Finding Charlie Rose

It was the day of Sally's funeral. The boys had kept it low-key so just family would be present. They didn't want a huge affair, it didn't feel right at all. It was a Saturday morning so Sam and Liam wouldn't need to take a day off work to alert their father. They would prefer he and his many mistresses didn't attend and cause a scene. John's sons had decided to come in early to be there for their Aunty's funeral and would stay the extra week to get to know Charlie even though their dad was still going to be at work. They had arrived early in the morning driving overnight. They wanted to wake Charlie up as soon as they got there but instead decided to get a couple of hours of sleep.

The funeral was starting at 11 am and it was currently 10. Liam had dressed Charlie in a cute little white dress with a bright yellow bow tied in the back. He had put her hair in two pigtails and she was wearing some white sandals. "Pretty" Charlie whispered to herself while rubbing her dress down. "Yes you are very pretty" a voice behind her said that she didn't know. Charlie turned around to see two new people smiling at her. Charlie lifted her skirt up to cover her face flashing her underwear. That way the new people wouldn't be able to see her cause she couldn't see them. "What's going on here?" Sam came into the room looking at his cousins and Charlie who had her skirt up to her head with Damien and Shane laughing. "Sammy, who dat?" Charlie whisper yelled. "Hey Charlie" Damien started to introduce himself but Charlie called out "Charlie not here" which earned her a round of chuckles from all three men.

John walked in to see his sons and Sam laughing while Charlie had her skirt held up. "Charlie that's no way to say hello to people" John said. "J that might be bad man" Charlie tried to whisper. "Charlie hiding" she continued. "Oh princess these are my kids" he smiled at Charlie who was peeking around her skirt. "They no kid them mens" Charlie replied again trying to whisper but failing.

By this stage, everyone was in the room watching Charlie trying not to laugh at her. "Baby girl, these are your cousins, Damien and Shane. They really want to see your pretty face" Sam told his sister. Charlie slowly lowered her skirt and quickly picked up her worm putting it in front of her face and looking at the new people.

"Hey gorgeous girl, I'm your favourite cousin, Shane," the one with shorter hair said. "I Charlie Rose" Charlie replied quietly. "I'm your favourite and my name is Damien," Damien said. Charlie giggled at Damien who pushed his brother and was making funny faces at Charlie. "Can I have a cuddle pretty girl?" Damien asked to which Charlie nodded walking slowly over to Damien who didn't move. She tugged his pants and he bent down picking Charlie up. Charlie snuggled into his chest smelling him. "Smell pretty" Charlie whispered resting her head on his chest. Damien held Charlie like she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. John snapped a quick photo before ushering everyone out to the cars.

As Sam pulled up to the Chapel with Charlie in his car along with Liam and Byron, he spotted his father in the car park. Oliver had gone with Uncle John and his two sons. He then saw his grandparents standing near the Chapel. None of them wanted their father here at all. "Let's keep away from them, especially with Charlie" Liam whispered to Sam who just nodded parking his car. He text his uncle and Oliver to surround the car so they can get Charlie out without Jackson and his parents being able to see Charlie so she doesn't get scared.

Oliver and the rest of them parked next to Sam and circled them protecting Charlie from seeing Jackson before Sam took his sister out of the car seat and headed into the chapel. Liam grabbed her bag which had a few snacks in it. They all stopped just inside the chapel to talk to the chaplain who was going to officiate the service. Sam was going to be speaking as was Uncle John. The music that was going to be played was organised which would be accompanied by a slide show that the boys had put together.

People started to file onto the Chapel while Sam and the others spoke to the Chaplain most were friends of the boys and Mrs Harper was there along with Ross. Some of the people had been friends of the family before Sally left and were looking at Charlie wondering who she was. The boys were going to carry their mother's coffin into the chapel so Charlie was going to walk with Uncle John, Damien and Shane behind the coffin. Mrs Harper had offered to hold her but the boys had declined wanting Charlie with them. Charlie had a way to calm them all down and they wanted her close especially with Jackson and his parents here.

Jackson hadn't told his parents about Charlie hoping she wouldn't be here. His mother knew what he had done that caused Sally to leave but his father was exactly like he used to be and he didn't want his father to know about Charlie. He was here to show respect to his children and to lay his wife to rest. He knew he didn't deserve to be here with what he had done. He did love Sally in his own sick way. When his parents found out his mother wanted to come alone but her husband was the type of man who would do whatever the hell he wanted. The only reason her husband had come was to spit on the grave of the woman who didn't know how to be a good wife. In the eyes of Jackson Senior, Sally was a disgrace of a wife, no matter what a husband did a wife was supposed to accept it. That is how he had been with his wife and that's how he expected all women to be.