Tamar was at home watching her nieces while their parents were helping with Whitney's funeral. The funeral is set to take place in Whitney's hometown, Newark on the nineteenth of February. The immediate family was told to wear any shade of purple since that is Whitney's favorite color. The girls are finishing up their homework while Tamar put Desiree down for her nap. She has been cranky since her parents left so Tamar gave her a little bit of melatonin to make her fall asleep. She couldn't deal with all the crying that Desiree was going through, it was giving her a headache.
While doing her homework, Azuree began to get hungry. She walked to the fridge and opened it. She grabbed an orange and set it on the counter. Next, she grabbed a butter knife and looked at her sister.
"Skai can you help me cut this?" Azuree doesn't like peeling oranges because it makes her fingers feel weird.
"Can it wait until I finish my homework?"
"No, I'm hungry now." Skai shook her head and went back to her work. Azuree sighed and held the orange in her hand. She began cutting the fruit while it was still in her hands.
"Zee you're bleeding!" Skai yelled seeing blood dripping down her sister's hand. The butter knife had almost cut through Azuree's pinky finger. She has no idea how that happened being that she didn't feel any pain.
"Oh."
"Azuree's dying! Azuree's dying!" Skai yelled in fear as she ran around the house in circles. Azuree just stood there, she didn't know what to do.
"What's going on?" Tamar asked as she came down the stairs. She saw blood all over her niece's hand and immediately grabbed paper towels. She placed them on her wound and the blood-soaked up the towel.
"Azuree's dying! Nooo!"
"Skai be quiet!" Tamar shouted and just then the couple walked into their house. They saw their daughter running around screaming that her sister is dying.
"Skai what happened?"
"She's bleeding! She's gonna dieeee!" She dramatically screamed and her parents frowned. They rushed to the kitchen and saw Tamar tending to their daughter.
"What happened Tamar?"
"I don't know, I was putting Desiree to sleep."
"Zee?" Janet took more paper towels and replaced the old one with the new one.
"I was hungry so I cut the orange in my hand but I used a butter knife."
"Mommyyyy save her!"
"She's fine Skai." Janet said and removed the towels from her daughter's wound. The couple winced seeing that their daughter's pinky was almost severed.
"Oh my gosh. You didn't feel that?"
"No." Azuree really didn't feel her pinky almost getting cut off. She was so hungry that all she was thinking about was eating the orange.
"Okay, we gotta take you to the emergency room to get stitches." Azuree nodded and the three of them headed into the car. The stitches shouldn't hurt her since she didn't feel her pinky almost come off.
***
February 19
The family pulled up to the funeral home in a gold limo. The whole street was filled with fans singing I will always love you and holding up her pictures. A few blocks back was also crowded with people who were watching the limo drive by. Supermarkets and corner stores were having the funeral shown on tv so those places were filled with people too. Toni got out holding a sleeping Desiree on her shoulder. Paparazzi took pictures and fans screamed as the family exited the limo. Paris squeezed Cissy's hand and wiped her tears with the other. Cissy is still in disbelief at her daughter's sudden passing. She'll miss her daughter...
"We love you Nippy!" A fan yelled and Paris swallowed hard. The family walked inside the home and took a seat in the first three rows. All of Whitney's friends were there; Cece Winans, Brandy, Natalie Cole, Monica, Kevin Costner, Oprah, Bill Cosby, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, and more. Aretha couldn't make it because she had suddenly fallen ill. Dionne, Chaka, and Patti were also there. When Cece walked up to the stand music began playing. She started singing Don't Cry, a song that she and her brother, Bebe, sang together.
"Don't cry for me Don't shed a tear The time I shared with you will always be And when I'm gone, please carry on Don't cry for me..." Paris silently sobbed into and Cissy rubbed her back. This song is one of her mother's favorite songs and she used to sing it all the time. She doesn't understand how her Aunt Cece could be so strong at her best friend's funeral. After everyone finished singing and speaking, it was Whitney's children's turn to speak about their mother. Paris didn't want to go up there because she was going to break down. But she knew her mother wanted her to speak so that's why she went up there with her brothers.
"My mother would be very pleased that you all could make it here with us. Thanks for the condolences amongst the people that my mother adored. My mother she uh, she was that best mother any one of us could ask for. She was always there for us no matter what. Over the past couple of days, I've heard so many stories from people about how my mother helped and supported them. That's how she was. She was always kind to people even though they weren't always kind to her. My mother didn't care because she said and I quote, "Don't treat people the way they treat you, treat people the way God treats you."
"Amen!"
"Hallelujah!" People started shouting and clapping their hands. Paris smiled a bit before taking over the microphone from her brother.
"I just want to say a few words about my mother. Mommy was the kindest, most loving person I've ever known. She mothered everyone, so much so that friends would often call her mom, or like Alicia said meemaw. She took this as a compliment and never shied away from being there for others who needed support in one way or another. A-As her daughter, I feel like I grew up with the most incredible role model who taught me to always be myself and to always push myself to learn more. I will miss her smile, h-her laugh, her sage advice, and her bubbly personality. I know all of us will miss her one-of-a-kind voice that no one can impersonate. I love you, Mommy." Paris broke down towards the end and hugged her brother.
"Thank you again for being here today to honor her memory. She loved all of you and her memory will live on in all of us." Prince finished and the three of them walked off the stage. The pallbearers gathered around the closed casket and picked it up. They walked towards the exit and Whitney's song played. The same part played at her husband's funeral a few years back. Now they are in heaven, together.
Bittersweet memories That is all I'm taking with me So goodbye, please don't cry...
***
•I am sorry guys.
•Another time jump.
•Halle (Azuree) cutting her finger is a true story. She told it on one of the lives with her and Chloe.
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