Epilogue
"Come
on Gramma!" a 7-year-old Michael called behind him as he scampered along
on the traditional Sunday visit.
"I'm coming, Michael. Hold on a minute."
After a forever in Michael's eyes, Grandma Jane appeared by his side and took
his hand and the two began to walk.
Arriving at their destination, Jane knelt down and brushed some dirt off the
names on the grave and ran her fingers over the letters as she started to cry.
"Don't cry, Gramma," Michaels aid as she wormed his way into her lap.
"I know honey," was all she said in return.
Michael spoke softly after a pause. "I had a dream about the people in
the picture," Michael said after a pause.
"Which picture?" Jane inquired.
"The one with the guy and the girl looking at each other."
"Your mom and dad," Jane whispered.
"Yeah, them. I think the boy was singing."
Jane's ears perked up.
"What did he sing?" Jane inquired.
Michael shrugged. "Dunno."
There was another pause.
"How did the people in the picture die?" Michael asked.
Jane swallowed hard and adjusted Michael so she could see him better.
"Well," she started, "your daddy was very sick for a long time
before you were born. He and your mommy were both sick back then."
"Mommy's the lady in the picture?" Jane nodded. "She's pretty."
"She always was. Your mommy was a very caring person too. She took care
of your daddy."
"Is that how she got sick?"
"Yes, Michael," Jane said with a slight smile. "She and your
daddy spent a little too much time together." Michael looked worried. "That'
how she got sick."
"Like the flu."
"Something like that. But then your daddy got really sick and the doctors
couldn't help him anymore. He died a few months after you were born," Jane
finished, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but visiting her son at the cemetery.
"What about Mommy?" Michael questioned as Jane stood the two of them
up and brushed their clothes off.
"That we'll save for another time," Jane said. She took a deep breath
to clear her brain of the visions of the doctors telling her of Nick's passing
or that horrible call about Sara.
"But Gramma," Michael whined, "I wanna know now! Tell me about
my Mommy!"
That last phrase echoed in her mind. Michael had always referred to Nick and
Sara as "the people in the picture," but to hear Michael refer to
Sara as his made Jane inclined to tell him.
"Do you really want to know?" Jane asked.
"Uh huh," Michael nodded.
"You don't want to go back home and visit with Uncle Aaron?" Jane
tested.
Michael thought to himself. "Tell me the story about Mommy. Then we'll
go home."
Jane sat back down in front of the graves and motioned for Michael to sit on
her lap.
"After your daddy died, your mommy was very sad."
"Then what?"
Jane wiped her eyes. "She was so sad that she died of a broken heart the
night of Daddy's funeral." Michael's eyes went wide.
"Her heart broke?"
Jane smiled a little. "It's something you say when two people love each
other…"
"Like Mom and Dad?"
"Like your mom and dad when one dies or goes away for a long time. The
heart of the other one begins to hurt. Your mommy loved your daddy so much that
she…died."
"Do you think it hurt?" Michael whispered.
Jane pulled Michael into her a little bit more. "Not too much. She died
in her sleep."
"How did anybody know about her?"
"Aunt Leighanne and Uncle Brian were staying near the house where you go
to play sometimes with your other Grandma and Grandpa and called her the next
morning." Jane paused at the painful memory of hearing the news. "Your
mommy didn't answer." Trying to collect the pieces of her composure, Jane
found herself holding tightly onto Michael. "Aunt Leighanne and Uncle Brian
went over to visit and to find out if anything was wrong…" Jane broke
down once again and sobbed into Michael. "…And they found your Mommy
in bed…holding a picture of her and your Daddy…" At this point,
Jane could no longer control her emotions and poured them out into her sobs.
Michael never knew that someone like his Gramma could cry so hard. He was so
caught off guard that the only thing he could think to do was hug Grandma Jane
and hope that she would feel better. His Gramma was usually happy- not sad.
After a few moments, Grandma Jane calmed down considerably and the two sat there
staring at the graves where Michael's Mommy and Daddy were.
"Where do you think Mommy and Daddy are?" Michael asked once he was
sure that his Gramma wasn't as sad as she was before.
At the question, Jane looked at Michael's inquisitive eyes and found herself
feeling like she, once again, had Nick in her arms.
"I'm sure they're in Heaven looking down at us right now."
Michael looked up. "I don't see them."
Jane smiled and ruffled Michael's hair a little bit. "We can't see them,
but whenever something good happens, it's because your Mommy and Daddy are smiling
at you. They're our guardian angels. They've been watching over you practically
since you were born."
"Can they see everything we do?"
Jane smiled again. "Yes they can."
Michael thought about this for a moment before deciding to ask his next question.
"Do you think they're happy?"
At this, Jane felt her eyes water.
"I'm sure they're very happy."
* * *
Surprisingly, Michael
was practically silent on the ride back. His usual banter of wanting to see
Uncle Aaron and Aunt Leslie was diminished and Jane looked over at the child
who was deep in thought. She decided to leave him be and turn on the radio.
They were almost home, two blocks away in fact, when Michael broke his silence.
"That's the song!" he exclaimed.
"Goodness, Michael! You scared me!" Jane exclaimed as she readjusted
her grip on the steering wheel.
"But that's the song Gramma! That's the song!"
"What song?"
"The song Daddy was singing in my dream last night! That's the one!"
Hearing those words come from Michael's mouth almost made Jane swerve off the
road.
For the past 7 years, ever since Michael had lived with the Carters, there was
an unwritten rule about playing light rock stations, especially ones that played
music from the early to mid 1990's. It was too painful for anybody to listen
to any of that music now that both Nick and Sara were gone.
There was no possible way for Michael to know of the song's existence except
for in his dream.
Jane pulled the car over into a patch of sunlight and turned up the volume.
"And I will love you/ Baby always/ And I'll be there/ Forever and a day/
Always/ I'll be there when the stars don't shine/ When the Heavens burst and
the words don't rhyme/ I know when I die you'll be on my mind/ And I'll love
you/ Always."
Jane had started to cry again, leaving Michael to his thoughts.
"Gramma?" Jane looked over at her grandson. "Do you think my
Mommy and Daddy are together?"
Jane blotted her eyes with a smile. "They've known each other since they
were your age. They've always been together."
"Really?" Michael asked with his eyes wide. "But do you think
they found each other in Heaven?"
"I'm sure your Daddy was waiting outside of Heaven for your Mommy to go
with him."
"Will I ever get to see them?"
Jane took Michael's hand in hers. "One day when you're very old and have
lived your life and gotten married, you'll meet your Mommy and Daddy."
"Why not now?"
"You're too young."
"Will I be old enough tomorrow?"
"No, Michael. Not tomorrow." With that, Jane started the car as the
closing chords to 'Always' rang in the background.
"When?"
"I don't know, but when you meet them, you'll be together for a long time."
"For ever and ever?"
"For always."
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