morning." He shrugged.

"Why don't we go get some food, discuss what you found out and make some plans for the week." Cali instructed.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Dek agreed.

We decided on a dive bar along the beach that Dek's house sat off of. We walked along the beach, shoes in hand, as the sand squished between our toes. The air was warm and breezy. We mostly walked in silence, just relishing in the peaceful sounds of seagulls and waves crashing.

Dek walked beside me and I was desperately wishing to take his hand into my own. A few times he stumbled close, his shoulders brushing mine, eliciting the electric tingles that always accompanied his touch.

I finally reached for his hand, grazing my fingers to his palm. Hoping he might would understand my silent pleas.

"Is this okay" Dek asked as he intertwined our fingers.

His small smile made the sun feel warmer, the day seem brighter.

"Yeah, it's perfectly okay." I sighed.

We continued walking until we made our way into the bar. We chose to sit on the deck and ordered beer and food. I was shocked no one bothered to ID us.

I pulled a seat out for Dek as he took his place beside me.

"Thank you." He smiled.

"You are more than welcome." I breathed out, sending him a heartfelt smile of my own.

"What did Uncle Ian say?" Broady asked.

Dek rubbed his hand up and down his face, releasing a large sigh. I squeezed his hand in encouragement.

"He pulled my parents file for me. As the sole heir everything is mine." He huffed. "Everything."

"Will there be any issues getting everything in order?" Cherry questioned.

"No, apparently my parents were very organized. It's all cut and dry. I just have to meet with everyone and have everything transferred into my name." He continued.

"What will you do with the house?" Chance asked.

"It's paid for, they both are. Everything is. So, I will stay there." Dek announced.

"Both?" Cali looked quizzically.

"Yeah, there's a lot more to my family than I knew. So, I have quite a bit of assets and money now." He clarified.

Dek continued to explain in detail all that he discussed with his Uncle Ian. I think we were all shell shocked that he was kept in the dark about the financial status in which he grew up with.

I continued to hold his hand and draw smoothing circles along his skin as he talked. He seemed to find peace in those small gestures.

We finished our meal, having planned to stay with Dek throughout the week. He said he would be returning to school on Monday. We tried to get him to take the week off, but with graduation impending, he just wanted to continue as normally as possible.

I figured I would work while everyone was at school. At 21, I had made a good start for myself as an Investment Banker. I owned the company and I had a good clientele. I could work from home as necessary, mostly I did that anyway. I only went to my office, when meeting with clients.

We walked back down the beach and once again I held onto Deklyn's hand. I wasn't sure who got more out of the connection. Although, I selfishly hoped we were mutually benefitting.

The weekend ended in a blur and broke into Monday morning. Dek seemed to be handling everything in stride. It was both impressive and worrisome that he seemed to be so blasé about his current situation.

Monday night we sat in our new comfort zone, the patio. We discussed tomorrow, realizing that this may be the day reality final settled in for our friend. Dek was busy in the house, having asked for a few minutes to breathe. Tomorrow would come and a chapter would be written with absolute finality.

At the end of the night, I once again held Dek as we cuddled together. School had been a series of apologies, sympathies and questions. Dek seemed genuinely exhausted from continuously repeating the tragic events.

As Dek drifted into a restless sleep, I couldn't help but wonder how long he could hold his careful facade.

I thought of how his life had drastically changed, how my own life had as well. In one night, all the pieces of my world fell into place. In the same night, all the pieces of his had shattered.

The morning came, once again Dek had a carefully placed mask of complacency. I tried not to hover as my own anxiety for Dek waged war in my mind.

We dressed in our suits and the girls clad in their Sunday best. We quietly made our way to the funeral. Dek's grandparents and Uncle were there along with numerous other family members and friends of his parents.

Dek seemed to be more interested in our small group than the other attendees. This gave me a sense of both comfort and unease. Dek just seemed to be handling everything a little too calmly for someone saying goodbye to his parents.

