This is Chapter Thirty-Five in Lure World!

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Chapter Thirty-Five

Strength in Numbers

The next morning Luke and Noah went with Holden to do chores. Holden still wasn't quite himself and he had a lot to do with Emma's visitation that night. The sooner the chores were done the quicker he could deal with honoring his mother. He needed to make sure there was enough food, that the florist knew where to take the flowers, and he had finally secured the pallbearers for the funeral. He had a running list in his head and as soon as he managed to check two things off, four more would take its place. How did his mother manage to do this for his father when she was so young?

"Dad? Dad, are you ok?" Luke said. Holden looked up from his pitchfork and saw his son with a concerned look on his face.

"Of course, why?"

"You're crying dad," Luke whispered so only they heard it. Luke over his shoulder and saw Noah was still busy shoveling out on the horse stalls. "Come on," Luke took his dad's arm and directed him out into the morning air. They were standing behind the barn in the horse exercise ring. They were away from prying eyes. Luke knew how important strength was to his dad. He also knew that he wouldn't want anyone to see him like this. Holden drew a deep breath and dropped his head back. He could feel the cool breeze and the warm sun on his face.

"Thank you," he said in a rather grave voice.

"You don't need to thank me. Do you need anything?" Luke asked, rubbing his dad's back in quiet support. He hadn't seen his dad this upset since…well, when he got sick, when Ethan fell down the well, when he got shot. Holden only got this upset when he felt hopeless. His dad was always to protector, the one to lead the way and now he was feeling lost like a ship without its rudder. His head dropped into his hands and Luke could hear shaky breaths leave him.

"I'll be fine Luke. I am just so glad that you're here. I hate that something like this has to happen for me to realize now how important family is. You, the kids, your mother, you guys are my family and I am so lucky to have all of you here,"

"I love you dad,"

"I love you too," Holden said and pulled his son into a hug. They stepped away from each other and went back to the chores. Holden felt like a bit of the pressure and weight that he had been carrying around had lifted. He had his family and he was not alone in this.

Lily and Faith went to getting the house ready. Carly and Janet were going to meet them there. They needed to get the house up to Emma's standards for the visitors and family. Lily knew that it would take all four of them to get the house to how Emma could get it all by herself. Lily never told anyone, not even Holden, but Emma intimidated her. Maybe not in the same way that Lucinda was intimidating, but in her own way. When Lily and Holden had decided to get married, she was terrified. Emma made it look so effortless. She could manage a house full of family, feed them all, keep all the kids occupied, and without breaking a sweat. Lily was petrified, how would she be able to live up to that? As the years went by and they grew closer, that feeling of fear bled away, but deep down she still hung on to that sliver of fear. Now that Emma was gone, Lily was not going to fear her memory but use it as inspiration. She promised Emma and herself, that she would work that much harder to be a better mother for her kids and wife for her husband. She knew it would be what Emma would have wanted.

Natalie came out to the farm later in the afternoon and went out to the barn first. She saw Luke, Noah and her dad busy getting the barn and yard ready for guests. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her pull-over Oakdale High sweatshirt and walked over to her favorite horse's stall. It was a Snyder tradition, when you turned 13 you got to pick out your first horse. Hannah was Natalie's horse. She remembered getting teased mercilessly for naming her horse after Hannah Montana, but she didn't care. She rubbed Hannah's nose with the back of her hand and the horse nudged her back.

"Hey girl. Sorry I've gone for awhile. I'll never abandon you again. I promise," Natalie whispered and wrapped her arms around Hannah's neck, hugging her body into the tan horse's chest. Hannah dropped her head down slightly, as if she was hugging the young girl back. Natalie pulled back and fed some carrots to the mare. Next to Grandma Emma, Hannah was the best listener. She could tell her anything and Hannah would just listen. "The house is really lonely right now. Grandma Emma passed away the other day. I miss her. I don't know what I'm going to do now. She is…was my best friend," Natalie's voice caught in her throat. Natalie was absently rubbing her hand up and down Hannah nose and Hannah was relishing in the attention.

"I miss her too," Natalie looked over her shoulder and saw Faith standing just inside barn door. "We all miss her Natalie. You don't have to be alone right now,"

"I found her,"

"Yeah mom told me," Faith said and softly stepped closer to her baby sister. They were so close in age, but they had drifted apart a long time ago. She stood right next to her and watched her sister. She was so closed off, Faith could see it her face and her body. "I am so sorry,"

"I saw her the day before. She told me that she was tired. I should have…I could have…,"

"It is not your fault!" Faith grabbed her little sister and pulled her to face her. "Can you hear me? You could not have known. No one blames you and you shouldn't either. We all love you and Em would be heartbroken to see you so upset. I know with everything that I am that it is not your fault. Natalie?" Faith cupped her sister's face and pulled her gaze to meet hers. She watched the tears break the edges of Natalie's eyes and the young girl let go. Faith could feel her let the guilt go. Natalie always was the most sensitive of all the Snyder kids. She internalized everything and felt everyone's pain. She was unselfish and was always there for everyone else. It made so much sense that she would blame herself. Faith pulled her sister into a hug and made soft hushing sounds. She rocked her from side to side, mirroring what her mom did to sooth her as a girl. She let Natalie have her grief and let her cry it out.

