There she was sitting at the foot of the bed, Claudia Joy a woman of strength and hope. Claudia Joy was always the one to help the women that had husbands overseas; she was always the one to comfort the widows. She sat there putting on her pearl necklace; the one Michael gave her on their 5th wedding anniversary. A happy occasion, but happy is not a word that would describe Claudia Joy anymore. Claudia Joy just sits and stares of into space when images begin to flash her head.
"Amanda go, go!" Claudia Joy yelled at the hump bar. Amanda was in tears and didn't turn to the door she started towards her mother.
Claudia Joy continues to look into space when Michael walks up to the doorway.
"Claudia Joy...: Michael starts.
Claudia Joy doesn't hear him, she just keeps staring.
"Claudia Joy." Michael says once more this time getting her attention.
Claudia Joy looks up at her husband with a look of utter despair.
"It's time." Michael says to his wife.
Claudia Joy shakes her head and then gets up and walks past Michael, Michael in pain too turns and walks after her.
At the cemetery Roxy and Pamela walk over to Denise who is standing alone greeting a few strangers coming to support the Holden family.
"Hey." Roxy says hugging Denise.
"Hey." Denise replies back and then hugs Pamela.
Roxy looks around to see who is here and who isn't.
"Where's Jeremy?" Roxy asks.
"He's back at his base; he has mandatory training to get ready to ship out." Denise says.
Pamela and Roxy nod to her knowing how much Jeremy loved Amanda.
"How's he doing?" Pamela asks.
"Not good, I don't think he could have handled today." Denise says.
"It is definitely going to be a hard day." Pamela says.
Just then Rowland and Joan walk over to the group. There are exchanges of hugs even Joan gets in, because today there is no army, just friends and family mourning a young woman.
A little while later the funeral starts, there is a picture of Amanda on a stand. Michael picked his favorite picture of his daughter; it was one of her senior pictures. She's by the ocean walking but she turns her head and smiles. It definitely captures Amanda's youth; a youth that forever will be still in time.
There are a whole bunch of people standing and sitting. In the front facing the casket sit The Holden family. Michael in the middle with Claudia Joy on his left and Emmalyn on his right. Behind them sit Claudia Joy's brothers and some other family members from both sides. Across on the other side Rowland, Joan, Roxy, Pamela, and Denise stand facing to Holden family. The priest is in the middle doing the ceremony.
"The bible tells many different stories of people visited by angels. And those people were truly blesses. For in each case the angel changed their lives. However the angel could only stay for the briefest of moments. Amanda Holden was like one of those angels. "The priest starts. Claudia Joy wipes tears away from her face. Michael and Emmalyn keep their eyes on the priest.
"She visited us, she brought love, she changed lives and her stay was much to brief for us. Still she leaves us a legacy of love." the priest says. Everyone looks at the priest as he continues to talk. Michael begins to cry but holds himself back as he puts his arm around Emmalyn who doesn't cry but just puts her head in her father's chest. Roxy, Denise, and Pamela's eyes are all glued on Claudia Joy who is just staring at Amanda's casket.
"A friend of the Holden family would now like to recite a poem by Violet Allen." The priest says stepping back away from where he was standing.
Rowland squeezes Joan's hand and walks to where the priest was standing. He takes a deep breath and starts to recite the poem.
"God, God, be lenient her first night there,the crib she slept in was so near my bed;her blue and white wool blanket was so soft,her pillow hollowed so to fit her head." Rowland starts.
Claudia Joy just looks blankly at her daughter's casket. Pamela, Roxy, and Denise just look blankly at her knowing she's in pain.
"Teach me that she'll not want small rooms or meWhen she has You and heavens immensity!" Claudia Joy begins to well up but holds back the tears she wants to let out.
"I always left a light out in the hall.I hoped to make her fearless in the dark;and yet, she was so small - one little light,Not in the room, it scarcely mattered. Hark!" Rowland says turning and looking at Amanda's picture. Joan looks at the picture when Rowland does and wipes a single tear from her face.
"No, no, she seldom cried! God, not to farfor her to see, this first night, light a star!" Rowland finishes looking at the casket. As he walks back to his place people start moving towards the casket as the bag pipes begin to play and place roses on it. When Denise goes by it she kisses her hand and places it on the casket. As do Roxy and Pamela. When Rowland goes by he and Joan place their roses on it together and walk back to their seats hand in hand.
After everyone is back to their original places Michael puts his around Claudia Joy .As he does this Emmalyn gets up and walks over to Amanda's casket. Everyone looks at the young girl. Claudia Joy looks at her young daughter ready to go over and rescue her but Michael stops her. Shaking a bit Emmalyn pulls out a small teddy bear from her pocket and places it on the casket, her hand shakes as she places it on there. As she does this Pamela breaks into tears and Denise puts her arm around her. Emmalyn then walks back to her seat and Michael kisses her forehead tears trickling down his face.
Soon everybody is gone from the cemetery heading into their cars to the Sherwood's house where refreshments would be served and mingling would occur. Michael opens the back door to an army car to let Emmalyn inside but notices his wife is not their, he looks for Claudia Joy and soon realizes she is still standing by Amanda's casket. Denise, Roxy, Pamela, Joan, and Rowland are by their cars and look at Michael looking at Claudia Joy. Then most of their attention goes towards Claudia Joy who is just staring at her daughter's casket.
"Denise would you please take Emmalyn?" Michael asks.
"Of course." Denise says forcing a small smile.
Michael kisses and hugs Emmalyn as he sends her over to Denise who puts her arm around her and helps her into the car. Then she looks at Claudia Joy who isn't moving just staring. Michael heads over to Claudia Joy. The group looks at this Roxy begins to well up and Pamela hugs her and they get into their car.
Claudia Joy staring at the casket begins to have quick flashes of Amanda. Flashes of her looking at the bomb and then looking for her.
Michael walks over to Claudia Joy and takes her hand in his. She continues to stare at the casket. They stand there long after everybody leaves. Claudia Joy not wanting to leave her daughter again, Michael not wanting to either.