Chapter 3
Memoir
Candles burned at the grave site Thursday night, illuminating with a flickering light the cards, flowers, and other items left there by those grieving for Nita's mother and the Callahan family.
Nita knelt by the tombstone, her carefully combed auburn hair tied back in a long ponytail, and placed a pad of Post-its and her mother's favorite pen in front of the grave marker.
"Just in… in case you need a few…more lists… in heaven…" she choked out, her eyes brimming with tears.
"T-tell me how it is up there… Mommy, we miss you…but we'll always love you. Okay?"
Kit felt his eyes tear up as he watched Nita scrawl on the top Post-it the words We Miss You, Mommy. His heart went out to Nita as she stood up, wiped her eyes, and paced slowly back to Kit, whispering, "Your turn."
At a loss of what to do, Kit slowly walked up to the tombstone and laid one trembling hand on its smooth marble surface.
"Miz Callahan… it was a great three years knowing you… you were more than just Nita's mom to her… and to me. You supported us when we needed you… you were the one that understood us…exactly when we needed you to… you believed us, you put up with us, and I just wanted to say thank you…"
Kit swallowed and wiped his eyes.
"…and it's a real pity… that's all gone now. Thanks…for everything, Miss Callahan."
Suddenly remembering something, Kit unzipped his otherspace claudication and pulled out a small figure that Nita couldn't make out. He set it atop the headstone, touched it once, and, heaving a huge, shuddering sigh, retreated back to Nita.
Squinting at what now sat on top of the headstone, Nita realized it was a pure white paper crane, and she made a mental note to herself to ask Carmela about it when they got home.
A/N: For more info on the origami cranes, go to memorial service ended not too long after the speeches were said. Nita, Kit, and Dairine all followed Mr. Callahan back to his landscaping truck, climbed in, and began the half-hour journey home.
Back at the now-deserted memorial site, the paper crane rocked gently in the cool summer breeze that flowed over the cemetery. Perfectly explainable. What was unexplainable about the crane was that it suddenly flapped its wings… once…twice… three times, then fell off the tombstone and landed in the newly replanted grass covering the coffin and the dirt surrounding the casket.