Memorial Day Plus One
Seeley Booth walked through New Cathedral Cemetery toward the plot where his family rested. The term 'New' was a relative one since this Catholic burial ground had been consecrated in 1868. However, its predecessor Old Cathedral Cemetery, had existed next to Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church since 1849. And Old St. Mary's Cemetery had been established even earlier, in 1763. Living in a city founded in 1682, what else could Philadelphians expect than to be surrounded by history wherever they turned, in all phases of life from birth to death?
Having come to this place with his parents and grandparents almost every year since he was a small child, Booth could have found these headstones blind-folded. His great-grandparents rested one row over. Some of his mother's family rested nearby as well. The most recent grave was Jared's and the sight of it tightened Booth's throat and blurred his eyes. He paused for a prayer at each marker and straightened the flowers placed gently in front. Booth carried on a brief unabashed one-sided conversation with his grandmother and brother, then looked down at Hank's resting place and the last remaining grave.
"Pops, I know we came here yesterday, so you've heard all the news. We had a nice afternoon yesterday and we're heading back to D.C. in a few hours when your namesake wakes up from his nap. I just had to thank you again for setting me straight after Dad died. It's taken me a while but with Bones' help, I looked through the cigar box a few weeks ago. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more at the time. If I lost Parker…I'd be devastated. Regardless of my feelings, I should've been more supportive. I'm sorry I was so pig-headed."
Booth cleared his throat and stepped over to the final headstone; the reason for his solitary visit. The one his attention was focused upon today was his father's. As angry as he'd been at Edwin Booth, there was one acknowledgement which remained unsaid.
"Hey, Dad. I want you to know I admire your courage. It took guts to come see me at Walter Reed and say what you did. Doesn't make how you treated me all those years ago doesn't hurt any less, but I realize most of it came from PTSD you never got past. Doesn't excuse the mean streak, but you owning up to what you did was brave. Not everyone could've made that speech you gave in my hospital room. I hope you're resting easier now. We're both very lucky to have Pops in our lives. He was a stalwart father to us both. The strongest man I ever knew."
With a final salute, Booth returned to his car, the hotel, and his family for the trip back home. His spirits lifted. Bones was right; he thought, this visit by himself was the right thing to do.