"Are you ready?" I asked Eli as I left his bathroom while putting in an earring.

"No." he answered and buttoned the sleeve of his shirt then slid on a suit jacket.

I held his hand when he finished. He lifted both of ours and kissed mine gently.

____________________________________

When we arrived to the church everyone was outside and holding conversations. I could tell a difference in the sides of Eli's family. One side, which I assumed was his father's, looked important, sophisticated, and like they'd never heard of the word 'fun'. The other side also looked classy but they were gentle and even though it was a funeral they smiled when they consoled one another.

"Elijah." called a man.

"Daniel." Eli said back.

"How are you little cousin?"

"Well, I've been better." Eli answered and they shook hands before pulling each other into a hug.

"I'm sorry about that." Daniel replied.

"Hey, it happens to everyone at some point, right?"

Daniel nodded and then we made eye contact.

"And you are?" he asked and held his hand out for me.

"Leyla." I said and shook his hand.

"Uh huh." His eyes stayed on me with a slight smile and we shook hands longer than I would have liked.

"I'll catch up with you later, Daniel." Eli interrupted and Daniel finally let go of my hand.

"Yea, of course."

We started walking off.

"Elijah Dean Matthews." Some woman called. "My goodness don't you get tired of growing? The last time I saw you, you were at my shoulders." She snickered.

"Well I was 15 then." Eli laughed. "But it's nice to see you, too, Aunt Gen."

"Right, if only it were under better circumstances." They both nodded.

"And who's this lovely lady on your arm?" She smiled at me.

"This is Leyla." he answered.

"I didn't know you were married!" she said in shock.

"Oh, no, we aren't married." I replied and laughed it off.

"Really? A shame, you'd make a beautiful husband and wife. I'm Genevieve by the way, dear." She held her hand out.

"It's nice to meet you." I greeted and shook it.

"You as well, you know I changed your soon-to-be husband's diapers when he was younger." She pushed Eli out of the way and entangled her arm in mine.

"Aunt Gen!" he shouted as she paraded us away from him.

"Hush, child." she demanded.

I couldn't help but giggle.

Genevieve brought me into the church and to a few other members of the family.

"Everyone, this is Leyla." she introduced. "Eli's girlfriend."

They gasped.

'Why do they act like this is a big deal?'

"Oh my goodness, you are beautiful, it's about time Elijah brought a girl around." One woman said.

"I was starting to think the boy was gay. I almost set him up with my neighbor's son." Another said.

"No I heard he's been dating for a while but they were all rich, prestigious, and snobby women his father chose. They didn't last." said a different lady.

"Obviously not. Deana raised that boy better than that."

"Derek is such a pain in the ass. Did he choose you, too, dear?" The first woman asked me.

"Um...No, actually. Mr. Matthews doesn't really like me." I tried to laugh it off.

"BRILLIANT! If he doesn't like you then that means you're perfect for Elijah. Based off of what I've heard, Derek has done a terrible job at picking spouses for my poor nephew." she replied.

"You know, personally I think I heard Derek might be a racist."

My eyes widened.

"It wouldn't shock me. The man is terrible." said another woman. "I'm so glad he didn't contaminate my poor Eli."

"That's all Deana's doing. Derek was never home anyway."

I just stood there listening.

"You two are going to give me the most beautiful great grandchildren." I realized one of the women speaking to me was in fact Eli's grandmother, his mother's mother. She had to be 70 but she looked no older than 45.

'So his entire family is beautiful?'

"We've only been together seven months..." I mentioned.

"Sweetheart, I married my husband after a year when I was 22 years old. It's been 30 years now and he's outside chatting it up with the rest of the men as we speak. Best decision I've ever made." His auntie claimed.

"Time doesn't matter dear. The love does. You could meet the love of your life and be together for just three months then have a marriage that lasts forever. I've seen couples that dated for four years not last in a marriage for one."

"I'm getting old, gorgeous. Make it snappy." His grandmother joked.

I snickered and heard noise as everyone began crowding into the church.

"There you are." Eli's hand slid down to my lower back as he kissed my head. "Hello, ladies." he greeted them.

"Come here, boy." His grandmother called.

He walked over to her and she held her arms out for a hug.

As soon as Eli bent down his grandmother slapped him so hard his head turned.

"Ow..." he said and held his face then looked back at her.

"Why didn't you tell me about this young woman?" she asked.

"You didn't ask..." he answered.

"Elijah Dean." she called.

"Ma'am?" he replied.

"I'm getting old. I'd like to see my grandson get married before I go."

"Yes, ma'am."

He's so respectful when it comes to his mother's side of the family.

"I think it's time we take our seats." he said and grabbed onto my hand.

"Yes, we'll continue this conversation later." His Aunt Gen claimed.

"God, I hope not." Eli mumbled as we walked away and to our seats.

____________________________________

So far the ceremony was great. The family told beautiful stories about Deana's sweet personality and the pastor was positive and encouraging. Finally, it was Eli's turn to speak.

"Good afternoon, everyone." he began.

He started off smooth. Telling us how much his mother loved him to the moon and back, how she was everyone's go-to for advice, how beautiful she was as a person.

The tears in his eyes came when he looked down at her casket.

He looked at me and I gave him a sweet smile to let him know it was okay to cry and he could do this.

He went back to talking to the crowd.

"We have no reason to be upset. No reason to be afraid. No reason to feel anything less than joy. We had her for how long we deserved her. Her soul was too beautiful to stay here for too long. She's in a place that deserves her now. I'm grateful she's at peace. Especially since I know I was a handful." He joked and the crowd laughed quietly. He looked back at his mother in her casket. "I love you. And I'll do what I promised you, I swear. Get your rest. We'll see you later." he finished and walked away from the podium as the audience clapped.

The pastor got back up and continued preaching and thanked Eli for his beautiful words.

"You did great." I whispered and held his hand.

"You wrote half of it." he snickered but I knew he was trying to get his mind off of his tears and sadness.

"But you wrote the other half and performed it well. Take the praise." I said.

...

After another hour or two, the ceremony ended.

"Elijah." Eli's father called as we were walking away from his aunts and grandmother.

"Derek." Eli replied.

Mr. Matthews sighed. "Can we not do this here? At your mother's funeral?"

"I'm sorry, what did I do wrong?"

"Alright, Elijah, fine. But I do have something to tell you."

"Go on."

His dad looked at me.

"Oh-...right, sorry. I'll go." I said and began walking off.

Eli grabbed my wrist and pulled me back towards him, resulting in me bumping into his chest.

"Where're you goin'?" he asked.

"I thought..." I began and looked at Mr. Matthews.

"No, you're gonna stay right here." he demanded.

I looked at him and nodded.

"Continue." he told his father.

His dad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, "There is a beach house your mother bought a few months ago and she put it in your name. Along with the funds she would like for you to hold onto for your future child. I don't see why, but that's neither here nor there." His father said then went into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

"Hope you like Bora Bora." Mr. Matthews plopped the keys into Eli's hand then walked away like that was all he had to tell the son of the woman whose funeral we were at.

Not a single 'good job' or other words of encouragement left his mouth.

Unbelievable.

"Such a dic-..."

"Do you wanna go to Bora Bora with me?" Eli asked.