Evelyn stood beside the long oak box that contained the body of her husband. They had only been married for seven years that wasn't long enough for her. Stolen from her by a sniper's bullet. Why did he volunteer to lead the first wave in Korea? Rafe looked almost as dashing as he had been when they commandeered that boat in New York as he lay there lifeless in the coffin dressed in full uniform. The teas welled in her brown eyes as she silently begged him to open his eyes again to give a sign he was still there. There wasn't one Rafe was gone, it was so hard, harder then you could ever imagine. She had lost them both of them, the father of her child and her one true love in less then ten years. She lurched forward and rested her head on the side of the coffin. Hot tears gushing from her eyes and soaking Rafe's corpse.
"Mom you should go sit down." Little Danny tugged at her hand. Evelyn turned her head and looked at her son Rafe's son Danny's son and she cried even more.
"Ev Rafe's alright he's with Danny now." Sandra put her arm around Evelyn shoulder and lead her away from the casket.
"Why did he have to go Sandy why did he have to leave me." She whimpered
"Oh honey don't cry I'm okay. I'm here I'm right here Evelyn I'll never be to far away from you to hear you when you cry, I'll be with you always." Rafe stood in the doorway of the church and watched as his wife broke down into unceasing sobs and uncontrollable shaking.
"Rafe it's time." An unfamiliar voice called and he knew it was time for him to go, to leave Earth for a better place.
Heaven wasn't really what he expected it be. It was beautiful though a world or sparkling white and shiny gold. Rafe stood at the Pearly gates not fully sure if he wanted to pass threw take the final step in admitting he was dead. When suddenly a face he had known almost his entire life appeared on the other side
"Jesus Rafe are you comin' in or you gonna stand out there all day?"
"Danny?" He gasped
"Yeah Rafe who'd you think was going to come for you Abe Lincoln?"
Rafe passed threw the arch and on the other side his whole body became flooded with peacefulness. He practically forgot he was dead he just felt so good inside.
"Come on there's some people here that have been waiting to see ya." Danny gestured to his friend in the direction in which they were going. And they headed off. Danny stopped abruptly in front of a tall building and turned the golden knob attached to the door. When it sung open the heads of three young pilots and a sweet looking blonde nurse shot up.
"Joe, Billy, Anthony, Betty." The words barely made it past Rafe's lips before Betty wrapped him in a hug and the guys started patting him on the back
The six played around and joked for a while, like it was old times, before Danny asked if he could talk to Rafe alone. The others obliged him and left them alone.
"So what's this place like?" Rafe queried folding his hands on the table is friends had been playing poker at.
"Heaven." Danny replied with a smirk "Hey Rafe I really need to talk to you."
"Shoot." Rafe responded
"Rafe not a good thing to say considering how we both died." The younger boy goofed
"Good point, go a head."
"I just wanted to thank you Rafe."
"Thank me for what?"
"For being the best friend I ever had, for protecting my me whole life and mostly for taking care of Evelyn and being a great father to my son."
"Danny you gave me the chance to be the father to your little boy Danny. If anything I should be thanking you for that opportunity."
"I guess we both each other a lot don't we?"
"We owe each other everything." With that the two clicked their beer bottles together and went back into the way things used to be. Well at least it looked like that on the surface. But on the inside All Rafe could think about was Evelyn and Danny's son.
"Mom you should go sit down." Little Danny tugged at her hand. Evelyn turned her head and looked at her son Rafe's son Danny's son and she cried even more.
"Ev Rafe's alright he's with Danny now." Sandra put her arm around Evelyn shoulder and lead her away from the casket.
"Why did he have to go Sandy why did he have to leave me." She whimpered
"Oh honey don't cry I'm okay. I'm here I'm right here Evelyn I'll never be to far away from you to hear you when you cry, I'll be with you always." Rafe stood in the doorway of the church and watched as his wife broke down into unceasing sobs and uncontrollable shaking.
"Rafe it's time." An unfamiliar voice called and he knew it was time for him to go, to leave Earth for a better place.
Heaven wasn't really what he expected it be. It was beautiful though a world or sparkling white and shiny gold. Rafe stood at the Pearly gates not fully sure if he wanted to pass threw take the final step in admitting he was dead. When suddenly a face he had known almost his entire life appeared on the other side
"Jesus Rafe are you comin' in or you gonna stand out there all day?"
"Danny?" He gasped
"Yeah Rafe who'd you think was going to come for you Abe Lincoln?"
Rafe passed threw the arch and on the other side his whole body became flooded with peacefulness. He practically forgot he was dead he just felt so good inside.
"Come on there's some people here that have been waiting to see ya." Danny gestured to his friend in the direction in which they were going. And they headed off. Danny stopped abruptly in front of a tall building and turned the golden knob attached to the door. When it sung open the heads of three young pilots and a sweet looking blonde nurse shot up.
"Joe, Billy, Anthony, Betty." The words barely made it past Rafe's lips before Betty wrapped him in a hug and the guys started patting him on the back
The six played around and joked for a while, like it was old times, before Danny asked if he could talk to Rafe alone. The others obliged him and left them alone.
"So what's this place like?" Rafe queried folding his hands on the table is friends had been playing poker at.
"Heaven." Danny replied with a smirk "Hey Rafe I really need to talk to you."
"Shoot." Rafe responded
"Rafe not a good thing to say considering how we both died." The younger boy goofed
"Good point, go a head."
"I just wanted to thank you Rafe."
"Thank me for what?"
"For being the best friend I ever had, for protecting my me whole life and mostly for taking care of Evelyn and being a great father to my son."
"Danny you gave me the chance to be the father to your little boy Danny. If anything I should be thanking you for that opportunity."
"I guess we both each other a lot don't we?"
"We owe each other everything." With that the two clicked their beer bottles together and went back into the way things used to be. Well at least it looked like that on the surface. But on the inside All Rafe could think about was Evelyn and Danny's son.