Strip glanced at his rear view mirror as the station-wagon pulled up to a red light. Reaching up to adjust it, he made eye contact with his nephew who sat behind Lynda's seat. Cal was staring at him while hugging a cardboard box, its sides were too big for his arms to fully wrap around. He started carrying it in the beginning of December and it had been cute watching the six year old waddle around with it, though whenever Strip or Lynda asked what was inside he insisted that they waited until mid December.

Cal smiled and after Strip returned the gesture, turned to face the window and watch as they parked several yards away from their destination. He gazed at the large granite sign slowly passing by. The first time he came here he had been too young to read the curly font. But even now that he was in first grade, he realized that the only word he could understand was Park. Funny, he thought. It didn't look anything like the parks near home and it most definitely wasn't a place where people go to have fun.

"So," Lynda turned in her seat to look at him. "Are you finally gonna tell us what's in the box?"

"Not yet, Auntie Lynda. You have to wait until the middle of December." Cal rested his chin on the lid and blinked his round, brown eyes at her. They reminded Lynda of his father's eyes, always naive and curious.

"Cal, it's already the middle of December."

"You can see it later! I promise."

Strip hadn't even shut off the engine yet when Cal leapt out of the car and took off towards the gates. The Dinoco racer stepped out of the vehicle just in time to see his nephew fall flat on his face, comically tossing the box out of the way in fear of crushing it.

"You okay, Cal?" He and Lynda held back amused grins as they went to check on him.

"Uh-huh. I fell." Cal rolled over and sat up, flashing them a sheepish grin before stuffing his laces into his shoes.

"Don't you ever run off like that again, okay sweetie? You could've gotten lost and we wouldn't know where to find you!" Lynda pulled his laces out and retied them for him, thinking to herself how this would be the third time she'd have to re-teach him once they got home.

"Do you remember what to do if you get lost?" Strip tested Cal's memory. "Stay where you are, and-"

"-Don't talk to strangers who say they can take me home. I remember, Uncle Strip."

"Good." Lynda dusted Cal off and hugged him tight. "And there's no need to rush, we have plenty of time to see them today."

Strip handed the box back to Cal before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He wrapped his other arm around Lynda's waist and looked up at the gate in front of them.

"Let's go. We don't wanna keep 'em waiting."


They were buried in the leftmost column, third row up from the back next to a medium sized oak tree. Strip had only seen it bare branched and bony in the winter. It scared Cal the first time he came, so he made a note to himself to bring everyone here again in the summer, when it could give them a more pleasant welcome.

He would have to take it up to Cal and Lynda first, then to Tex and ask for a few days off of training. There would definitely be complications with his schedule, he'd probably have to spend twice as many hours on the track every day to make up for lost time.

But for Cal, it was all worth it.

A cold gust of wind brought him out of his thoughts and he could feel Lynda hugging his arm tightly as the family slowly approached the two stone markers.

Eric Weathers.

Tamara Weathers.

The three of them stood and stared for what seemed like ages until Cal finally stepped forward. Strip and Lynda watched in silence as their nephew brushed the dead leaves off the headstones and wiped the plaques clean. He opened up the box and started placing brightly colored flowers and decorations all over.

"Need some help with that, kiddo?" Cal heard Strip's voice behind him. He looked up at his aunt and uncle as they both knelt down on each side of him.

"Mmhmm." He nodded and turned his attention back to the decorations. "I think Mommy and Daddy would be happy with that."

They got to work, placing the flowers and wrapping the tombstones in colorful streamers. When they ran out, Strip rummaged around the bottom the box to look for more but was surprised when he pulled out several different items instead.

Crayon drawings. Glittery cards. Hand paintings.

Two years worth of missed birthdays, Mother's, and Father's day presents.

Strip's expression sobered and he shared glances with Lynda, who blinked away her tears and continued placing the flowers. Cal carefully arranged the gifts in the front and admired his work before sitting down and starting his yearly routine.

"Hey Mommy, hey Daddy."

Visits were one day out of three hundred sixty five. He had to make them count.

"I missed you."

He tuned the rest of the world out, fixated on the two names engraved in stone. Neither Strip nor Lynda dared to interrupt him now.

"I'm in first grade now! We're learning how to add and subtract numbers and my teacher used cookies to show us how…"

Everything the little six year old wanted to share suddenly spilled out, and for a whole hour he talked about what he learned in school, all the new friends he made, his dream of becoming a racer like Uncle Strip, and how happy he was living with him and Auntie Lynda. All year he'd been excited to tell his late mother and father everything and imagined their reactions. He always thought they'd answer with praise and tell him how much they loved him.

But when he finished, all he heard were the sounds of distant traffic.

He didn't know why he expected a response. His excitement disappeared and his chest felt empty as he looked away from the vivid decorations. The bleak wintry graves all around reminded him of where he was. A cemetery. Mommy and Daddy were gone. Now they were just two slabs of rock that he stared at once every year.

Despite his trembling, he felt his whole body suddenly weighing as heavy as the gravestones. His breath hitched as he tried to calm himself and he vaguely remembered feeling this way the last time he came. Uncle Strip and Auntie Lynda comforted him that day and told him his parent's would've been happy with everything he did. They would've been so proud.

But he'd never know for sure.

"C'mon, Cal." After what felt like forever, Strip's voice broke through the silence. Cal felt his uncle's hand on his shoulder and he wiped the tears running down his face.

"It's time to go home."