âCharlotte, hurry up," a brisk voice sounded in the manor, softly urging the young girl from behind. The young girl, dressed ina plain white dress, pouted dissatisfiedly, âWhy canât | wear the rainbow-colored dress?â The handsome man lifted her up and explained softly, âBecause we are going to a funeral today, and to show respect for the deceased, we should dress more solemnly.â Although the nine-year-old girl already knew what death was, she only understood it at a literal level.
She looked at her father with a puzzled expression, âFuneral... what is that?â Enter title... âIt's a way to say goodbye to someone who has passed away,"
Judy walked over and pinched her daughterâs cheek, âIf we canât show the most basic respect, the relatives of the deceased will be even sadder.â Charlotte nodded as if she understood, although she didnât know why wearing black and white clothes was a sign of respect.
Nevertheless, she was willing to show the utmost respect to those who had departed. After some thought, she took off the shiny butterfly hairpin from her head, âSince thatâs the case, | wonât wear this.â Congreve and Judy exchanged surprised glances.
They knew how much their daughter loved that butterfly hairpin and insisted on wearing it every time they went out.
They never expected her to be willing to take it off at this time. Judy gently touched Charlotte's head and carefully placed the butterfly hairpin in her bag. âCharlotte is so good!"
She bent down and looked directly into Charlotteâs eyes, âI'll put this hairpin in your bag, and after we leave, you can put it back on.â Charlotte obediently nodded. Congreve looked at the mother and daughterâs smiles, his eyes full of indulgence.
He was grateful that he had returned to his home country and found out that his wife was pregnant.
The two of them, who were deeply in love, made the decision to get married because of the arrival of this child.
After informing their respective families, both sides readily agreed, leading to Charlotteâs safe arrival and their happy family life.
Sensing Congreveâs gaze, Judy looked up and met his eyes, and the two smiled at each other. After getting into the car, Judy and Congreve discussed the Smith family. âI heard that both parents died in a car accident,"
Judy recalled the boy she had seen, feeling quite sorry, âTheir child is only in his teens, right?â Congreve nodded with a frown, âAfter the incident, Sir Smith was not in the country, and it was the child who went to identify the bodies.â To lose both parents in a single night and then have to personally identify their bodies was too cruel for a teenager. Charlotte listened to Congreve and Judyâs conversation, but she understood one thing: the boyâs parents were no longer alive. Charlotte, who usually loved to stick with her parents, felt extremely sympathetic towards the boy who had lost his parents.
She thought about the fact that she loved being with her parents, and the idea of not having them made her feel sorry for the boy she had never met. At the funeral, the adults were either grieving or solemn, but Charlotte did not like the somber and oppressive atmosphere.
After quietly telling her mother, she went to the backyard of the Smith familyâs old house to get some fresh air. As she approached the flower house, she suddenly heard a suppressed, low sob.