Intelligent, witty, hopelessly romantic and breathtakingly beautiful were the words he would use to describe her. Of course, being her husband he supposed he was rather biased on the matter. To him, no woman in the world came close to comparing to his wife, no one came close to matching her beauty or her infectious personality. The mould was well and truly broken whenever she had been made. It was true that she hadn't caught his attention from the very first moment, but once she did, it was impossible to get her off his mind. Suddenly, when he closed his eyes all he could see was her face, and the sound of her laughter became his favourite song.
Jean Graham had entered his office one morning in December nearly ten years ago, suggested by her father to be his secretary. Little did he know that her appearance before him then would be the start of the happiest years of his life. Even now he could still easily recall the peeved expression on her face as she introduced herself, clearly none too happy about her new employment.
"I'm Jean Graham. My daddy said I might be useful to you," the first words she ever said to him.
He was in dire need of a secretary seeing as he was having difficulty finding anything under the sheer volume of files, but he hadn't counted on her being so young. She was barely more than nineteen when she walked through his door for the first time, no doubt cursing her father to high heaven for suggesting her for the unglamorous role of Atticus Finch's secretary.
"Atticus Finch." He had extended his hand to her. "I dare say your father is correct," he had said, for the first time getting a glimpse of the smile that would later have the power to brighten his entire day.
He hadn't expected her to stay long. She was so young and no doubt inexperienced that he expected her to last no more than a week before either she got bored or he got frustrated.
However, neither of those things happened.
Instead, he found that he slowly fell in love with her. It didn't happen like in the fairytales, there were no proclamations of undying love or grand gestures of affection, but it was their own sort of fairytale nonetheless. When her father died and she took some personal time to grieve, he discovered that he missed her. He missed her wit, he missed her laugh, he missed her occasional sarcastic comments, he missed her. He came to realise that she had been the reason for his new found love of coming to the office each morning, and he realised then that he may be falling in love with her. Of course, he never expected her to feel the same way. She was nineteen and in the prime of her life, why would she be interested in a thirty-four year old bachelor? She probably had countless young men chasing after her. He had a snowball's chance in hell.
As it turned out, he was wrong about that, too.
He didn't so much tell her he cared for her than he showed her. In small ways he tried to display to her how much he thought of her, giving her the chance to put an end to things before they began, but she didn't. When he held her hand for the first time and felt his heart jolt at the sensation, he expected her to pull away, but she didn't. When she rested her head against his shoulder it was as though all his Christmases had come at once. By some miracle or divine intervention, Jean felt the same. He kept things moving slow incase he got too caught up in his happiness and scared her off, but thanked the Lord when each month passed and she was still by his side.
With each day that passed he found a new reason to love her and it didn't take him long to realise that Jean was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. In his years of solitude he had practically given up on finding happiness, but Jean was his happiness. She made him happy in a way that no one else did and he looked forward to each new day he got to spend with her. The sound of her voice was enough to soothe him, the feel of her hand was enough to reassure him, the sight of her smile was enough to make him smile, and the feel of her in his arms was enough to remind him that he was a lucky man. Before he knew it, he was head over heels and going to Montgomery to look for a ring.
He selected a diamond, so caught up in imagining how it would look settled on her finger that the clerk had to call him back to reality. He only wanted to give her the best. His Jean deserved nothing but the best things in life.
His heart had been beating wildly, his palms had been sweaty on the steering wheel. He was more nervous that he had ever been in his life and it was because of Jean. As he drove to the Landing with his love beside him, it had taken all of his inner strength to appear normal and composed. What if she said no? What if he had let himself fall completely in love with her and she'd had a change of heart? He now loved her too much to ever imagine himself living without her. The woman who now owned his heart could very well break it in a number of hours.
