11. Saying Goodbye

The drive down to Chicago was a quiet one, even with Fulton riding with me. We would alternate driving so the other could sleep, but it wasn't necessary. I hadn't slept since that night, and I looked like it.

By the time we got to Dean's house, I was almost fed up with Fulton trying to make me talk about my feelings.

When Momma Portman greeted us, I hugged her and handed her a bag of pictures.

"What's this, Mandi?" she asked as we walked into the house.

"The least I could do, Momma Portman. Those are the best shots that I took of him. I knew you'd want them. I thought they might look good at the funeral, too." my voice was hushed but so full of raw emotion. Momma Portman nodded as she set the bag down.

"Mandi, you'll be in Dean's room. Fulton, you can have the guest room." she said hugging us both, sending us to bed.

I grabbed my overnight bag and took it up to Dean's room. I stood in the center of his room and looked at his things. His action movies, his Blackhawks posters, his old hockey equipment, even his small shoe collection. I sat down on his bed and turned off the light.

It was like I could feel his presence with me as I lied down on his bed. It was like he was comforting me.

"I love you, Dean. Goodbye." I whispered to the dark.

"What goodbye?" I heard a voice ask me from the foot of the bed.

I sat straight up and could see a figure at the foot of the bed.

"Hi, Mandi." the voice said again.

"No. That's impossible. It's Dean's voice but I watched Dean die. Oh, my God, I've finally gone crazy." I was rambling. The figure came over to me and flicked the lamp on.

I gasped when I saw him. It was Dean alright, looking as he had the morning of the accident. "You're dead."

"I know." he said chuckling. "C'mon, I want to show you something."

He took my hand and led me outside, warning me not to look back. When we got outside, there was a beautiful light in front of the house with a figure in it.

"What is it?" I asked as I put a hand over my mouth.

"It's Him. It's time for you to come home with me."

I was led into the light by Dean and all the pain of life vanished away.

Article from the Chicago Times page 3.

Monday night the girlfriend of a late local hockey player, Dean Portman, was found dead in his bed the night before his funeral. According to the autopsy report, the girl, Mandi Ellis, suffered from an aneurism in her brain. Doctors believe it was the result of the fall she took when Portman saved her life.

The End