The rain came down in buckets that cold Tuesday morning. Pacey was gone,
his precious life taken so suddenly. There were times when Joey stood in
their apartment and could hardly breathe.
Joey stood and looked at her fatigued reflection in the mirror. There was a knock at the door and she slowly opened it to an unsuspecting person. Mr. Witter reached out and enveloped her into a much-needed hug. "I can't believe he's really gone." For the first time in her life, Joey noticed the tears form in his eyes as they rolled down his wrinkled face.
Joey led him into the living room. He wiped his wet eyes with a handkerchief. He noticed their weeding picture on the side table beside him and he picked it up. "Look at that smile," he said "God, I remember that day like it was yesterday." Joey smiled at the comment.
"Did I ever tell you the story of how he asked me to marry him?" Joey asked. "Hm, no, I don't think you have." He said. "Well, he took me ice skating at the Frog Pond, one Saturday night." "I had only ice skated two or three times in my entire life." "Of course, Pacey, the big hockey fan he is, was a natural at it and he could skate ten times better than me." "It was a week before Christmas, and all of the trees around the common were decorated with white twinkle lights, and Christmas music was playing as we circled around the pond." "I hung onto his arm for dear life as I tried my best to skate." "Then, of course, I slipped and down we went." She laughed. "We both started laughing, and right in the middle of it all, he knelt down on one knee, and asked me to be his wife." "I started to cry as he slipped the ring on my finger." "It was magical." "I know now that I'll never take it off for as long as I live."
Joey looked up at him and they both had tears in their eyes. "I miss him so much." Joey said as she started to cry. Pacey's father got up, walked over to her and gave her another hug.
After a minute, they got up and he put a reassuring arm around her shoulder as they walked out the door.
***
The church was decorated beautifully. Red and white flowers were arranged magnificently on the altar. As of all funerals, there was an eerie silence, echoing through the cathedral ceiling. People gave Joey mournful looks, which just made it worse.
Joey slowly walked up to the front of the church, admiring the adornments. Then the slow church hymn started to play as people dear to her, brought in the casket.
This time, Joey couldn't stop the tears, as she knew where her husband was resting. Bessie placed a heartening hand on Joey's shoulder as she too started to cry. Joey watched miserably as the casket was rolled up to the altar and a white cloth was placed on top of it.
***
A thin ray of sunlight cast through the stained glass window onto Joey's tear stained face as she watched Dawson saunter up to the altar.
Dawson's hands gently started to shake as he pulled out notes and a handkerchief his father had given him. He took a deep breath, cleared his throat and began, "Pacey Witter was my best friend." "Over the years, we had our good times, and like any other friendship, we had our hardships." "Some people in my life time have made the irreversible mistake of calling Pacey Witter a failure." "Let me tell you, Pacey was smart, funny, and in not one part of his life was he ever a failure." "He had this great smile that could light up anyone's day." "He always told me what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it." "As I look back on our memories, one sticks out in particular." "Pacey and Jen had gone out sailing out on Pacey's boat, the True Love." "Bad weather and high winds rolled in and the situation became dangerous." "I borrowed a boat to go out and look for him." Dawson wiped the tears that pricked at his eyes. "The waves were really high and it was a miracle that we found them." "That night, as he jumped onto my boat, so I could bring him back to shore, his heart broke as he had to watch all as his good times and memories on the boat sail away without him." "The boat was never seen again, but Pacey stuck around." Dawson managed a thin smile. "And I have realized as I look back on the times we had together, that yeah, some dreams weren't lived, but Pacey was always by my side and that was all that mattered." Dawson tried his best to hold back the tears as he softly started to cry. "I never thanked him for that, throughout the rest of my life I'll remember that he gave me strength." "And in my dreams he will always soar above every hardship." Dawson wiped his eyes, as he stepped down and slowly headed back to his seat.
Before sitting down, he went over to Joey and took her hand for a moment as their red, weary eyes met. He let go and sat back down in the pew.
***
Joey sat quietly as her sad emotions tore her up inside. As she listened to the readings the harsh truths were revealed; Pacey wouldn't come home for dinner, there would be no more late night strolls on the beach, they wouldn't eat together at his restaurant, and they would never grow old together.
Time seemed to slow down as Dawson, Jack, Doug, and Bodie rose from their seats and steadily wheeled the coffin back down the aisle.
A light rain began to fall as they stepped outside. The men slowly raised the casket and stepped down the gray, cement steps. Tears in Doug's eyes began to fall as he gripped tighter on the handle. Carefully and one step at a time, they placed the casket into the back of the hearse.
***
The priest gave beautiful words at the cemetery. Joey was handed a small white rose. She watched as people walked over and placed their flower on top of the casket. Joey cried the hardest she had in her life. But in the comfort of Bessie's embrace, she found the strength to rise and place her flower on top.
