I wake up and decide I want to stay home this time. I text Ethan, letting him know I'm not coming and he responds back, understanding.

Ethan: Do you still want to go on the date tonight? I understand if you don't want to.

I tell him I still want to go which he says okay to and hopes I feel better. I smile slightly to myself, thank him, and say I love him. I get up and see my mom in her room.

"Hey Mom, is it okay if I stay home today?"

She looks up from her phone. "Yes, of course honey."

I awkwardly leave and go back to my room. I set my alarm, get back in bed and cry until I can't anymore, feeling exhausted, and fall asleep.

***

My alarm goes off and I swipe it off then I begin to remember everything, feeling a headache from crying so much. I get up and get ready for the date nevertheless. I pick out my best dress and heels then put on make-up and do the basics. Once I think I'm ready, I check my phone. I text Ethan and ask if he's on his way. He says he is and asks if I'm sure I'm okay to go on the date today which I respond yes.

I wait a while until I hear a car pull up and hear a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" I get to the door and open it to see Ethan in a tuxedo. "W-wow, you look so ho-I mean handsome. Handsome!"

He smiles and gives me flowers that he was hiding behind his back. "You look beautiful." He winks. I blush. He puts his hand out for me to take which I do and he closes the door-

"Be back by nine!"

I turn back to see my mom and smile. "We will!"

He then closes the door completely and leads me to his car. I go in the passenger seat and he closes the door, going over to the driver's seat. Once he puts his seat-belt on and the car in drive, we go to a restaurant. He puts the radio on and I hear a favorite song of mine come on so I sing along which I notice he's smiling. When we're there, he unbuckles, gets out, and comes to my side to open the door. He opens the door and puts his hand out for me to take which I do and he helps me out of the car then closes the door.

"You really are a gentlemen," I say.

"Well, you deserve it all," he says and I smile.

We wait in line, get sat at a table then order our food. I get my phone out and realize I still have the background picture of me and Aiden which makes me tear up.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asks.

"I really miss Aiden," I say, wiping at my eyes, and give him my phone. "That's him when he was two."

"Hey, we can go home if you need to," he tells me and hands me back my phone.

"No, it's okay," I smile as reassurance. "This date will be a distraction, it'll get my mind off things."

"Alright, just let me know if you need to go back home."

"I love you, Ethan." I put my hand on top of his.

"I love you, too, Emma." He puts his other hand on top of mine.

***

It's getting close to nine so he drives me back home. I decide to introduce him to Mom so I have him come inside the house.

"Mom, I'm back!" I yell. "Do you think you can come down here though?"

"Yes, just a minute!" she yells back. We wait a bit then see her come down. "What's going on here?"

"Okay, so, I've been dating Ethan for a while now so I thought I'd introduce you two," I explain to her. "Ethan, meet my mother. Mom, meet Ethan."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Halliwell," Ethan says, putting out his hand.

Mom accepts the handshake. "Nice to meet you, too, Ethan."

We sit on the couch and talk for a while until it's really late and Ethan has to get going.

"Before I go, I was wondering if I could come to the funeral?" Ethan asks, a little quietly.

"Yes, of course," Mom says. "Thank you for everything, Ethan." She gets up and hugs him.

"Of course," he says.

Now it's my turn to get up and hug him. I kiss his cheek and he kisses my forehead.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you, too."

He proceeds to leave and I watch him drive away in his car. Mom and I talk about him, she says he's a great boy, then I go upstairs and see all the pictures in my room. I take them all down, putting them away in my drawer. I went to my closest to pick out the clothes Aiden always loved me to wear and just look at them. Mom walks in on me and I stare at her then I begin to sob and fall to the ground.

Mom comes to me and rubs my back. "It's ok, it's ok, it's ok," she says repeatedly to try and calm me down. Once I calm down, Mom goes back to her room to sleep, and I put everything back. I get into bed and fall asleep, exhausted from crying so much.

***

It's now Saturday and we're at the funeral. I hold onto Ethan's hand while I tear up. Ethan did circular motions on my back then we drove to the cemetery and watched them put him in his grave. Everyone went around saying what they had to say for their last words.

I went forward a bit and said, "Aiden, I loved you so much. Your life ended too early and I wish you could have lived to see it more. I hope Heaven is treating you nice. Amen."

"Amen," everyone else said.

I go back to Ethan. "Nicely said," he told me.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

We watch as he gets buried then go home.