Silent tears escaped all of our eyes as we each cried for either Dek's loss or his parents early departure. Some were, obviously, crying for both. Everything passed slowly as we braved ourselves for the caskets to be lowered into the newly turned earth.

As the preacher finished his eulogy, one of heartfelt words, we held our breath. Realizing that at any moment Dek's emotions could unravel, had each one of us bracing for impact.

Dek stood in front of the final beds of his mom and dad and took a ragged breath. His eyes closed tightly, sweat beading upon his sun kissed flesh. His mouth was taut as his lips showed the slightest quiver.

My hands ached to provide stability to the boy who had so easily captured my soul. I waited impatiently for Dek to begin, silently praying for strength on Dek's behalf.

Once Dek appeared composed he lifted his head, opened his eyes and began his final goodbye.

"As a child, you expect that you will one day say your final words to the people who have given you life. For some, you get many years. Years and even decades to nurture a bond that started as you took your first breaths and steps, spoke your first words, first day of school, first drive, first prom, first kiss, last day of high school, first and last day of college, marriage and one day kids and grandkids." Dek started.

Dek's chest rose and fell laboriously as he tried to stay focused on his words. His eyes were moist with unshed tears. The tips of his ears were reddened and his nose became tinted as he held back the dam.

"I won't get to have all of those beautiful memories. Those unwritten chapters will never be spilled. However, I want to focus on what I did get. I got 17 years with two of the most amazing human beings anyone should have the pleasure of accompanying. Mom and Dad raised me with affection and cherished me as if I was a gift sent directly to them from the Gods. Not one day passed that I was not adored, doted on or loved." He continued.

At this point Dek was a pillar of water, his skin being the only barrier between him puddling into the dirt. His body wracked with unspent sorrow, he was trembling to the point of it becoming tangent.

"I-I" Dek stuttered. His body seeming to be buckling under the weight of his grief.

Slowly each of our group made our way towards Dek. Flanking his sides and back, we stood closely to provide him with a foundation to lean upon. I reached my hand over and quietly intertwined our fingers, hoping the action would be seen as less intrusive and more comforting.

Dek wrapped his hands around my fingers and he smiled up into my eyes before a tear rolled down his cheek.

Cherry, Zaya, Yani and Cali placed their dainty hands on his lower and middle back, calmly rubbing in circles. Chance and Broady had their large hands cupped on each of his shoulders.

Dek visibly softened into their touch. Then he began again.

"I am honored to have called them Mom and Dad. My life will never feel as complete as it once did, but I will carry the short years of memories with me as I walk a new path. I will build new memories, in honor of my parents. I will strive to be at least as incredible as they always were." He stated.

Dek's head lifted as he scanned the crowd. His eyes settling with each person, he sent comfort for their pain.

My heart swelled as I watched a broken child seek to heal the devastated hearts of others.

"While my mom and dad will never again bless me with their presence, I am not alone. I have the best of friends, many since childhood, and one that somehow materialized in my darkest moment. I have Uncle Ian and my grand parents. My life is not truly void.

So, as I lay my parents into their forever home, I want to leave them with this promise as a final goodbye. I promise to love without waiver. I promise to honor them with diligence and pride. I promise to ingrain my future husband and children with so much love that they could never doubt its sustenance. I promise to cherish every memory as I make my way thru this beautiful life.

I love you mom and I love you dad. My heart wasn't ready to let you go but, the book you have started will not be left unfinished. The characters will just have to change."

As Dek declared his final words, the crowd remained without voices. Sniffles could be heard reverberating off the winds that softly blew.

The preacher spoke his closing prayer and the crowd thinned out.

We stood beside Dek as he watched tearfully. The caskets disappeared slowly as they descended below the earth.

Heavy hearts could be felt in the air.

Dek maintained his stature as the final cranks of the pulleys churned, lowering his creators into their places.

We solemnly walked away. A chapter in his life was now written in granite. But, we would make sure that new chapters began.

I learned something today:

Grief will leave behind those who are broken, but love will be left behind by those we grieve.