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I jumped out of bed. “That’s just enough time. We’re going with them.”
“Not going to happen,” he said, tucking the blankets in around him.
Goddamn, he had a beautiful chest, all hard and ripped like he spent hours working out, when I knew none of them spent more than thirty minutes a day in their home gym. They were so fit, it didn’t take much to keep their bodies in shape and make me drool.
“Oh yes, it is,” I said and pulled the blanket off him. Then I spotted his shirt on the floor and slipped it on. “And I’m coming with you. I’ve always wanted an excuse to see that cemetery, and now I have one.”
“Fine, but I’m not going,” he repeated.
“I’ll turn your shower on, and I expect you to be in it by the time the water gets hot. In the meantime, I’m going to tell your family that we’ll be joining them. Now get up. Believe me. This is something you need to do. I know enough about loss from watching my gram deal with the loss of my grandfather. This is part of the process.”
He reluctantly swung his legs over the side of the bed, and I tugged on his arms to get him to stand. “I don’t want to do this. Believe me when I say, you don’t want me to do this. It’s too fucking sad. I’m afraid of how I’ll react.”
“Grief is supposed to make you sad. You just don’t want to wallow in it, but you can’t ignore it, either. Now let’s go.”
“Fine,” he said and marched off to his private bathroom, still wearing his boxers, thank goodness.
I grabbed my things, then sent a text to Loraine, asking her to please tell Austin’s parents that we’d be joining them. When she texted back a thumb’s up, I knew we were on.
About an hour later, we arrived at the cemetery. We’d taken two cars. Boone and Kasey had decided to join us as well; even Loraine came along.
And everyone brought gifts. Not ordinary gifts like flowers and stuffed toys.
Kasey and Austin brought their guitars and copies of the music they’d been working on encased in a plastic sleeve.
Austin’s parents brought shiny beads, a Wonder Woman doll, various pictures, and a couple of bottles of wine. Hank even brought one of the extra harmonicas from the party and a slice of his birthday cake. Emily brought a doll dressed like a cowgirl and her ukulele. Annie brought a battery-powered candle and her violin. All three of the kids wanted to play a song.
At first, I had a hard time realizing this was an actual cemetery. It didn’t look like anything I’d ever seen before. All the bright colors of the tombstones and the mausoleums made it seem like a miniature town of some sort, rather than a place of sadness.
“Has it always been this way?” I asked Boone as we made our way to the gravesite.
“Sweet Whiskey is an old gold-mining town, and the people who lived there liked to send their loved ones off with flair and some fun, rather than cry about it. It’s gotten more and more over the top over the years,” he said as we made our way along a well-worn path. “We’re going to sing Jenna’s favorite song today. It’s how this place works. The last funeral we attended was for Dusty Lasater, an old ornery cowboy who also liked to sing. There were over two hundred people here that day. That’s when we heard Connie Manors, from Hot Sugar sing for the very first time. We knew damn well she was headed somewhere special, and when Dusty’s friend handed her the keys to his favorite Caddy, well, it was all over.”
We stopped walking then, and I could see a bright-blue mosaic tombstone up ahead. It was trimmed in gold and swirled with a deep purple and some soft pink. Just stunning. The song from Cabaret drifted into my head with the line:When I go, I’m going like… Jenna.
“This may sound weird,” I told Boone, “But that’s the most beautiful tombstone I’ve ever seen.”
“Jenna was a beautiful woman. This may sound weird as well, but you’re a lot like her: smart, spunky, fun, and not afraid to speak her mind. You’re a good fit for us, Liberty. No one but you could’ve gotten Austin to come here today. Please believe me when I tell you, we don’t want you to leave. Not now and not ever. You’re exactly what this crazy family needs. You’re going to do what you think you need to do, but just know you have a home with us if you want it. I’ll speak for myself when I say I’ve fallen in love with you, Liberty. Even though it’s been a short time, I know what I want now. Know what Hank wants, and it’s you.”
Before the tears streamed down my face, I heard Austin and Kasey, accompanied by the kids, singingCountry Girl, Shake It For Me.Everyone seemed to know all the words.
In the next moments, folks walked over, joining in on the song, dancing and twirling around like they were at Dirty Coyote instead of a cemetery.
In that moment, as I joined in with the chorus, I knew I needed to call Marcia as soon as I got home.
Liberty 14
We lingered at the cemetery for two more songs, then gathered up the kids and drove to Country Fixin’s in Sweet Whiskey for lunch. The restaurant seemed crowded with folks, but the hostess made room for us way in the back by shoving a couple of tables together.
“I want to thank you for forcing me to come out today,” Austin said while everyone was figuring out where they wanted to sit. “It meant a lot to Emily, and in the end, it gave me more closure than I thought it would. So, thank you.”
He slipped his hand in mine for a moment, and I knew he truly meant every word. I turned and gave him a quick hug, and we grew closer in that moment. Two people sharing grief and understanding what that meant.
“I want to sit next to you, Daddy,” I heard Emily say as we came out of the hug.
“Sure, baby,” he told her, then pulled out a chair for her.
I took the seat next to Emily, and as everyone gathered around the table, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to call Marcia… now.
