”It looks like you been sniffing stuff.”

”Be quiet Chris that’s so immature.”

”Whatever.” Janet just giggled happy her kids were in a pleasant mood.

”Not to put a damper on the proceedings,” Tasha begins, ”But mommy, what still needs to be done for dads funeral?”

”Don’t worry about it Slim I’ve got it under control.” Janet says after putting her juice down, ”But I did want to run this by you do you think you’re up to speaking at the funeral about your dad for all of us? See I think I’m going to be all right and could do something, but…,” her voice starts to fade and tears are forming in her eyes as his death hits her as it has off and on since he passed after a moment she finishes, ”I don’t know if I can.”

Tasha looks at her mother and she’s welling up a little now too, ”I’ll try Mom.” Tasha knows she’s going to have to dig deep in that ”soldier reserve” she so carefully stores up for moments like this. It’s something she doesn’t like to think about but knows life has passages you go through as it should. She was definitely going through one of them now as it felt similar to fighting in Iraq and losing comrades to the war especially Lisa. The nightmarish dreams are returning especially the ones about her and Lisa. Tasha knows she’s got to get a handle on it but after she deals with saying goodbye to her father she puts her hand on her mothers. Alice, sitting quietly moved by the whole experience puts her hand on Tasha’s. Chris going with the moment puts her hand on her mother’s other hand and reaches out for Alices other hand. Tasha quite moved now by all of this begins to silently say, ”Lord, be with us.”

”I think it is time to have the funeral as soon as possible so we can mourn him and hopefully move on that’s what he would have wanted.”

”Well, how soon should we get the funeral going?”

”Well, I was thinking in five days that should give us enough time to call family make arrangements for limos and such what do you think mom?”

”I think that will be fine.” Tasha realizes that she is the head of the family so she must be strong. Sometimes, it becomes too hard and she just wants to cry in front of everybody but her soldier resolve won’t let her.