She slowly walked down the aisle. The closer she got to her husband’s casket, the weaker her knees became, but she had to be strong. She couldn’t let the world see her break. My children are depending on me, she thought.

When she finally reached the casket, her heart broke into pieces at the sight of her lifeless soul mate lying before her. She reached down, grabbed his hand, and kissed his cheek. She whispered, “I will always love you, Carter, always.” She then turned with the poise of royalty and took her position on the front pew as the first lady of the streets.

Mecca’s heart beat wildly in his chest. He had never imagined what he would do if something ever happened to his father. He prided himself on being strong and fearless, but there was no way that he could be strong now. And the sudden loss of Carter made him fear death.

He stepped down the aisle and gripped the sides of his father’s casket when he saw his ashen face. The glow that his dark skin had once possessed was gone, and his eyes were sunk in. He felt the swell of water in his eyes cloud his vision. He closed his eyes to hinder them from falling. He picked the tiny cross necklace off his chest and kissed it. It was the chain that Carter had given all of his children the day that he’d brought them home from the hospital, 14-kt. gold crosses to hang around their necks. The chain had been changed over the years, but the cross was still the original. The children all valued their chains with their lives. Mecca walked over to his mother and sat beside her, trying to keep his emotions at bay.