"As we watch their bodies descend, their spirits will rise to the heavens. At this moment, we will silently remember their time on this Earth. We will remember their life as amazing parents, friends, and leaders with every flower that lands. We shall begin," the pastor's calm voice spoke loudly over the sounds of people crying and the soft piano that came out from the speakers.

The metal rods that once held the two caskets high into the air slowly began to lower. One by one, their friends and subordinates grabbed carnations from the basket and tossed them into the large hole in the ground. Once the caskets were low enough, family members filed in and tossed white jasmines on top of them. Eventually, when the caskets finally touched the bottom of the pit, it was our turn.

My siblings and I walked toward the pastor who held out a basket of flowers for us. We each grabbed one and then lined across the edge of the hole, looking down at the brown, polished boxes and waiting for the rods to detach from them.

I brought the apple blossom to my lips and imagined that I had given them one last kiss. One last goodbye. One last… everything.

I watched as my siblings tossed their flowers onto the wood that held our parents before tossing in my own. After, we stepped away and huddled together as we watched the workers from the funeral home shovel dirt into the space.

"It's time to go guys," a low voice said.

I looked up to him with disbelief, watching as he removed himself from our huddle and began to make his way up the hill behind the pastor that led to the parking lot.

"Can't we stay for a little longer, Matteo?" I asked, causing him to stop and lower his head.

"Yeah, we were already late. We should spend more time with them," a high-pitched voice agreed from beside me. I pulled her closer to me as we patiently waited for an answer.

Matteo turned back to us and smiled softly. "I want that too but we've already missed so much. We don't want to let what they built fall to the ground by taking away another moment." 

A sigh left the lips of my brother standing opposite of me before he began walking to  Matteo. "He's right, we have things to do. C'mon Mel, let's go."

"B-but Dez can't we-"

"No, remember, we're behind on work." He reached his hand toward her.

Mel hesitantly grabbed it and they began to walk together. She cautiously made her way up the hill as he helped her.

"I guess it's just me and you, Clem," I said, slightly rubbing her shoulders.

"Hey, Clem!" Matteo called from the top of the hill. "You coming? I'm heading back home and you have to get ready for training."

She leaned her head onto my chest, held me close, and let out a deep breath. "I guess it's just you, Ali. Unless you want to come and help set up?"

I petted the pieces of her afro that covered her face as she looked up at me with her big brown eyes, the sun making her golden skin glow and freckles darken. "I just remembered that I have to head out too. I have one more collection to do this week."

"You sure?" She said softly.

I smiled weakly at her. "Yes, I'm sure. I'll see you for dinner." I placed a kiss on her forehead that quickly caused her to retract.

"Nasty!" She giggled before running up the hill.

I watched as she jumped onto Matteo's back, interrupting his conversation with Kris. They laughed as he spun around with her clinging onto him before grabbing onto her legs properly and running out of my sight, toward the parking lot.

I walked up to the pastor and shook her hand. "Thank you for the service."

She turned my hand and patted the top of it. "Of course, of course. If I may ask, why are you and your siblings leaving so early? We haven't even finished covering your parents' caskets," her voice laced with concern.

"The five of us have some things to tend to that our parents left behind. We would love to stay and celebrate their life with everyone but the tasks they left are urgent."

She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "I understand honey. Have a blessed day. If you or your siblings ever need anything, just let me know, okay?"

"Yes, Pastor."

As I made my way to my car, I noticed that Dez's Escalade and Matteo's Challenger were already gone. Why did I think any differently?

I continued to walk slowly, listening to the sound of pebbles crunching under my sneakers. Finally reaching my car, I admired the black Mustang as the polish shined under the sun. My hand ran across the clean hood as I walked to the driver's seat. Opening the car door, the smell of clean linen filled my nose. The black leather seat stretched as I sat down. 

Once I closed the door, I quickly looked around the car. The empty folder left on top of the right-back seat, my jacket that hung on the opposite end, the cup in the cup holder of the passenger door, and the receipt on the floor under me hadn't been moved. My body relaxed into the warm leather. No signs of anyone anywhere.

I lightly placed my hands on the steering wheel, rubbing the microfiber and closing my eyes. I let out a deep breath before turning on the car.

A rapid knock came to the passenger side window, causing my heart to skip a beat. I looked out the darkly tinted window to see Kris waiting and covering their eyes from the bright sun.

I cracked the window open, enough to hear them. "I thought you went with Matteo and Clem," I stated.

"No, I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine."

"I'm surprised you still have a collection left. You usually finish things early."

"I forgot that I let one have a couple more days. We might have issues with them. If you're heading to my house, let Matteo know that."

"Will do." They tapped the car and stood up but before I could close the window, they quickly shot back down. "Do you want me to meet you… wherever you're going? If it's not a hidden spot, someone else can go with you if you don't want me. Maybe Francesca?"

"No, no, I'll handle this one alone. If I get the same excuse without evidence, I'll bring someone next time."

"Okay," they drawled, standing up again and walking away.

I closed the window, started the car my father and I fixed together, and drove away from my parents' funeral.

This car wasn't too old when we found it in a junkyard that we used to pass by. I was seven years old when my dad found the 2005 Mustang under the rubble. At first, he was hesitant to let me help but after some convincing that it was safe for me, it became our project. Every day we worked on the car in some type of way, despite his busy schedule, and it continued like this for ten years. When I received my driving permit at fifteen, I refused to own any other car but this one and waited patiently until it was ready. 

Last year, before our vacation to our summer home, the car was ready to be driven. We test drove the car for days on end just to make sure it could handle the distance. When the car was finally deemed suitable to drive, I completed my driver's test with it. After the car officially became mine, I gave my father a new project. His project was to help me redo the old-styled interior. 

Before we left for our vacation, some of the parts I wanted finally arrived in the mail. He helped me take apart the tan-colored consoles and replaced them with black, leaving the silver areas. We had planned to take out the smell and revamp everything else when we got back, but a year later, only one of us made it back home from the woods.

Pulling into the back parking lot of the club, I took note of how all the items in my car laid before stepping out and grabbing a key from the ring in the door's cup holder. 

The back of the club had no windows and no way of people knowing I had arrived. There were two doors on the white brick wall, one painted in a light grey that was slowly chipping away and the other in a shiny black coat. I walked up to the black door and unlocked it. 

The kitchen bustling with people came to a halt as I slammed the door shut behind me. I looked at each pair of eyes with a hard stare as I slowly walked to the exit. 

The sight of trembling unfamiliar blue eyes caught my attention. I smirked as our eyes locked. 

"You. Come with me," I demanded.

Their eyes widened as they nervously looked around them. Everyone's attention was on them. 

I rolled my eyes. "I don't have all day, c'mon."

"Y-yes ma'am," their raspy voice shook.

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