Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Winter stopped next to John and said something. John looked down at her for a few moments, and then wrapped his arms around her. They stayed that way for a few moments before he let her go with a kiss on the forehead. Winter’s cheeks heated before she burst out laughing.
“I think she remembers because she’s in a familiar environment. All these years she’s been somewhere that didn’t constantly remind her of her old life. Now that she’s here with you, and somewhere familiar, it’ll come back quickly. That doesn’t mean you can cut corners with her. You’ve both changed quite a bit over the years. Even when it all comes back to her, you’ll still be a stranger. I haven’t seen any of the old you in years.” Honey said sadly, as she watched Kodiak make his way to Winter.
His large scruffy head came up to her navel, and he pushed just hard enough to get her attention away from John. Winter’s arms came from her hips to rest on either side of Kodiak’s ears. She hugged him closer to her stomach, and then continued speaking with John.
I nodded my head, not really knowing what to say to Honey’s observation.
One thing I was sure of was that Winter was mine and I wanted Winter to be mine in every way possible. If that took fifty years, then I would do whatever it took. She deserved it.
Chapter 8
How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
-Winnie the Pooh
Winter
“Adam always wanted to be doused with ceremonial oil, pushed out on a funeral pier, and then shot with flaming arrows instead of being buried,” Jack laughed humorlessly. “I kept trying to tell him that they didn’t do barbaric things like that anymore. His comeback was to bury him in the backyard in a shoe box, and save on the price of pine.”
The crowd chuckled lightly, but you could tell Jack really wasn’t saying it to be funny. He smiled weakly, but I’m sure everyone, including me, could tell it was fake.
“I met Adam when he was eight and I was seven. We were next door neighbors and we hated each other’s guts.” He smiled at the memory. “Then, one day on the way home from school, I walked up on a dog cornering Adam in a tree. Needless to say, when I got up there we had to share close space for a couple hours until our parents realized we were missing. We spent a lot of quality time together that day and every day since.”
“When we were fifteen, we made a promise to each other. That promise was that whoever died first had to erase the porn off the other’s computer and sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Neither one of us has…or had a singing voice, so I’m not even sure why we even made this promise, but I’ll keep it. So, bear with me while I sing this song to y’all. I know he’d find a way to make me pay if I didn’t.”
As Jack stepped away and turned his back, only the front row heard what he said, “You’re probably laughing your ass off right now, aren’t you?”
We all snickered quietly because he was probably right. Jack went to the stool that his guitar was leaning against, picked it up, and sat down. Glancing at me in the front row, Jack gave me a pleading look and started to strum his guitar.
Tai’s breathing picked up next to me and I grabbed his hand. He held on to me for all he was worth. Mrs. Gustier was already balling next to me before Jack even got the first word out. Grabbing her hand too, we all held on as we watched Jack sing his heart out.
The first verse of the song rolled out of him, as if he was pouring out his heart and soul.
His voice cracked at the end of the first verse, but he pushed through the frog in his throat, and continued to sing.
By the second and third verse, Jack was so emotional that the words barely even came out without a quiver. The preacher was off to the side, his hand placed over his heart, with his head raised, staring at the roof.
Tears were running down my cheeks. They were big fat tears that were quickly soaking the collar of my button down shirt. With my hands full, I wasn’t able to wipe them off, so I leaned to Tai’s shirt and wiped my cheeks off on his sleeve before I even realized what I’d done.
He didn’t mind though. His eyes were transfixed on Jack. He was crying, too, so I quickly looked away and back up to Jack who had silent tears tracking down his tanned cheeks. He didn’t wipe them away, just let them flow freely.
I’ve never seen him cry before and it wasn’t a good feeling to see a man so strong brought down so low.
I could hear the hiccupping sobs, sniffles, and all out crying from those around me, but when Jack opened his eyes and found mine with his, I couldn’t look away. I felt his anguish, his remorse for not being there when his family needed him and his love for the man that he was as close to as his own brother.
The song ended. The sounds of the guitar’s last notes fading to nothing. The sound so final that my breath stalled in my chest. Jack’s shoulders hunched, and he layed his head down on the edge of his
One by one, they all clapped. Then they stood.
The hall that was hosting Adam’s funeral was massive. It also needed to be with the sheer amount of service members that attended. Every single pew was filled behind me. There was even more people that stood above us and along the back wall. There were several more community members outside, showing their support as well.
Jack stood, leaned his guitar back against the stool, straightened his dress uniform and took his seat at the side of the stage where the five other pall bearers were seated as well.