High Commander Diah's Resistance

Prologue: Saying Goodbye

'We are gathered here to say farewell to Collin and Cayla... and to commit them into the hands of God.'

Alanna tuned out the droning voice of her pastor as he preformed the funeral service that sealed the end of her happiness. She knew the words, it had only been two years since she had been here bidding farewell to her parents.  She let her gaze slide over the cemetery beyond the gathered mourners to where her parents now rested not far away.

What am I supposed to do without them now? They were all I ever wanted, and I don't know how to truly be me without them... Alanna's desolate thought was followed by a silent tearful sob. She wanted nothing more than to sink into the earth with the two caskets before her. But even in her devastation, she just knew that none of the ones she lost would want that for her. Not her parents, nor her husband and child. She knew that she just needed to get through this event, and then she could have a nice long break-down in the home she and the love of her life, Collin worked so hard to own, and had enjoyed, for the last 10 years. After which she would spend time forcing herself to remember all the good memories she had with her husband and their just turned 14 year old daughter, Cayla.

And then, after she came to the end of the time that she had allotted herself to wholeheartedly grieve, she planned to prepare the home to be sold. There was no way she could stay there among all the memories. Instead she would pack up the small trinkets and pictures to bring with her, and everything else that was theirs would either be sold, or just donated. The sale of the house would be invested, as she already had a dwelling to flee to. Her father's estranged sister had for some unknown reason gifted Alanna with her fancy lake side cabin, that had been updated and renovated just before her aunt passed. In her will, Aunt Adora had left word to a baffled Alanna, that the cabin would be the starting point of a 'stellar' future. Alanna really wished she had the chance to meet such a strange old bird. She could have used the company...

Alrighty then... Alanna gave an unlady like snort at that memory, Her aunt had passed almost a year after her own parents, she supposed the will must have been altered after their death, meant to be comfort to a still morose niece she never met. And although Lana would have preferred to have known her unusual aunt, it had provided a much needed haven, and she began planning to spend summers and major holidays at the lake. But the very first vacation had found Cayla and Collin driving out to the lake ahead of Lana, who at the time had needed to make certain her small but popular bistro, That One Place, would be properly cared for during her first ever time off in the 5 years it had been running. Having planned to head out just after the last bell rang at Cayla's school, and the weather being lovely... there was no doubt in anyone's mind that they would arrive safely.

So when the call came, that their car had been run off a bridge by a rich drunkard in a Hummer, who had decided he was going to get his party started early...  just as Alanna arrived at the lake house? Alanna had argued with the officer calling on her. She had JUST driven over that same damn bridge 15 minutes ago, she railed at the unlucky bearer of devastation. There had been no road block, no detour signs! No swirling red and blue lights!

Turns out? The accident had occurred hours ago... Collin had picked up Cayla just before her second to last class of the day. There were balloons and flowers in what was left of the back seat, along with a miraculously intact sign that congratulated Alanna and her bistro for being open for 5 successful years. She still had the sign, it was laid carefully down in the back seat of her beloved little teal colored Nissan Vera Note as it waited for the funeral to conclude.

***

A sudden mass declaration of "Amen!" broke through the wool gathering Alanna had been caught up in. She knew she was expected to react, to be the first to toss her handfuls of the earth her loves were being returned to, onto their caskets. She did so with a deep breath and a mental reminder that it wasn't her loves being buried! No, it was the shells that had housed them being given back to the universe. After doing her duty to show respect to the departed, Alanna thanked all those who came to say goodbye, and to support her with the knowledge of how loved Cayla and Collin had been.

She informed them that a wake was being held at the bistro, should any wish to continue the accepted burial process by sharing their most cherished memories together in a group. But she would not be attending. Most of the mourners were already aware of how ragged she had run herself taking care of their last affairs. She trusted Collins parents to explain to the others. She had always been different, they knew that about her. She didn't do well in crowds, her bistro being the only place she could deal with people, since it was her territory. Collin was the only one who could draw her out and make her feel okay around others. He got her, always knew what she meant to say. His parents loved her for how she loved their son and how she filled in the gaps of his own flaws and challenges. They were always a team, and so they would do this for her, let her slip away and have her time alone. They held her together between them and hugged her close as they bid her goodbye, then watched as she slid into her car and drove home to begin her self induced exile.

A/N: 11/14/19 @Llpetitto thanks for the advice! I've been fortunate enough to not have needed to attend more funerals than I can count on one hand, so I'm not overly familiar with the proper sermon verbiage... so thank you for pointing that out to me, I hope the adjustment is more appropriate 😁