"Stephen, I"m so sorry about your grandfather," offered Jack, with a comforting smile and a rea.s.suring pat on the back. It was more of the same which, despite the good intentions, Stephen found himself aching for the wake to be over.If he thought the wake was bad, Stephen was in for a surprise. Grandpa"s funeral was one of the most harrowing experiences of his life. Having to say goodbye one last time to Grandpa"s pale, lifeless body just about took everything he had. He would never forget the scene at the cemetery, with his casket being slowly lowered into the ground, while the entire family looked on in stony silence.
Most of the family, that is. It was the only time Stephen had seen his Grandma ever truly break down, heavily distraught and crying. He tried to put himself in her shoes, to imagine what it must be like to lose a partner after spending almost your entire life together. Every time, his thoughts and imagination came up short. Sliding over to her side, he wrapped his arm around the tiny woman, hoping to give even the smallest amount of comfort. She clung to him as the casket was fully lowered, the tears flowing heavily.
Stephen looked over at Grace, who gave him a knowing look at the distress Grandma was in. He tried to imagine what it would be like if Grace died, and how he would feel. The very idea shattered him to the core, sending s.h.i.+vers down his spine. Even after such a short period of time, Grace was fully integrated into his life, and as much a part of him as his lungs or hands.
Yet, take that feeling, and multiply it by sixty, he thought to himself. That"s how Grandma feels right now. His arms pulled tighter in a comforting embrace. She sobbed quietly, yet enough for him to feel the wetness against his breast pocket. The damp material clung to him in the same manner as she did.
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After the funeral, everyone tried as best they could to go back to some semblance of normality. For Theresa Willow, that meant going back to her full work schedule, and spending even more time away from home in order to support the family. The twins went back to their friends, spending what was left of their summer at the local mall or parks.
For Stephen, it meant getting back to work, and doing his part to support the family. Thankfully, that was one front that was about to get a lot easier. It was just two days after the funeral, and Stephen and Grace were just casually napping in his bed when his phone began to ring.