Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Originally written and posted on April 8, 2002. Was later removed for some unknown reason. Here it is again. Wish I could get all my reviews back....
Goodbye Danny
Danny held up a small glass of whiskey at his father's grave. "Well Father, this is good-bye for a while. I'm going over to England for two years. I promise to come back soon."
Evelyn McCauley fought back the tears as she watched her oldest child say good-bye to his father's headstone. Every year for some twenty odd years he visited the gravestone every night and now he wouldn't be able to do it for two years. It broke her heart.
Betty McCauley gripped her mother's hand. Betty was only sixteen and couldn't understand why Danny grieved so much for his father. "He'd never even met him." Betty once said.
Evelyn missed Danny Walker more than she could bare it. Their son, named Danny for his father, had taken the name McCauley but he had the Walker looks and wit. If she hadn't been pregnant when Danny Walker died she might have lost her mind. Her son was the only thing that kept her going.
Danny drowned the glass and placed it in front of the headstone, "I'm learning to be a pilot. Just like you. Just like Rafe." Danny always referred to Rafe as Rafe when he was talking to his father but in the house Danny referred to Rafe as Dad. Rafe was Dad and Danny was Father.
Evelyn turned away from the window and crawled up on the sofa. Rafe was gone to the flight school he owned for the day, unable to bear being here on this day much longer. Evelyn was drowning in memories.
"I kind like of you."
"Oh you do..... You have your tie on crooked."
"It'll be okay."
She bit her lip and picked up a book and tried to focus.
"Do you ever think this war's gonna catch up with us?"
"Not a whole lot."
"Well every moment we're not together you're up there training for it."
"Yeah well I'm training for moments like these. Cuz I have no idea how I'm gonna get this car out of the sand."
Evelyn slammed the book on the table and hurried out the door. She sat under a nearby tree trying to draw up memories of her children but memories of Danny kept coming back.
"My dad took me up a couple times. Just don't do what he did. What do you call it when you flip over?"
"A barrel roll?"
"Yeah."
"I won't"
"AHHH!!"
"What do you think?"
"I like that."
Two tears slipped from her eyelids.
"You know the only thing that scares me is that you might love him more than you love me."
"I love YOU, Danny and I'll be waiting here for you when you get back."
Evelyn buried her face in her knees. "Mom?"
Evelyn wiped the tears from her face, "Yeah Danny?"
Danny sat down next to his mother, "You can hide it all you want but I know you miss Father."
Evelyn nodded.
"Quick hide in the parachute hanger."
She bit her lip "I will miss him forever."
Danny nodded, "I miss him too."
Evelyn embraced her son, "He loved you. He never knew you but he loved you."
Danny sighed, "You know I think I'll miss him most of all."
Evelyn knew this. Despite the fact that Danny had never spoken to his father, his father had been the most encouraging person in his life. "I have never been able to say good-bye."
"Really?" Danny asked.
Evelyn nodded, "I moved on and married Rafe but I never let go of your father." She handed him a small package that was sitting on a bench nearby, "He would have wanted you to have this."
Danny opened it up. It was his father's jacket and his medals, "Mom-"
Evelyn shook her head, "Danny I've held on to this long enough. Perhaps if you have it, it will give me some peace of mind."
Danny embraced his mother once more. "I think its time you said good-bye."
Evelyn nodded, "So do I."
Danny left his mom and went inside to finish packing. Evelyn knelt down in front of Danny Walker's headstone and cried. She kissed her finger tips and ran them down his name.
"Maybe I could come by sometime?"
"Good-bye Danny."
THE END
Author's Note: Originally written and posted on April 8, 2002. Was later removed for some unknown reason. Here it is again. Wish I could get all my reviews back....
Goodbye Danny
Danny held up a small glass of whiskey at his father's grave. "Well Father, this is good-bye for a while. I'm going over to England for two years. I promise to come back soon."
Evelyn McCauley fought back the tears as she watched her oldest child say good-bye to his father's headstone. Every year for some twenty odd years he visited the gravestone every night and now he wouldn't be able to do it for two years. It broke her heart.
Betty McCauley gripped her mother's hand. Betty was only sixteen and couldn't understand why Danny grieved so much for his father. "He'd never even met him." Betty once said.
Evelyn missed Danny Walker more than she could bare it. Their son, named Danny for his father, had taken the name McCauley but he had the Walker looks and wit. If she hadn't been pregnant when Danny Walker died she might have lost her mind. Her son was the only thing that kept her going.
Danny drowned the glass and placed it in front of the headstone, "I'm learning to be a pilot. Just like you. Just like Rafe." Danny always referred to Rafe as Rafe when he was talking to his father but in the house Danny referred to Rafe as Dad. Rafe was Dad and Danny was Father.
Evelyn turned away from the window and crawled up on the sofa. Rafe was gone to the flight school he owned for the day, unable to bear being here on this day much longer. Evelyn was drowning in memories.
"I kind like of you."
"Oh you do..... You have your tie on crooked."
"It'll be okay."
She bit her lip and picked up a book and tried to focus.
"Do you ever think this war's gonna catch up with us?"
"Not a whole lot."
"Well every moment we're not together you're up there training for it."
"Yeah well I'm training for moments like these. Cuz I have no idea how I'm gonna get this car out of the sand."
Evelyn slammed the book on the table and hurried out the door. She sat under a nearby tree trying to draw up memories of her children but memories of Danny kept coming back.
"My dad took me up a couple times. Just don't do what he did. What do you call it when you flip over?"
"A barrel roll?"
"Yeah."
"I won't"
"AHHH!!"
"What do you think?"
"I like that."
Two tears slipped from her eyelids.
"You know the only thing that scares me is that you might love him more than you love me."
"I love YOU, Danny and I'll be waiting here for you when you get back."
Evelyn buried her face in her knees. "Mom?"
Evelyn wiped the tears from her face, "Yeah Danny?"
Danny sat down next to his mother, "You can hide it all you want but I know you miss Father."
Evelyn nodded.
"Quick hide in the parachute hanger."
She bit her lip "I will miss him forever."
Danny nodded, "I miss him too."
Evelyn embraced her son, "He loved you. He never knew you but he loved you."
Danny sighed, "You know I think I'll miss him most of all."
Evelyn knew this. Despite the fact that Danny had never spoken to his father, his father had been the most encouraging person in his life. "I have never been able to say good-bye."
"Really?" Danny asked.
Evelyn nodded, "I moved on and married Rafe but I never let go of your father." She handed him a small package that was sitting on a bench nearby, "He would have wanted you to have this."
Danny opened it up. It was his father's jacket and his medals, "Mom-"
Evelyn shook her head, "Danny I've held on to this long enough. Perhaps if you have it, it will give me some peace of mind."
Danny embraced his mother once more. "I think its time you said good-bye."
Evelyn nodded, "So do I."
Danny left his mom and went inside to finish packing. Evelyn knelt down in front of Danny Walker's headstone and cried. She kissed her finger tips and ran them down his name.
"Maybe I could come by sometime?"
"Good-bye Danny."
THE END