Loving Wives, Loving Husbands 002

EPILOG - Conner

We buried Dad today. We put him to rest next to Mom. They had another 20+ years together and Dad made good on his promises. They roamed the world together, hand in hand. Mom finally succumbed to cancer. It was a notoriously aggressive and nasty kind. Dad spent every moment he could with her. She died in his arms looking into his eyes. A week after she was buried, We were all still at Dad's house. We had managed to get all the grandkids together with us as well. We celebrated and mourned together. We told the stories and recounted the adventures and misadventures. It was glorious. I came in the next morning and found Dad, in his recliner, holding mom's picture. He passed quietly in his sleep. I think he just didn't have any desire to go on without her. He went to be with her.

We decided on a quiet funeral for Dad. Moms had been huge. We didn't feel that Dad would want that kind of fanfare. At the graveside service I noticed a man about my dad's age standing apart from the small crowd. After the service I sought him out and introduced myself asking if he had worked with my dad. He shook his head solemnly as he introduced himself.

"My name is Charles Elliot. I'm sorry about your dad. He was a unique individual. I am proud to have known him."

"I know the story."

He looked a little surprised.

"You know my mom died not long ago."

"Yes. Your dad called me about six weeks ago. He explained the situation. He told me to come to Baltimore."

"Did you?"

The man nodded.

"I came. He arranged for me to come to his home. He welcomed me in and then took me upstairs to where Jayla was in the hospital bed. I could see that he was sleeping on a cot beside her bed. He had woken her gently and stepped aside. He told her she had a visitor, then looked at me and smiled. He said for us to take our time, he would be downstairs."

You mom looked at me and smiled. Her eyes lit up and she held out her hand. I sat beside her, and we caught up on all that had happened since the last time I had talked to her. It was a wonderful time. She finally told me she was tired, and she thought it was time I let her rest. I started to stand but she held onto my hand and pulled me down to give me a kiss. When I went downstairs your dad had a flask of scotch and two glasses. He had me sit down with him.

We talked a bit. He never asked what happened up the stairs. He asked about my family and about how I was doing. There was never an acrimonious word or signal of any kind. We sipped scotch and talked into the night. He finally poured us one more glass and held his up. He toasted to the finest and most beautiful woman that a man could ever love."

"You didn't come to moms funeral?"

"I couldn't. It was too emotionally charged for me. But I had to come today. Your Father was probably the closest thing to a complete and honorable human being I have ever known. You seem a lot like him."

"I like to think so. Thank you for telling me this. You're welcome in my home anytime."

"I appreciate that."

We shook hands and parted. I heard that he died a couple of months later. I went to his funeral. His kids were there and his grandkids. His wife, I could see, would have been a beautiful woman in her younger years. I met all of the family at the graveside. I explained myself as the son of one of Charle's best friends. Later, as I was walking back to the car, Charles's youngest daughter caught up with me.

"What was your name again?"

"Conner Jackson Stephens."

"I thought so. My Dad told me about you not long before he died."

My eyebrows must have registered my surprise.

"My dad and I were very very close. In his later years he told me a lot of things. He told me about your dad, and your mom. He loved her very much."

"I know. She loved him."

"She talked about him."

"Never a peep. But my dad did. He knew everything about that whole relationship."

"You knew that he never saw her again after he put her on that airplane in Atlanta?"

"No. But I suspected it. Dad said that she never took him up on one of those weekend passes."

"It's cold. Can we go somewhere warm to continue this."

"Shouldn't you be with your mother and your brothers and sisters?"

She had turned to look at the small crowd getting into the limousine.

"Not really. They are going to cry and mourn. I have already done all that. I would rather think about how much love my dad had in his life."

I looked at her.

"Come on. Let's get something warm to drink."

&&&&&

I chose to retire after my dad died. I had enough time in grade and Dad had left all three of us a sizable inheritance. I used mine to buy the house from my brother and sister. I had always been a place filled with love, laughter, and happiness. I wanted to make sure that continued.

I still live in that house. Every day, I look at the picture of my mom and my dad that sits on the mantle of the fireplace. They are holding hands looking at the camera. The picture was taken in the Swiss Alps. My mother knew she had cancer at the time, but they wanted one more trip together. I can see in their eyes the love. It never wavered.

Tonight I am having dinner with Miss Tonya Marie Elliot. There may be something to this. I was thinking about Tonya this afternoon as I stopped to look at the picture of mom and dad. I swear to God that mom winked at me from that picture. I did a double take and looked again. This time I swear that my dad nodded his head almost imperceptibly.

Now, I am an attorney, a logical, sane and very practical sort of guy. I don't go for mumbo jumbo about ghosts or spirits. But it shook me a little bit. But Just but. Maybe there are some things that you just can't decipher. I intend to do my best to see how this works out. I hope so. Tonya ia a fascinating and beautiful woman, It's time to bring some of that love back to this old house,