After about fifteen minutes, Faith pulled away and looked down slightly at her baby sister. She brushed the tears away with her thumbs and pulled her hair off her shoulders.

"Ok, how about this? JJ and Parker just started working on Grandma's picture boards for the visitation. Wanna help?" Faith suggested, hoping that it would help her. Natalie sniffed the remaining tears away and nodded. "Ok. Come on. It's getting cold out here," Faith wrapped her arm around Natalie's shoulders and they walked into the house.

The sun was beginning to set and everyone was making their way to the funeral home. Luke and Noah were the only ones left to shower. Holden and Lily went early to finish setting up and Natalie went with. Luke was sitting on the porch finishing another cup of coffee watching the sun set and the pant the sky a deep purple. Noah sat down beside Luke and silence spread over them. They were always able to sit with each other not have to say anything at all. Luke could smell that Noah had showered. He smelled of Irish Spring soap and aftershave. Noah always did smell good.

"So, is Reid coming?" Noah asked a fairly safe question.

"I tried calling him. I don't know," Luke said softly, looking down in his coffee cup.

No sooner than the words left his mouth, did the two men hear the sound of a car peeling up the Snyder driveway. They could hear rocks and pebbles flying as well as an engine accelerating. Luke and Noah shared a quick look and stood to see what was going on. The car swung fast around the back of Luke's car and slid to a stop parallel to the house. Luke knew who it was.

Reid was out of the car and running towards the house before it had fully powered down; driver's side door left open. Luke opened the screen door and Reid pulled his body to him. Luke's arms wrapped around Reid and he buried his face in the older man's neck. Luke could feel heat coming off of Reid and warming him from the inside out. The man was unbelievably warm, like a human furnace. Luke had been feeling cold all day and now he was beginning to feel like himself. Reid could feel Luke let out shaky breaths as he started to run his fingers through the hair at Luke's nape. Luke loved it when he did that; it calmed him like nothing else.

"Luke, I am so sorry that I couldn't get home sooner,"

"It's all right," Luke said, slightly muffled by Reid's coat collar. Luke was being selfless again. Trying to make Reid feel less guilty, but it wasn't working. He was not going to let him do that this time.

"No, it's not," he pulled away and took Luke's face in his hands. Reid lightly rubbed away Luke's tears and looked straight into his eyes. "There's damn pilot's strike in Toronto, so I rented a car and drove. I wish I had been home when you got the call,"

"I'm just so glad that you're here now," Luke said and his voice cracked. He was trying to hold it all together. Reid sighed and pulled him back to him. He hated Medical Conferences and he didn't want to go in the first place. Luke told him to go and impress all the other smart people that he was undoubtedly smarter than. It was a five day conference on new Neurological technologies and surgery protocols. Then when Luke called him his second night there and told him about Emma, he knew where he wanted, where he needed to be. Reid could literally hear Luke's heart breaking over the phone and 1600 miles away. As soon as Luke and he hung up that night, Reid was on the phone cancelling his lecture and trying to get a flight back to Austin or to Chicago at least; hoping to meet him. He was screaming at the ticket agents about a death in his family, but was the told thing over and over again there was nothing they could do. The two airlines had pilot strikes and the flights were all booked up. Giving up that he would find anyone to care, he rented the first car that he could and started driving. He only stopped to sleep, eat, and refuel.

Getting to Luke was the only thing he could think about. He needed to be with him. But that need was not only for Luke. Reid was grieving too. He loved Emma like she was his own grandmother. He never really was close to any of his extended family and she was one of the rare members of the Snyder family that accepted him right off.

"Reid!" The two men heard behind them and turned to see Ethan run across the driveway. Ethan jumped at Reid and he caught the young boy mid-jump. Reid relished the feeling of this spontaneous hug from the boy.

"How ya doing little man?"

" 'm kay. Where were you?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm home now though," Reid to the small boy and looked at Luke. Their eyes locked and Luke smiled in response.

"Come on Eth, you have to get ready," Luke said and then rubbed his brother's back lightly. The men walked inside and got ready to face the inevitable.

Well, how'd I do? Hit review and let me know.

Next time on Time to Say Goodbye - Emma's visitation and a clearing of the air.

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