Waking up in a warm bed, I was confused, but everything came back in a slow reel. Andrei had come and brought me back to his home. This was his bed and his clothing. Sadness filled my chest, my mother was gone. I would have cried again, but nothing came, not one more tear. I had no one now; It was going to be just me, myself and I in that big house alone. I had to call the funeral home and arrange for my mother to be placed beside my father. I was sad, but she was finally with my father again. But it didn't make it any easier for me to handle. Stepping into the bathroom I did my business and opened the bedroom door at the wrong time. Andrei was arguing with what had to be a younger version of himself.

I didn't even have time to go back and hide in the bedroom, because I had been spotted.

"We will talk about this later Alessio, Mark my words."

Andrei made his way over to me and looked me up, and down before he spoke.

"How are you doing?"

"I... I think I will be ok."

"I'm glad to hear that. I was worried when I saw you yesterday, I didn't know what had happened and you were freezing cold."

"I'm pretty sure I'm still alive because of you."

"I think anyone would have done it."

"Yeah, Maybe."

The younger Andrei stared at me with questioning eyes, like he was wondering who the hell I was and why I was even here.

" Lukas, This is my son Alessio. Alessio, This is Lukas, a work friend, you could say."

"Nice to meet you."

" Yeah, same."

Silence filled the space before I spoke again.

" I need to go home. I have to prepare to lay my mother to rest." I said softly, really to no one in the room.

"My condolences for your loss, Lukas," Andrei said setting his hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks..."

" Let me take you to your truck, I went and grabbed it last night and parked it in the garage."

" Oh. Thanks."

We left his home and walked down two long hallways before we reached the garage. He handed me my phone, key fob and wallet.

" I'll wash your stuff and bring it to you."

I nodded, before getting in my truck. Andrei pushed the garage door button and it opened. I waited till it was fully open before, I started my truck and backed out. Once I was out the gate with guards and down on a dirt road, I typed my home address in the truck's GPS and went home.

I was scared to find the house so empty and silent that it would haunt me. Pulling into the driveway, I sat in the truck for a few moments until I gathered enough strength and will to go inside. The front door was still open and a pair of shoes were in the doorway. I barely got inside before the neighbour Willow embraced me tightly.

"Oh Lukas, honey I'm so sorry."

Willow had been our neighbour since my parents had bought the place when they found out they were expecting me. Her own kids were my age and older. She had a key to the house because she and my mother were or had been so close. She had helped my mother make it through the loss of my father. She had been like an aunt to me. But the thing was she wasn't my family, the last of that disappeared yesterday.

" I'm ok. I just couldn't stay here last night, I needed time to process she was actually gone."

"Lukas, she was your mother, you don't have to force yourself to just get over it right away."

" I cannot just sit around and sob, as much as I would like to. I need to call and prepare to have her laid to rest."

"Lukas honey, I'm here to help."

" I appreciate that more than you know."

" I was worried sick about you last night, Bill and I saw you race out of the house and we waited for you to come back, then we found out about your mom."

" I was safe last night. I stayed with a friend."

Willow made us both a cup of tea. She and I went through the office looking for my mother's will and testament. Once we found the paperwork we took it back to the table and I read through it twice. Everything my mother and father owned was to be passed down to me. The house, the money, everything. My heart ached in my chest as my father's dog tags and his proper flag were with my mother's will. We had received two flags, one for me, and the one that was covering his casket. Touching the flag, I felt sadness fill me. I wanted this flag to be laid over my mother's casket before the laid her to rest as well. She had been a solders wife, she deserved it.

Willow agreed with me about my mother's casket being covered with my father's flag, then it returned to me when they placed her in the ground beside my father. My mother hadn't kept in touch with any of my father's or her army friends after they put my father in the ground. But she had the information of each and everyone, though probably not current. I emailed them all that night with the current details of the service for my mother. If any of them showed up that would be more than what I figured.

Willow left shortly after six pm and that left me in the house alone. It was quiet and not at all comfortable, shaking off the feeling I made myself some toast and sat in the living room, with the tv on for background noise. I had two days to finish the rest of the funeral plans, on the fourth day, her body would be turned over to them.

Everything was pretty much planned and organized. I wasn't expecting many people, maybe ten at the most. Willow and her husband Bill were coming over the next morning to help finalize the deal and plan with the company. I was grateful for them, they had already helped me more in twelve hours than I would have been able to do on my own.