“Every once in a while he did it. We just all stopped going because we outgrew it. Matt was like Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up.”
And now he never would.
What a depressing thought.
The organ music begins and we all stand and watch as the casket is wheeled in and Matt’s family walks behind it. The service begins and we grow quiet as we listen to the music, the prayers, a sermon, and then Olivia is introduced.
“And now, Olivia Ashley, a longtime friend of Matteo’s, will come up and say a few words,” the pastor says before stepping aside.
Olivia slowly makes her way up the aisle and steps up to the altar, and I swear I can see her trembling from here. After a long moment, she lets out a breath and looks out at the audience.
“Matt had the kind of smile that made all the girls’ hearts flutter. Young and old. He was the master of mischief, who was always ready for the next adventure. I imagine he arrived in heaven and is already making all the angels sigh dreamily. He was always charming; from the first time I met him in ninth grade biology, I was a little dazzled by him. When Matteo Serrano walked into a room, people noticed.”
I watch as she pauses and glances down at her speech, and I can tell she’s trying to keep her emotions at bay. Meanwhile, I pause and look around and just notice how most of the people in the chapel are women, and it’s hard to hide the eye roll or contain my laughter. Not that I’m surprised. Matt certainly had a way with the ladies. I recognize a face or two, but once Olivia speaks again, I turn all my attention to her.
“When I got the call that Matt had died, I didn’t believe it. It’s not like I believe that we all live forever, but for some reason, I truly thought Matt would. He was the life of the party, he was everyone’s biggest cheerleader, he loved hard, played hard, and lived hard. He was the sun and the moon and the stars. You couldn’t help but be drawn into his orbit once he set his sights on you.”
Another pause, and this time, Liv wipes away a tear.
“Everyone was his friend, and as I look around and see so many familiar faces here today, I know you all get it. Remember the scavenger hunts?” she asks with a laugh. “How many times did we essentially terrorize the neighborhood by stealing lawn ornaments? Or the softball games? There were always threats because people thought we were trespassing on school property, but Matt always managed to smooth things over.” She smiles sadly. “That was another of his gifts—his charm—he could talk his way out of almost anything. I can only imagine the conversation he must have had with Saint Peter when he arrived in heaven. No doubt he tried his best to explain how it wasn’t his time, how he was needed here because there were so many people who loved and cared about him…so many who would miss him and need his guidance. Who was going to plan the next Super Bowl party? What if the Rangers finally won another Stanley Cup and he needed to drive the party bus up to New York? Who was going to tell all of us that nothing was impossible?”
The shuddery breath she let out speaks volumes, and I almost wish someone would tell her she didn’t have to keep going.
But she does and looks directly at Matt’s mother.
“He loved you so much,” she says with a gentle confidence that is meant to comfort. “His love and respect for you were legendary. And because of that, we all grew to love and respect you too. I know I do, and I am so sorry for your loss, so sorry that your world grew dimmer. None of us can imagine the depth of your grief, but I can assure you, we all feel the loss. Matteo was not someone you could easily forget, and we thank you for bringing him into the world, and making our worlds a little brighter, if only for a short time.”
And with that, she gracefully steps down from the altar and hugs Mrs. Serrano before returning to her seat. I wipe away a stray tear or two and I’m a little in awe of how Liv conveyed so much in such a brief speech. She captured exactly who Matt was—minus all the bad stuff—and I imagine that was difficult. But she did it beautifully and I hope I get the opportunity to tell her that after the service. After all, I kind of feel bad for being a little flippant in the visitation room earlier. What the hell was I thinking making a joke while we’re standing next to a casket holding the body of our friend?
I loathe myself…
The rest of the service is short and before we know it, we’re on our feet watching Matt’s casket being wheeled out with his family again behind him. They had requested a private burial so none of us are going, and I’m not sure if anyone’s doing anything afterwards. I’m about to ask Mike when Loren takes his hand and leads him out of the row.
I guess that means I’ll ask him outside.
We’re all walking slowly and I’m basically on my own and as I look around, all I can think of is how weird funerals are. I get how we’re all here to pay our respects to a man we all knew and cared about, but it feels wrong to be standing around watching his family as they are going through one of the most difficult things they can go through. I almost feel guilty when I step outside and we all watch as the casket goes into the hearse and his relatives get into their cars and drive away.
Now we’re all just standing around like we’re not exactly sure what to do with ourselves.
I know I am.
Zayne walks over and shakes my hand. “Hey, Ash. Sorry we didn’t get to talk earlier. It felt weird to lean over Loren and Mike.”
“I get that. I overslept after traveling all day yesterday and got here late. I felt like a jerk walking in late.”
“You were fine.” We stand there awkwardly for a moment and I can’t speak for Zayne, but I wonder if we’re allowed to talk about things other than the funeral. It feels like we shouldn’t, but as I look around, I see people smiling and talking, so…maybe?”
“Are you guys doing anything now? Do you wanna grab a late lunch or maybe have a beer in Matt’s honor?”
“Um…” He looks over his shoulder at where Mike, Loren, and Vanessa are standing. “I’m not sure. Maybe we’ll all…”
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Frowning, I pull it out and see it’s my father.
Shit.
I’m so not in the mood for this right now, but I know I should answer.
“You need to take that?” Zayne asks.
