Cheryl faced an agonising choice ahead of Liam Payne's funeral on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old Girls Aloud star was among the mourners, including One Direction's Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, who gathered to bid farewell to the late singer at St Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
Liam tragically lost his life after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16. Cheryl, who helped organise the funeral, stood with Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh from Girls Aloud, supporting Liam's parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his sisters Ruth and Nicola.
The family aimed for a respectful and "perfect" tribute following his untimely death under such tragic circumstances. Cheryl, who shares her 7-year-old son Bear with Liam and dated the One Direction heartthrob from 2016 to 2018, has remained close friends with him post their split, co-parenting Bear while keeping his face out of the public eye.
At the funeral, Cheryl was seen visibly distraught as she bid a final farewell to her ex-partner.
In a heart-wrenching decision, Cheryl determined that Bear should be part of the funeral, despite her concerns about whether it was the best decision for him. The pain Cheryl experienced while helping plan the funeral was evident in the floral arrangements at Liam's burial.
A friend told MailOnline that Cheryl has vowed to ensure their child never forgets his father. This promise comes as the magnitude of Bear's loss was highlighted when Liam's coffin, adorned with two floral tributes, arrived at a Home Counties church in a horse-drawn carriage.
Alongside a tribute reading "son", there was another heart-wrenching message from Bear, spelled out in white flowers: "Daddy". Friends of the singer told the news outlet that Cheryl is "dreadfully sad", adding: "She has her own grief, but she also has a little boy who won't see his daddy again, and that is just heartbreaking," The Fight For This Love singer posted a tribute to her former partner on Instagram just days after his death.
At the time, she shared with her followers the harsh reality of having to accept that Bear would never see his father again. Sharing a touching photo of Liam in bed with their son, Cheryl wrote: "As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I'd like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.
"Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7-year old-son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again."
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As the singer's coffin arrived at the church by horse-drawn hearse, mourners gathered while onlookers lined the streets in respect. Liam's former One Direction bandmates were among those paying their respects at the funeral.
The ceremony saw a host of celebrities in attendance, including James Corden, Rochelle and Marvin Humes, Simon Cowell, Robbie Keane, Damian Hurley, and Liam's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. Fans across the globe held vigils for Liam, and a shrine was erected in his hometown of Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
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