“Derek?” called Lily out of the closet of their room.
“Yeah?”
“Which do you think I should wear?” she asked, emerging holding two dresses in either hand. Lily peered at her boyfriend anxiously, biting her lip.
“Either one would look beautiful on you love,” Derek answered, smiling at her.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to help!” she cried, wheeling back into the closet. Derek sighed, following her.
“I’m sorry. But since when have to put this much thought into your outfit anyway?”
“I know, I know. But it’s just, Amy but a lot of effort in this whole thing and I don’t want to let her down,” Lily explained. She probably would have said more if Derek hadn’t pressed his lips softly to hers, tangling his fingers into her long hair.
“I like this one,” he whispered as they pulled away, reaching down to pick up a simple black dress that Lily had dropped to put her arms around him. She smiled, taking it from him.
“Then it’s the one I’ll wear,” she said, pecking him on the lips again.
“Well, we’ve got a good two hours before this thing starts, so don’t get dressed quite yet,” Derek murmured, pulling her against his chest to kiss her jaw. Lily smiled, wrapping her arms around him once again, before stepping back abruptly.
“Wait, we can’t do this now. Amy told us to pick up the flowers, remember? She’ll castrate us both if we forget,” Lily said. Derek grimaced.
“It doesn’t take two hours to pick up some damn flowers,” he stated.
“Yeah, but I still need to get ready, and so do you. You haven’t even showered yet. And the flower place is all the way across town, and then we have to drive to-”
“Okay, okay I get it. Lots to do, not much time,” interrupted Derek, chuckling. “I’ll get suitable to be seen in public.” He kissed Lily again before grabbing a towel and heading towards the bathroom.
-:-
“What’s the name of the place again?” Derek asked from the driver’s seat of his car, dressing in a simple suit and tie. He hadn’t worn it since his brother’s wedding last fall, and it was a little ill-fitting. Derek didn’t mind it though.
“Stephanie’s Flowers and Decorations,” Lily said, pointing to a small shop with a sign sporting its name and several painting of flowers. Derek pulled into a parking space it front and turned off the ignition. He was locking the door when he heard someone cry out.
“Lily?” he called, jogging around the car to see her sprawled across the sidewalk, a disgruntled expression on her face.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she repeated as Derek helped her up. “I just slipped on the curb. You know how clumsy I am! The other day I was leaving the apartment and tripped on a stair, and fell down a flight. Nearly gave our neighbor a heart attack.”
Derek sighed. “Oh Lily…”
“Don’t start. Now, don’t we need to get some bouquets?”
It wasn’t until they walked inside that Derek realized Amy had failed to specify just what kind of flower to get. By the expression on Lily’s face, it appeared she noticed the same thing.
“So, what should we get?” she asked, looking around.
“I don’t know. I’m not really experienced in this kind of thing. How about you just pick your favorite kind?” Derek suggested. Lily agreed, and came up to him a few minutes later with a bundle of roses in her arms, all a deep red.
“What do you think?” she said.
“Perfect,” Derek murmured, smiling at her.
-:-
Derek pulled into the parking lot ten minutes late. He knew that Amy would kill him, but didn’t care. He opened Lily’s door for her, ensuring that she did not fall again.
“Don’t forget the flowers,” she reminded him playfully. He rolled his eyes, but opened the trunk to retrieve their purchase.
“Alright, it’s showtime. You ready to go?” Lily said.
“What?” Derek asked.
“I asked if you’re ready to go,” Amy said quietly.
Derek looked to the side of him where Lily had been only a moment before, now empty. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” he whispered. His sister nodded, turning to lead him into the church. Inside the pews were filled with familiar faces, all facing the coffin in the front. Derek stepped up to the podium in front of them, his legs suddenly feeling as if they were filled with lead. He cleared his throat, then began to speak.
“Lily Johnson was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”