The Boy He Once Loved

      He looked down at the boy he once loved, lying so peacefully in the casket in front of him.
      He laid his hand on the pearlescent white inner lining.
      His eyes, already puffy and sore from the days of straight crying, started to water yet again.  He wipes them away, still staring at the boy he had loved for over a year lying dormant for the final time.
      Behind him, comes the deceased's mother father and sister.  
      "You know, Dom, he loved you very much."  She rested her hand on his shoulder, and wept with him silently.  The father stood silently on her right, with the sister in toe.  She cried as well.  
      They all just stood there, alone in the room.
      How he wanted to touch his hand—or his shoulder just one last time.   
      He was overcome with emotions as he started sobbing harder.  If it was this hard for him to loose someone he's only known (and loved) for a year, he couldn't imagine what it must be like for his parents loosing their son.
      He couldn't bear it anymore; he had to walk away for a few minutes.  He wiped his eyes, hugged the mother, and left the room.  After falling against a wall, he sobbed on the ground of the funeral home.
      He remembered all the times they had shared—their first date, all the times they've gone to the movies together, their own little "Christmas".
      He remembered the when Matt told him that he found out that he was dying, they cried together in the hospital curled up in his bed.  
      He couldn't help but snigger when he thought about the time they got shit for being gay at school—the only time they ever were made fun of for it.  Matt handled the whole situation—and there was no way Brad was ever going to fuck with either of us again.  But now, I've lost my protection.  
      
The funeral began, and the priest delivered the eulogy.  The casket was carried into the hearse, and the procession took us to the cemetery.
The boy sat with his boyfriend's family.  The last words were said at the cemetery and the services were over.  I stayed behind, and started at the mahogany casket.  Once almost everyone had dissipated, I stepped up to the coffin, and run my hand along it's perimeter.  I ran it over the top, over the seam.  
      I laid my head to the cold wooden surface and bawled again.  One of our other friends walked up to me, rested his hand on my back.
      
He was gone.  Forever.