His worrying had, of course, been for nothing. As he had gotten down on his knee he had been sure that the entire state of Alabama could hear his heart beating within him. He had watched her face change from shock, to disbelief, to utter euphoria. Jean had accepted his proposal and jumped into his arms before he even had the chance to place the ring on her finger. Instantly, he was being smothered in kisses and feeling as though he was in seventh heaven, and she smiled her smile which never ceased to take his breath away. He was in love with and going to marry the most incredible woman in the country. It didn't get any better than that.
But it did. One year after they married they were welcoming their baby son into the world, a son they named Jeremy Atticus. Jean had been so in love with her son that her husband didn't think she looked at him for nearly a week. Jem was never deprived his mother's love or attention, and he couldn't imagine a time where he had seen her look happier. He always wanted her to be that happy. She was so deserving of happiness. He was counting his blessings.
Four years later he was counting his blessings again when they welcomed their baby daughter into the world, a daughter they named Jean Louise. At the birth of her second child, Jean's life was complete. She had two children who she adored and who adored her in return, and she was full of plans for their futures. Things they would do, places they would go, people they would meet. She was so excited to take that journey with them. They were her babies and she was going to be with them every step of the way, watching out for them in a way only a mother could.
"But, it seemed that God had other plans for my Jean," Atticus spoke low, ignoring the stinging sensation in his eyes. He'd made it this far he wasn't going to start crying now. He wasn't going to let her down. "And as much as we feel that we needed her, and we do, it seems God needed her far more." He heard Alexandra choke back a sob and looked up to see her clutching Jean Louise tightly to her chest. Jean's little baby.
"Jem and Jean Louise were Jean's entire world and my biggest regret, for her, is that she's been denied the chance to watch them grow. Jean was an exceptional mother, always on hand to brush away a tear or provide the comforting embraces that were uniquely hers. There was nothing she wouldn't have done for them and it pains me that...that Jem and Jean Louise have lost their rock and have been left with a void in their lives, one that I know won't ever be filled. It's my deepest wish that they never forget her warmth or how deeply and unconditionally she loved them."
The sound of another sob from Alexandra, Jack clearing his throat, and the sight of her coffin in front of him decked with lillies was nearly too much to bear. He should not be standing delivering a eulogy for his twenty-eight year old wife. He should be getting ready to come home from another day at the office to her brilliant smile and always comforting embrace, he should be looking forward to an evening with her by his side and their children around them, he should have his love still in his life. It wasn't supposed to be like this, it wasn't supposed to end so soon.
"Jean was a person who loved every second of life," he continued on with the most disjointed speech he had ever given. His thoughts were scrambled in his mind and he guessed his attempt at a eulogy was testament to that. "She got up every morning with a smile on her face and went to bed at night still smiling. There didn't seem to be a thing that could bring her spirits down. She was positive, upbeat, and could see the good in every person and every situation. I think I'd be right in assuming that that was one of many reasons many of you here considered her a close friend. Jean was a fierce friend, always ready at the drop of a hat to help anyone who needed it. I'm sure many of you, like me, feel a little lost in the knowledge that she won't be there to help anymore."
Another quick glance up saw numerous heads in the congregation nod in agreement, something that touched his heart. He hoped Jean knew just how loved she had been within the entire community, and how everyone seemed to be left floundering at her death.
"To me, Jean was many things. She was my wife, the mother of my children, but most importantly she was my best friend. I'm certain she'd laugh and tease me for saying this in front of you all, but to me she was nothing short of perfection. She made everyday brighter, she made every mountain back into a molehill, and she calmed every turbulent sea. I'll be brutally honest and say that my world seems a little bit darker now without her in it."
"Jean was a simple person and I think that's how she'd want you all to remember her. Remember her as a doting wife, a devoted mother, and a fierce and loyal friend. I'd ask you all to keep Jean in your hearts so her light never goes out. I'd like to finish by saying one last goodbye to the woman who I had the honour of calling my wife and my best friend. Jean, you were incredible. I'll see you soon, honey."
Wherever she was, he hoped she could hear him.