"Of all the comrades that e'er I had
They're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay."
Three and a half years later, Charlie once again found himself standing in the graveyard behind the same cathedral in Harlem. Beside him, Collette was holding a squirmy, fussy little bundle, wrapped warmly against the winter chill in the air.
The service this time had been much smaller. Only Charlie, Collette, and a handful of others had occupied the pews, and the others had all left once the service ended, leaving only Charlie and Collette to watch the lowering of two coffins into their waiting graves.
Race had passed away first, from a heart attack. They were told he hadn't had time to feel pain before dying, but the suddenness had been hard to accept. Two days later, Albert had died in his sleep. Charlie had never felt so alone in the world, now that it was only him, Collette, and the baby, but also felt peace, knowing that Race and Albert had finally rejoined the rest of their family.
"Shh," Collette whispered, trying to shush the fussy baby she was holding.
"If you want to get a headstart and go back home awhile, that's okay," Charlie murmured. "She's probably cold, and I'm sure you are too. I'll be alright on my own."
"Are you sure?" Collette asked.
"Yeah. No sense in the two of you standing out in the cold. I don't even have to be here, technically, but… I want to see them properly laid to rest before I leave."
"Okay," Collette said, just as the baby burst out into a full-volume wail.
Charlie kissed Collette on the cheek and the baby on the top of her head and watched them walk away.
Once the graves had been filled, the cemetery workers left Charlie alone in front of them. He sighed, his breath coming out in a frosty puff that hovered in the air in front of him before dissipating. "I'm going to miss you two," he murmured. He glanced towards Elaine and Robin's graves a few feet away, beside JoJo and Crutchie. "I miss all of you," he sighed. "But don't worry. I won't forget you. None of you. I have plenty of stories to tell my kids, and other kids that come through the Mission. They'll all know about you."
Charlie felt them more than saw them, at first. A warm breeze brushed past him, making him shudder—more from surprise than anything else—before two faint figures appeared on either side of him, making him actually jump backwards in shock. They paused for a moment to reach their hands towards each other, glancing back over their shoulders to smile at Charlie.
He would have recognized Race's sparkling blue eyes and Albert's bright red hair anywhere, and couldn't help but smile back. The two turned back to face forward and kept walking, passing through their headstones. Charlie looked past them, and his jaw dropped. Towards the back of the graveyard, he saw a whole host of other wavery figures: a dark-haired, broad-shouldered boy, his arms crossed, standing beside a blond boy with a brilliant smile, leaning on a crutch. There was a taller boy with dark hair, a short one with a killer glare, and many, many others. He recognized JoJo—and a few of the others, although he couldn't place any names for sure besides Crutchie—along with Elaine, Finch, and Mush.
Albert and Race joined the others and were welcomed warmly, with hugs, pats on the head, shoulder, back, and a few good-hearted punches. Slowly, the figures began to fade away, until only three were left.
Charlie took a halting step forward, eyes trained on Elaine. She smiled at him. Charlie stopped, and smiled back. "Goodbye," he whispered.
She grinned, curtsied slightly, and turned around, slipping her arms through Mush and Finch's. As they walked away, they faded out, and Charlie once again found himself alone.
He walked home as briskly as he could, beginning to feel the cold through his heavy coat. When he stepped through the door of the newly-reopened Starling Mission, it was like walking through a portal into another world—a world full of warmth and noise and color. A trio of children raced past him, shouting happily as they ran, Bear in hot pursuit—still moving fast and well despite his age. Charlie shut the door and stopped to scratch the big dog behind the ears before he bolted off in pursuit of the kids.
Collette was in the kitchen with the baby and two older children, working on homework at the table. Charlie paused and kissed her on the cheek, then stole the baby from her arms. "Hello beautiful," he grinned, leaning down to rub noses with the baby.
"Here; you can feed her," Collette handed him a bottle.
"Happily," Charlie said. He joined the teenagers at the table, balancing the baby on his knee to feed her from the bottle. He looked around and smiled to himself. Something told him that this is exactly what his grandmother would have wanted: a house full of love and life and joy; a home for him, for Collette, for the baby on his knee. A safe place—a happy place.
"So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls
Then gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all!"