Lily sighed as she stood looking at where her husband had just been buried. She had been standing here for over an hour after everyone else left. She stood with her four year old son, James.

She couldn't believe she was now a widow and her son, fatherless. She sighed at the thought and looked down at James who had only said about two words to her in the past week.

She picked him up and held him. She could see tears running down his face and let him rest his head on her shoulder. She wished this was all just a dream, that she would wake up and her husband would be by her side. She couldn't help but feel that this was all too much for her.

Her husband's family, mostly his brother, had helped her with the funeral and all. His brother had been so good to her since his brother died. They had all gotten along pretty well since they had known each other since they were young.

Michael Montgomery just stood there. He was in quite the shock that he was seeing his younger brother being buried six feet under. His heart was aching, but he knew this day was coming; his brother didn't have much a choice. Michael's eyes stung with tears while he listened to the preacher ramble on about his brother's soul being lifted to God. What would we do now? His brother was dead; his best friend was now gone.

However, he looked over to scan the numerous amount of people who had attended. His brother was a very well-known man. He figured a lot of people would be standing there in front of him. He stood there beside his fragil mother, who was terribly sobbing. She had lost one of her sons, that was enough heart ache for anyone.

Michael skimmed his eyes over every face until it landed on his brother's wife, Lily and their four-year-old son, James. He couldn't even imagine the pain they both must be enduring, but what could he do? He was just his brother; he couldn't help Lily nor James now. Though when the preacher had stopped talking, Michael slowly walked over to them.

"Are you going to be okay?" Michael asked Lily.

She looked up at him and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I suppose...In time anyway." She looked back at where Miles had just been buried. She looked back at Michael and touched his arm lightly. "How bout you? Are you going to be okay?" She didn't know what she would have done if her brother would have died. She looked down at James who was sitting on the ground crying softly. She was worried about him. She knew this hadn't been easy on him but she was worried about him not speaking to anyone, not even his teachers.

Michael sighed while she touched his arm. "I don't know," he said. "I don't know how life is going to be without Miles. It's just gonna be so hard, you know?"

He, too, looked down at James. Michael had a hard time even looking at James; he was having a hard time looking at anyone close enough to him. The nephew he knew would normally be bubbly and happy-go-lucky, but he could understand - his father just died, how could anyone be bubbly at a time like this?

"If you want," Michael began to say, "you could come around my place for a while. Perhaps we could talk about Miles. Maybe it'll even cheer you up?"

She nodded a bit. "That would be nice." She and Michael hadn't talked for a while. She bent down and picked James up. She held him close to her and sighed. She kissed his forehead then looked at Michael.

Michael's heart suddenly fluttered whenever she accepted his offer. It was true, they hadn't spoken to each other for weeks, but that was only because he didn't want to interfer with his brother's family. He didn't know what it was, but he felt like an intruder to his brother. He even spent a few days pestering himself to even give them a friendly call. He just didn't understand himself.

Michael made his way through the large crowd of people; some even stopped to say their sorries to him. What could he do? Say 'thank you?' All Michael did was nod his head. He hated the fact that these people even bothered him, but he scowled at himself. His brother was dead, and he was acting rude towards the people who came to support his family. Michael found it even more annoying whenever Miles's friends would shake his hand or give him a sad hug. All he wanted was to go back to his complex, and he thanked God it was thirty minutes away from this cemetary.

The sky cracked with thunder and lit up with lightning. "Damn," he cursed to himself. He all ready felt depressed enough, but now the weather was going to make it even worse. Sighing, he tried his best to hurry up to his car, but he realized Lily and James were coming with him. The rain didn't come down just yet, but he waited by the car for them, staring at one ugly, grey cloud.

Lily carried James to the car, holding him close to her. She had always been afraid of storms ever since she was young. She used to have Michael to comfort her but now that he was dead she would just have to get through it on her own. She heard the thunder and quickly put James in the back seat before getting in on the passenger side. She leaned her head against the window and put her arms around herself.

Michael climbed into the car once Lily had put James in the backseat. He looked so helpless, and Michael could sense a little nervous feeling coming from her. He hated the vibe she was giving off, but he couldn't do a thing about it. After all, she had lost her husband, his brother, and why is it that she worse than he did...?

Michael started the engine to the car and pulled out of the cemetary. The road ahead of him looked dark and depressing; just like everything else was now. He saw no light toward him for a looong time; however, he looked over to her. The rain pounded hard against the windshield, which caused him to jump. "Are you going to be okay?" he finally asked her.

She looked over at him and nodded a bit. "I'll be okay eventually." She looked back at James who was slowly falling asleep. She looked back at Michael. "Do you think that maybe we can stay with you for a while?" She couldn't bring herself to go back home and go through her husbands stuff.

Michael's car had come to a complete stop whenever the stop light lit up. He looked back at James and sighed. When the light hit green, Michael slowly tapped the gas. With the raining coming down as hard as rocks, he didn't want to take the car faster than it should.

But when she asked him about the stay, Michael was absolutely (yet silently) thrilled. "Of coures," he said. "Anything for your condition."

She smiled at him. "Thanks. This means a lot to me." She leaned over and kissed his cheek lightly. She looked back at James and sighed. She wished there was sine way to make him feel at least a little better. She didn't want him to be miserable like this forever. She reached out to touch his cheek but he moved his head away quickly.