"You knocked the teacher out unconscious!"

Shaking his head, Grumpy Priest coughed and then interjected "I have never heard something quite like that for parting words before."

An arm wrapped around my shoulder and Lana squeezed me tighter to her before she said in a hushed voice "You should say something."

"I have no idea what I want to say."

"Speak from the heart." Lana whispered, "Say how you are feeling."

I studied the tree that was shaking in the wind and I watched as some leaves off the branch fell onto the grass and gravestone

"I have no idea what I am feeling. I do not know what I am meant to feel." I uttered an I finally allowed myself to be honest "In the last year of his life we were strangers."

Lana started to talk again and her tone went softer "He was your dad and—"

"He was but I have no clue if this was what he would have wanted." I cut her off and began to ramble on "Did he even want to be buried next to my mom? Did he even want to be buried at all? I feel like I am doing something wrong. Like this is all wrong."

She gave me another gentle squeeze as she responded "He loved you, Ella. He would have loved anything you decided."

"Why does everything feel so wrong right now?" My question was barely a whisper.

"It has not even been a week since you were in an accident. Since you lost him. You need to let yourself grieve."

"I have." I tried to argue.

"No. You have not." She spoke and it was like she was peering into my soul "You have handled it so well. Too well. I am worried about you. We all are."

All I did was nod at her because I did not have the strength to pretend that everything was okay. That I was okay.

The name that was now engraved into the same headstone as my mother's stared up at me and I stared back at it. Then I noticed that the priest was still standing there.

"Thank you for the lovely service." I smiled gratefully at him and hoped that he took the hint that I was done with the service.

He nodded once "I wish you well, Miss Miller. I am sorry for your loss."

"Goodbye, Grumpy Priest." I waved mindlessly.

My eyes widened when I noticed what I had just said but he was too far gone so all I could do was laugh. Lana laughed too but hers was more strained.

"I do not have a family anymore." I spoke aloud but more to myself.

"Yes you do." Lana assured me before continuing "You have so many people that love and care about you."

I shook my head "I never let anyone close enough to care. I have only ever trusted one person in my life."

"Who?"