"She was a wonderful person," Eleanor says, a tear slowly slide down from her eyes. Despite the fact she had only meet Mrs Carlson a few times during her years of friendship with Joey, their encounters had always been warm with Mrs Carlson always treating her very sweet. Eleanor could tell that she was a wonderful person, and wished that she could have more chances to get to know her more.
As Joey continues to cry beside his mother's grave, Kyle tries to comfort him while struggling to hold back the tears in his eyes. Looking at the sight, Taylor and Eleanor couldn't help but feel their heart filled with sorrow. As the four of them continue to pay their final respect to Mrs Carlson, sound of footsteps can be heard approaching the four of them.
"My deepest condolences, Brother," the blonde guy, Tim, says in a sorrow manner as he bends down to place his bouquet of white roses next to the grave.
"Thank you, Tim," Kyle says in a low tone, while Joey couldn't say a word as he is still crying silent tears.
Tim stood up, with his heart also feeling sad at his best friend's lost. Through out the years, despite getting into silly conflicts at some points, Tim and Joey had been like brothers since they were little. So looking at his best friend feeling grief today, also made his heart filled with sorrow. After a while of staring at the grave of Mrs Carlson, Tim shifts his vision back up, only to see Taylor still staring at Mrs Carlson, showing her deepest condolences with sadness in her eyes.
Hours passed as at the funeral. Joey didn't have any words with his father the whole day, in which he avoided him at all cost by making himself busy greeting his relatives and friends who came. This made Kyle wondered at first, but he eventually learned the whole story from Joey. Being away in San Diego for a while for college, Kyle didn't know about the issues of his father and brother till now. Meanwhile, Tim had been staring at how sad Taylor looked the whole day, and trying to comfort her every time when no one's around, or at least, he thought that no one was actually watching. Paige had been watching them from one silent moment to another, while Lillian and Oliver just behaved like a normal couple attending a funeral.
3 PM...
"Thank you so much for coming guys," Joey says as he wipes off the tears in his eyes with a tissue.
"Don't mention it," Eleanor says as she stares at Joey who is still crying. Looking at him at his saddest state, deep inside it breaks her heart. She had seen him crying for hours, wiping the tears in his eyes, before bursting out again. She could imagine how badly he must feel, making her sensitive heart feel sad.
"Stay strong, Brother," Kyle says as he tries to calm his sobbing younger brother.
As the moment became silent with Kyle putting his hand on Joey's shoulder in a calming manner, while Eleanor just stares at the two boys with Taylor stood in silent with her eyes avoiding everyone literally at this point. Knowing that Joey had been crying all day made her feel the same type of sorrow. Especially since Joey has been known for his calming aura, it's hard to believe he's going through a major breakdown right now.
Time flies as half an hour eventually passed. Kyle stated that he'll be going back to San Diego, since he has to attend college tomorrow. Before he left, he comforted Joey one last time, reminding him to stay strong and that their mom wouldn't want to see him being so sad. Meanwhile, Taylor decided that it's also time for her and Eleanor to go home, knowing that they still have some homeworks waiting at home.
"Well, we should get going," Taylor states. "Eli and I haven't done our homeworks."
"Sure. Thanks for coming," Joey says in a low tone, with his eyes still puffy after crying all day.
"No problem, Joe," Eleanor says.
"Well, let's go," Taylor says as she turns her head to Eleanor.
"I'll drive you home," Tim says as he approaches the twins and Joey who all stood in silence.
"I'll also be going back. You want to join me?" Tim asks Joey as his looks at him in the face.
"No, thanks. I'm gonna stay here for a while," Joey states. He still wanted to acompany his mother and watch her grave. Just by looking at her grave, at least his heart would only feel sad, but not too lonely.
Hearing that, Tim only nods at Joey, before turning to around to face Taylor. A tense of awkwardness fills the air as Taylor refuse to look at him in the eyes.
"So? Let's go?" Tim asks the two girls.
"Well, ok," Eleanor answers as she turns her head to her awkward looking sister. "Let's go, Tay."
With that, Taylor snaps back to reality as she sees Tim and Eleanor standing and waiting for her. She turns her head to see Joey who is also still standing there. The situation makes her feel awkward again, yet she tries her best to hide it.
"Umm...ok," Taylor says. "Bye, Joe."
"Bye, Joey," Eleanor says.
"Bye, guys," Joey says.
Tim waves his hand at Joey as he walks away leaving the cemetery, along with Taylor and Eleanor. In Taylor's mind, today had been a roller-coaster of thoughts and emotions, because while she was struggling to handle the sadness she felt for Joey, she also has feelings of awkwardness towards Tim.
Meanwhile...
"So when will your chauffeur be here?" Lillian asks.
"Soon, Babe," Oliver says as the young couple continues to put each other's arm around their shoulder. Even at a place of grief, the young couple still intended to look all-time romantic at all cost.
Suddenly, Paige walks pass the couple in a rather fast manner. She didn't say a word as her face looked like she had something on her mind.
"Paige! Where are you going?" Lillian asks.
"Going home," Paige says, but she didn't bother to turn her head to see the couple. Lillian almost thought that she looked mad at something.
"Weird. What's wrong with her?" Lillian asks Oliver in confusion.
"Probably just jealous seeing our cuteness," Oliver says in a rather sarcastic tone.
Paige walks away from the cemetery, as the wind starts blowing at her direction. The sudden change of her behaviour is really obvious, even Joey noticed it when she told him she'll be leaving. She knew well the reason she's feeling like this, and thought it might sound ridiculous and childish, she's gonna go into full mood of suspicious starting tomorrow.
I swear, I caught him staring and talking to her in silence the whole day. You two think you can just stab me from the back like that? We'll see. Paige thought.
To be continue...