She waited for a moment, and put her hand on the coffin and felt the coolness of it. Memories flooded her cloudy mind as she stepped backward. Saying goodbye for one lone, last time.
Joey stood and looked at her fatigued reflection in the mirror. There was a knock at the door and she slowly opened it to an unsuspecting person. Mr. Witter reached out and enveloped her into a much-needed hug. "I can't believe he's really gone." For the first time in her life, Joey noticed the tears form in his eyes as they rolled down his wrinkled face.
Joey led him into the living room. He wiped his wet eyes with a handkerchief. He noticed their weeding picture on the side table beside him and he picked it up. "Look at that smile," he said "God, I remember that day like it was yesterday." Joey smiled at the comment.
"Did I ever tell you the story of how he asked me to marry him?" Joey asked. "Hm, no, I don't think you have." He said. "Well, he took me ice skating at the Frog Pond, one Saturday night." "I had only ice skated two or three times in my entire life." "Of course, Pacey, the big hockey fan he is, was a natural at it and he could skate ten times better than me." "It was a week before Christmas, and all of the trees around the common were decorated with white twinkle lights, and Christmas music was playing as we circled around the pond." "I hung onto his arm for dear life as I tried my best to skate." "Then, of course, I slipped and down we went." She laughed. "We both started laughing, and right in the middle of it all, he knelt down on one knee, and asked me to be his wife." "I started to cry as he slipped the ring on my finger." "It was magical." "I know now that I'll never take it off for as long as I live."
Joey looked up at him and they both had tears in their eyes. "I miss him so much." Joey said as she started to cry. Pacey's father got up, walked over to her and gave her another hug.
After a minute, they got up and he put a reassuring arm around her shoulder as they walked out the door.
***
The church was decorated beautifully. Red and white flowers were arranged magnificently on the altar. As of all funerals, there was an eerie silence, echoing through the cathedral ceiling. People gave Joey mournful looks, which just made it worse.
Joey slowly walked up to the front of the church, admiring the adornments. Then the slow church hymn started to play as people dear to her, brought in the casket.
This time, Joey couldn't stop the tears, as she knew where her husband was resting. Bessie placed a heartening hand on Joey's shoulder as she too started to cry. Joey watched miserably as the casket was rolled up to the altar and a white cloth was placed on top of it.
***
A thin ray of sunlight cast through the stained glass window onto Joey's tear stained face as she watched Dawson saunter up to the altar.
Dawson's hands gently started to shake as he pulled out notes and a handkerchief his father had given him. He took a deep breath, cleared his throat and began, "Pacey Witter was my best friend." "Over the years, we had our good times, and like any other friendship, we had our hardships." "Some people in my life time have made the irreversible mistake of calling Pacey Witter a failure." "Let me tell you, Pacey was smart, funny, and in not one part of his life was he ever a failure." "He had this great smile that could light up anyone's day." "He always told me what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it." "As I look back on our memories, one sticks out in particular." "Pacey and Jen had gone out sailing out on Pacey's boat, the True Love." "Bad weather and high winds rolled in and the situation became dangerous." "I borrowed a boat to go out and look for him." Dawson wiped the tears that pricked at his eyes. "The waves were really high and it was a miracle that we found them." "That night, as he jumped onto my boat, so I could bring him back to shore, his heart broke as he had to watch all as his good times and memories on the boat sail away without him." "The boat was never seen again, but Pacey stuck around." Dawson managed a thin smile. "And I have realized as I look back on the times we had together, that yeah, some dreams weren't lived, but Pacey was always by my side and that was all that mattered." Dawson tried his best to hold back the tears as he softly started to cry. "I never thanked him for that, throughout the rest of my life I'll remember that he gave me strength." "And in my dreams he will always soar above every hardship." Dawson wiped his eyes, as he stepped down and slowly headed back to his seat.
Before sitting down, he went over to Joey and took her hand for a moment as their red, weary eyes met. He let go and sat back down in the pew.
***
Joey sat quietly as her sad emotions tore her up inside. As she listened to the readings the harsh truths were revealed; Pacey wouldn't come home for dinner, there would be no more late night strolls on the beach, they wouldn't eat together at his restaurant, and they would never grow old together.
Time seemed to slow down as Dawson, Jack, Doug, and Bodie rose from their seats and steadily wheeled the coffin back down the aisle.
A light rain began to fall as they stepped outside. The men slowly raised the casket and stepped down the gray, cement steps. Tears in Doug's eyes began to fall as he gripped tighter on the handle. Carefully and one step at a time, they placed the casket into the back of the hearse.
***
The priest gave beautiful words at the cemetery. Joey was handed a small white rose. She watched as people walked over and placed their flower on top of the casket. Joey cried the hardest she had in her life. But in the comfort of Bessie's embrace, she found the strength to rise and place her flower on top.
She waited for a moment, and put her hand on the coffin and felt the coolness of it. Memories flooded her cloudy mind as she stepped backward. Saying goodbye for one lone, last time.