Abby stared at her brother's face and tried not to throw up. Cliché
as it was, he wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, try to wake him
up. He looked so handsome. Maggie wanted to bury him in his uniform,
despite the fact that he was no longer in the military. And the make-up
artist had done an excellent job. Abby could only barely see the stitches
on his temple where the bullet had gone into his head.
She ran her hand along the rim of the coffin. "Why'd you do it, Eric? You knew we loved you."
Carter came up behind her. "He looks really handsome, Abby."
"Yeah. He does."
"How's Maggie doing?"
Abby thought about this for a minute. Her mother had been surprisingly calm and collected. She doubted if Maggie had accepted what had happened. "She's fine. I think this will all hit her when the service starts but I think she'll be OK."
"How are you doing?" he asked.
'Why does he keep asking me that?' she thought to herself. 'Doesn't he know? His brother died too.' "I'm gonna be all right," she said. "Eventually, I'll be all right."
***************
There was nothing special about the service. It wasn't bad. One of Eric's military buddies gave the usual speech about how "Eric was a great guy." but it didn't sound to Abby as if he had really known her brother. Well, at least not as well as she had.
After the eulogy, everyone went outside to the freshly dug grave where the coffin was waiting. Abby, Carter, and Maggie sat together in the front and watched as Eric was lowered slowly into the ground.
When the coffin hit the bottom and the final 'thud' was heard, Abby burst into tears. She hid her head in her hands and she felt Carter's arm wrap itself around her shoulder. She buried her face in his shirt.
As they were walking away from the grave, Maggie said, "My son's gone." No body knew what to say. She stopped suddenly and grabbed Abby's arm. "Promise me," she said with tears pouring out of her eyes. "Promise me that you won't die until after I do. I can't lose both my children."
Abby just stared at her mother for a moment and then said, "I promise, Mom. I swear." They practically collapsed into each other's arms.
Carter wandered away, giving the grieving mother and daughter time alone. He stared over at the spot where Eric had just been buried. He saw a man he didn't recognize standing, staring at the grave. He didn't give it too much thought. He hadn't known anyone at the funeral apart from Abby and Maggie.
Once the embrace had finished Carter rejoined them. They had almost reached the car when Abby realized she had forgotten her purse. "I'll be right back," she said and headed back towards the grave.
She narrowed her eyes as she saw the unfamiliar man standing over her brother's grave. She picked up her purse from beside the chair she had been sitting in.
"Can I help you?" she asked, slightly annoyed that this man hadn't introduced himself like all of the other people she hadn't known. As she looked closer she realized that this man was quite a bit older than Eric. He was tall and looked strong, despite his age. His hair, though grey, was thick and his eyes were filled with sadness.a sadness that was caused by more than a single death. Perhaps he had been his commanding officer.
"S-s-sorry," he stammered. "I just.I was just saying good-bye." he looked up and his eyes met hers.
"Did you know Eric?"
"Not very well. I hadn't seen him in years."
Abby expected the man to elaborate but he didn't. So she tried another tactic. "I'm Abby," she said, extending her hand. "Eric's sister."
"Abby?" He said the name as if it were some foreign word he'd never heard before. Then, suddenly his face lit up.
"I'm sorry," Abby said. "I still don't know who you are."
The man smiled and a tear rolled down his cheek. "Abby," he said. "Abby."
Keep reviewing, guys! I love it! I tried to make this chapter end in a bit of a cliffhanger but I'm not sure it's suspenseful. The more you tell me you want the next chapter the fast it'll be posted. Also, I'd be very interested to see if you can guess who the mystery man is. I hope it's not too obvious. (
She ran her hand along the rim of the coffin. "Why'd you do it, Eric? You knew we loved you."
Carter came up behind her. "He looks really handsome, Abby."
"Yeah. He does."
"How's Maggie doing?"
Abby thought about this for a minute. Her mother had been surprisingly calm and collected. She doubted if Maggie had accepted what had happened. "She's fine. I think this will all hit her when the service starts but I think she'll be OK."
"How are you doing?" he asked.
'Why does he keep asking me that?' she thought to herself. 'Doesn't he know? His brother died too.' "I'm gonna be all right," she said. "Eventually, I'll be all right."
***************
There was nothing special about the service. It wasn't bad. One of Eric's military buddies gave the usual speech about how "Eric was a great guy." but it didn't sound to Abby as if he had really known her brother. Well, at least not as well as she had.
After the eulogy, everyone went outside to the freshly dug grave where the coffin was waiting. Abby, Carter, and Maggie sat together in the front and watched as Eric was lowered slowly into the ground.
When the coffin hit the bottom and the final 'thud' was heard, Abby burst into tears. She hid her head in her hands and she felt Carter's arm wrap itself around her shoulder. She buried her face in his shirt.
As they were walking away from the grave, Maggie said, "My son's gone." No body knew what to say. She stopped suddenly and grabbed Abby's arm. "Promise me," she said with tears pouring out of her eyes. "Promise me that you won't die until after I do. I can't lose both my children."
Abby just stared at her mother for a moment and then said, "I promise, Mom. I swear." They practically collapsed into each other's arms.
Carter wandered away, giving the grieving mother and daughter time alone. He stared over at the spot where Eric had just been buried. He saw a man he didn't recognize standing, staring at the grave. He didn't give it too much thought. He hadn't known anyone at the funeral apart from Abby and Maggie.
Once the embrace had finished Carter rejoined them. They had almost reached the car when Abby realized she had forgotten her purse. "I'll be right back," she said and headed back towards the grave.
She narrowed her eyes as she saw the unfamiliar man standing over her brother's grave. She picked up her purse from beside the chair she had been sitting in.
"Can I help you?" she asked, slightly annoyed that this man hadn't introduced himself like all of the other people she hadn't known. As she looked closer she realized that this man was quite a bit older than Eric. He was tall and looked strong, despite his age. His hair, though grey, was thick and his eyes were filled with sadness.a sadness that was caused by more than a single death. Perhaps he had been his commanding officer.
"S-s-sorry," he stammered. "I just.I was just saying good-bye." he looked up and his eyes met hers.
"Did you know Eric?"
"Not very well. I hadn't seen him in years."
Abby expected the man to elaborate but he didn't. So she tried another tactic. "I'm Abby," she said, extending her hand. "Eric's sister."
"Abby?" He said the name as if it were some foreign word he'd never heard before. Then, suddenly his face lit up.
"I'm sorry," Abby said. "I still don't know who you are."
The man smiled and a tear rolled down his cheek. "Abby," he said. "Abby."
Keep reviewing, guys! I love it! I tried to make this chapter end in a bit of a cliffhanger but I'm not sure it's suspenseful. The more you tell me you want the next chapter the fast it'll be posted. Also, I'd be very interested to see if you can guess who the mystery man is. I hope it's not too obvious. (