pulling her in for a hug.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” He whispers into her ear before letting her go. “Thank you for coming, Robin.”
“Of course.” She whispers to him, her voice barely audible as she nods her head.
“There’s…” He pauses, watching as they carry his mother’s coffin down the steps, his voice trailing off before he clear his throat. “There’s coffee and some cakes and stuff next door if you want some.”
“Yeah, for sure.” She says, reaching out and grabbing his hand.
He looks down at her fingers entangled in his as he smirks.
“I told my aunty you couldn’t do funerals.” He chuckles to himself as he gently squeezes her hand in his. “I should probably come clean…”
“Nah.” She says, shaking her head. “You got your own life to live, you don’t have to justify it.”
He nods his head up and down before stepping backwards and letting Robin out of the pew.
They walk out the door, watching as the men slide the coffin into the back of the hearse.
“Are you going to go to the cemetery?” She asks, looking up at Kurt as she reaches over to gently rest the palm of her hand on his stomach. “I could come with you.”
“No.” He says, shaking his head before looking down at her. “I think I’ve already said my goodbye.”
He steps away, leading her to the building next to the chapel before stepping into the hushed hustle and bustle of an after funeral tea.
Kurtis quietly nods his thanks to people as they make their way through the coffee line before picking up their white styrofoam cups and filling them with the hot, bitter drink.
“Cream, sugar?” He asks, watching as Robin shakes her head, no. “Me either.”
He hands Robin the cup of coffee before bringing his own up to his lips as he steps out of the line and looks around the room.
“Hey,” He says, sighing as the coffee burns down the back of his throat. “Would you like to go for a walk with me? I really don’t want to be here anymore.”
“I would love to.” She says, pulling her cup away from her lips.
She follows him back onto the sidewalk, walking beside him as they walk down the street before turning into a park.
“So, how’s your grandma?” He asks her, looking out over the grass as they walk down the path. “Did you have a chance to get her all settled in yet?”
Robin nods her head up and down as they stop in front of a lone park bench to rest under a tall willow.
“She’s good.” She says, sitting on the black metal mesh, turning her knees towards him. “She went back yesterday afternoon and she’s really doing well from what my mom says.”
“Good.” Kurtis says, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’m glad.”
“Really, Kurt,” She starts, a tear welling in the corner of her eye. “I can’t even begin to thank you for what you’ve done for us. It’s so much more than we expected.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He says, taking another sip of his coffee as he looks up at the blue, cloudless sky. “I’m just glad she’s comfortable.”
“She really is.” Robin says, smiling as she leans her shoulder against the back of the park bench.
She bites her lip, though the silence isn’t uncomfortable, before taking a sip of her drink.
“How are you holding up?” She asks, her eyes trailing over him as she watches him place down his drink on the seat of the bend beside him.
“I’m good.” He says, nodding his head as he clenches his jaw slightly. “I’ve been thinking a lot.”
“Yeah, sometime out of tragedy comes great self-reflection.” She says, watching him as he reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a small ring.
“I can’t change the past…” He says, holding the ring still between his fingers as he reaches for her hand. “But that doesn’t mean that the future is
“I’m so glad you’re here.” He whispers into her ear before letting her go. “Thank you for coming, Robin.”
“Of course.” She whispers to him, her voice barely audible as she nods her head.
“There’s…” He pauses, watching as they carry his mother’s coffin down the steps, his voice trailing off before he clear his throat. “There’s coffee and some cakes and stuff next door if you want some.”
“Yeah, for sure.” She says, reaching out and grabbing his hand.
He looks down at her fingers entangled in his as he smirks.
“I told my aunty you couldn’t do funerals.” He chuckles to himself as he gently squeezes her hand in his. “I should probably come clean…”
“Nah.” She says, shaking her head. “You got your own life to live, you don’t have to justify it.”
He nods his head up and down before stepping backwards and letting Robin out of the pew.
They walk out the door, watching as the men slide the coffin into the back of the hearse.
“Are you going to go to the cemetery?” She asks, looking up at Kurt as she reaches over to gently rest the palm of her hand on his stomach. “I could come with you.”
“No.” He says, shaking his head before looking down at her. “I think I’ve already said my goodbye.”
He steps away, leading her to the building next to the chapel before stepping into the hushed hustle and bustle of an after funeral tea.
Kurtis quietly nods his thanks to people as they make their way through the coffee line before picking up their white styrofoam cups and filling them with the hot, bitter drink.
“Cream, sugar?” He asks, watching as Robin shakes her head, no. “Me either.”
He hands Robin the cup of coffee before bringing his own up to his lips as he steps out of the line and looks around the room.
“Hey,” He says, sighing as the coffee burns down the back of his throat. “Would you like to go for a walk with me? I really don’t want to be here anymore.”
“I would love to.” She says, pulling her cup away from her lips.
She follows him back onto the sidewalk, walking beside him as they walk down the street before turning into a park.
“So, how’s your grandma?” He asks her, looking out over the grass as they walk down the path. “Did you have a chance to get her all settled in yet?”
Robin nods her head up and down as they stop in front of a lone park bench to rest under a tall willow.
“She’s good.” She says, sitting on the black metal mesh, turning her knees towards him. “She went back yesterday afternoon and she’s really doing well from what my mom says.”
“Good.” Kurtis says, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’m glad.”
“Really, Kurt,” She starts, a tear welling in the corner of her eye. “I can’t even begin to thank you for what you’ve done for us. It’s so much more than we expected.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He says, taking another sip of his coffee as he looks up at the blue, cloudless sky. “I’m just glad she’s comfortable.”
“She really is.” Robin says, smiling as she leans her shoulder against the back of the park bench.
She bites her lip, though the silence isn’t uncomfortable, before taking a sip of her drink.
“How are you holding up?” She asks, her eyes trailing over him as she watches him place down his drink on the seat of the bend beside him.
“I’m good.” He says, nodding his head as he clenches his jaw slightly. “I’ve been thinking a lot.”
“Yeah, sometime out of tragedy comes great self-reflection.” She says, watching him as he reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a small ring.
“I can’t change the past…” He says, holding the ring still between his fingers as he reaches for her hand. “But that doesn’t mean that the future is
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